Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club

Ashford Ladies 3s – Home to PHC Chiswick, WON 3-0 (Chloe Russell, Nicki Davis, Nikki Croxon)

So the Ladies 3’s were at home against Chiswick and we were ready for a good game! We started off strong, attacking down the right side hard with Chloe Russell working extra hard to get the ball down the line to Megan Hurley. Not long into the game this worked and the ball got back to Chloe in the D and she took a shot at the goal from an angle that didn’t seem possible to score from but she did and we were winning 1-0. This was just what we needed . In the second half we continued to all work hard and the attack came from the right and left side with Jenny Tippell in the middle fighting strong to get the ball up the pitch. Ellie Watson displayed some beautiful skills alongside Jenny as she went round their players without any trouble. Then Abi Frith got a break on the left and after going round a few people, got the ball to Nicky Davis who hit it at the goal for their goalkeeper to try and keep it away but Nicky was too quick and there was our second goal!

Our defence remained strong throughout the game with Charlie Poulter in goal making some saves but we didn’t have much to worry about with our defence working hard to clear the ball. We had a few chances to score, one of which was Chloe Russell showing true commitment when she dived for the ball but unfortunately missed and hurt her elbow. We also lost our left back, Irene Okello to injury for 10 mins but she came back on fighting and got the ball down the wing which then went into the D for Nikki Croxon to score her first goal of the season making it 3-0! Brilliant result for Ashford 3’s ! The start of many wins to come!

Ashford Ladies 2s – Away to Eastcote, lost 5-1 (Becky Hewes)

This week’s game saw the Ladies 2s travel over to regular rivals Eastcote. With two blinding wins under our belts we were buzzing for win number three. Even if we were in white! The first half started off with Ashford having the main possession and another win looked promising. With some fast breakaways our rivals they soon got their first goal. Hungry to come back Sam Clarey and Man of the Match Jules Steer, made some great attacking runs through the middle. Shots towards goal were many but Ashford struggled to score. A much worn out side finished the first half 3-0 down but fought to keep heads up with our loud supporter Jacqui Bashford.

The second half started with strong attacks from the Eastcote side who in turn added 3 more goals to their tally for the first part of the second half. Strong defending from Hilary Hull and Alex Saunders saw Ashford hold their ground to push back any more attacking runs from the opposition. With the ball now out of our half Molly Davis and Cath Evans made an excellent pairing down the right wing to see some goal scoring opportunities worry the oppo. Eventually with another tough attack down the right wing Jules Steer picked up the ball at p-spot for Becky Hewes to slap the ball bottom corner for a goal.

For what was a tough match for the Ashford side this was a very positive game with the entire team playing really well. Even if we did have Alex hit on the head with a ball, Sam winding herself and Nicola ‘Groomy’ Groom running out of water because she drinks likes a fish. Did I mention we were in ‘unlucky white’?

Ashford Men 2s – Away to Gerrards Cross, lost 3-0.

Having been thrashed the previous week, due to possibly the worst Ashford performance in recent years, we were not overly confident in getting a positive result this week against a top four team in this league. But as we started on Beaconsfield High School beach, which doubles up as a hockey astro on weekends, there was a distinct difference in mind-set than weeks past, for once we were up for the game. And it showed, we started the game strongly, with Steve Taylor and Robbie Grant utilising their pace and stick skills, and Jack Hayes running GX defence ragged. Ironically, our dominance was also our downfall. Having created a terrific opening and getting into GX D, we gave the ball away cheaply, and had over committed. GX slipped 3 or 4 passes and the ball was in the back of our net. Half time and one down, we were disappointed we weren’t ahead, we came out of the blocks after half time superbly again creating opportunities through Matt Samouel and the returning Paul ‘Shar’ Neyton. But again after dominating the period of play we gave away a cheap short corner and were punished. Being 2 down with 15 to go Ashford pushed on, but were once more caught out on the break have lost possession in the opposing 25.

A much better performance from the red and blacks, but having dug ourselves into a bit of a hole, we are going to have to keep up this level of performance to get out of trouble. Starting with Maidenhead at home next week.

A down and up weekend for the ‘Ford as they lost in the league to Wallingford on Saturday but recovered well to beat fellow regional leaguers Eastcote in the EHB Trophy 24 hours later.

Pride often comes before a fall and maybe the ‘Ford were a little too confident after winning their previous two league games. They probably had the better of the scoreless first half but as they went in search of all three points after the interval they lost their shape and Wallingford capitalised on defensive errors with two late goals.

A chastening experience and when Eastcote took an early lead on Sunday a bad weekend looked on the cards. The ‘Ford defence in which Phil Lewis was outstanding stood their ground and gradually the midfield took control. The composure on the ball and patience going forward which was missing a day earlier returned and Jas Nijhar, who always had a threatening look about him, netted the equaliser from close range.

Luke Cottrell, who had an excellent game in midfield, put the ‘Ford in front from the spot soon after the interval and though Eatcote managed to equalise, the ‘Ford went back in front through Phil Lewis. A second from the youngster 15 minutes from time put the ‘Ford well clear and set the seal on a fine team performance. On Saturday, there was only one real candidate for the team’s man of the match award and that was Darren Cole. but against Eastcote most of the team had legitimate claims for the accolade and it was Lewis who took it.

So, the ‘Ford players and their supporters, who were at eastcote in force, will be huddled around their transistors hoping for a home tie when the draw for the last 32 is made on 5Live.

Finally, thanks to Andy ‘Shaggy’ Sonden for providing cover from the bench for both matches and only getting ten minutes of pitch time on Saturday and none on Sunday. It requires a degree of selflessness that few hockey players seem to possess and is much appreciated, as were the efforts of Dave Eastbury who travelled to Eastcote direct from his Sunday football match for just two minutes of action.

Whilst the times against fixtures seem to have a bug, here’s the times for you as per the latests fixture sheet I have…but please, do check in with captains and let them know your availability…just in case there’s been another update!

SAT 22nd OCTOBER – also PLACE YOUR BETS SOCIAL from 7pm
ladies 1s vs Winchmore Hill HOME at 10.30
Men’s 1s vs Wallingford HOME at 12
ladies 3s vs PHC CHiswick HOME at 1.30
Men’s 5s vs Marlow HOME at 3
Men’s 2s vs Gerrards Cross AWAY at 12
Men’s 4s vs Oxford AWAY at 2.30
Ladies 2s vs Eastcote AWAY at 3

SAT OCT 29th
Ladies 3s vs Hendon & Mill Hill HOME at 12
Mens’s 2s vs Maidenhead HOME at 1.30
Men’s 4s vs Oxford Hawks HOME at 3
Men’s 1s vs Oxford AWAY at 1
Men’s 3s vs Phoenix & Ranlagh AWY at 2.30

For the second week running Ashford earned a hard fought draw, but the win was what we were after!

With a change to the strike force, the forward line saw Jackie Parsons teaming up with Captain Lucy Uttley. Ashford made the best possible start….After 5mins Nicky Benedict drove down the right, playing a powerful ball into the D that beat the Staines defenders leaving Lucy to put away on her reverse stick side. Yes, just what we had planned to do 

Then followed a series of short corners, both sides had strikes that produced great keeping from both the Ashford and Staines Gk’s. Staines mounted further pressure on Ashford but strong defending from man of the match Sophie Smart, Kim Fry and Tracey Holland, with further saves from keeper Sam Grant kept Staines out. We saw the return of half marathon queen Wendy Baker to the team, coming on to help the midfield stay firm from the pressure Staines were exerting.

Ashford then produced some exciting attacking play, Lucy having a shot cleared off the line and Clare Emmerton narrowly missing too. Staines forced a short corner at which club captain Emma Hynes ran out to clear only to get hit on the foot which forced her off the pitch. We won’t talk about where else poor Emma got hit, but I’m sure she’ll show off her bruise on Saturday!?

Ashford held onto the 1-0 lead at half time and started the second half strongly with Jackie Parsons striking only to be saved again by the Staines keeper once again. Rasna Sanhdu continues to develop her confidence as a 1’s player on the right side and held her own against some aggressive Staines play.

Staines then put the pressure on Ashford and finally broke through the defence to equalise. However Ashford came straight back with Kim Downs narrowly missing, then Jacqui Bashford forced her way down the right and into the D to cross to Lucy who fired home.

With only 10 minutes to go Staines managed to equalise and then it Ashford did their best to steal the win, but to no avail so the final score ended up 2-2. A fair result overall?

Ashford face top of the table Winchmore Hill and Enfield 1’s on Saturday, so come on you REDS!

Sat 15th October – PHC Chiswick 1 Ashford 1st XI 3

In terms of possession and territorial advantage, this was a game of two halves. The ‘Ford, one up after two minutes and three to the good after 20 were full value for their 3-1 half time but had to batten down the hatches after the break as PHCC adopted a far more robust approach to things. The scoreless second half was down to a what we have, we hold approach from the visitors based on disciplined defence from front to back and on the rare occasions PHCC did break through they found either Andy Barnes or Adam Smith barring their way.

Alex Betts scored from the ‘Ford’s first penalty corner and Jas Nijhar’s fifth in three games a few minutes later was given some help by the keeper. Andy Barnes calmly slotted his second of the season from the spot after a foul on Chris Bolton and although PHCC pulled one back they never really capitalised on having the lion’s share of the ball after that.
So, three points for the “Ford from what is always a difficult trip to the forbidding surroundings of the Linford Christie Stadium in the shadow of Wormwood Scrubs Prison. The experience was, however, brightened somewhat by PHCC’s warm welcome and convivial post match hospitality.

Sat 15th October – Ashford 5s away to Eastcote, won 7-1

A comfortable victory for Ashford 5th XI at Eastcote in an otherwise even match. Goals from young Sam Betts put Ashford two up at half time, with good work from Chris Taylor in the Ashford goal keeping the Eagles at bay. Ashford continued the good work in the 2nd half taking advantage of a fairly weak defence, with further goals from Joe Muldoon, Sam Betts(2), Jim Berressem and Kulvir Singh, with Eastcote finally netting a goal late in the game. The final score of 7 – 1 flattered Ashford, who for once converted every opportunity to come away with a satisfying victory

Please be aware that we are having issues with our fixtures calendar, and the times shown may not be accurate. Please refer to the details originally sent to your fixtures secretary for confirmation

The astro draw winners for October 2011 are:

£100 Anna Protheroe

£50 Ray Edwards

£50 Ian Jenkins (kindly donated back to AHC)

Congratulations to all the winners and your cheques should be with you soon. It is only £12 per year for a ticket and a draw is made every month throughout the season, with the extra big money prizes being drawn at the AHC Annual Dinner in April. Application forms are available on the website (see link on side bar) and on the Club Notice Board. Help support and give yourself a chance of winning some money at the same time.

Apologies to everyone…whilst coming and going on my holidays, I got the dates mixed up for Place your Bets…its actually on SATURDAY 22nd OCTOBER. Lucy, Hannah and the team are devising pesky challenges for us to anticipate or bet who will win…are there any sneaky cracker eaters to take the eating tasks by storm (ie me…think it might be the only time I beat Digger in an eating competition!)…who do you think could spin the most times and still score a goal…these may be the challenges, but then again, they might not!

Come down on Saturday 22nd October for another fun filled night! look out for emails from ahcsocial@hotmail.co.uk

We’re doing our first shopping event this week! With some exciting options for us….so bring a friend, grab a drink from the bar, and have a mooch whilst gossiping.

7.30pm to 10.30pm on Thursday 13th October

Come and peruse and purchase the following:

Jewellery from Stella & Dot
Kitchenware from Jamie at Home
Lingerie from Bluebella
Beauty from Avon
Cards from Phoenix Trading
Jewellery from Amber Designs
Scarves & Accessories from Moosbags

What a successful hunter needs above all else is patience. Patience and a big gun. Sadly, in the modern-day world of Astroturf hockey the use of the big gun has been outlawed, and so as Ashford 2s went for their first scalp of the big game season, coolness and poise were the watchwords.

Starting downwind of the scarlet-clad Eastcote team, Ashford began stalking their prey with quiet intent, and spent the first five minutes of the game in almost constant possession. With both Robbie Grant and James Maitland bursting with attacking verve on the flanks, the red and blacks were able to move the ball around at will, and seemed to have taken little time to judge the lie of the land. Gradually however Eastcote began to find their way into the game with some sharp counter-attacking hockey; some excellent tackling from Andy ‘flaps’ Tunna and Dom Hillman keeping them at bay.

With 15 minutes gone Ashford seemed certain to bag their first goal of the game: An excellent through ball from Shaggy Sonden saw David ‘Crabhands’ Eastbury clean through on goal, but his pistol shot ricocheted of the post. Further chances came and went with Crabhands firing two more rounds just past the right-hand upright and Jack Hayes trigger jamming after a fizzing cross-field ball.

With their prey now clearly aware of their attacking intent, Ashford regrouped from the second half with a changed back line, Graham Smart taking a well earned break from central defence. It was a mistake from stand-in left half Shaggy 5 minutes later that saw Eastcote break the deadlock however: Unable to clear the loose ball after making the first tackle, Eastcote’s left wing skipped gazelle-like into the circle, and fired across for their forward to sweep in.

The hunter had now firmly become the hunted and despite some tireless midfield play from Ben Degazon, things went from bad to worse 5 minutes later. Having stepped back into the fray, Smartie clumsily bundled into Eastcote’s centre-mid – a 10 minute trip to the sidelines his reward. By the time he’d returned to the pitch Ashford were 2-0 down, and things were only going to get worse. Despite some incisive distribution from sentinel full-back Amit Bhamra, Ashford could not hold onto the ball in midfield, and they were punished by a penalty corner struck firmly down the middle, and another lightning counter attack that this time they were helpless to defend against.

In a thoroughly disappointing second half, the one highlight was seeing keeper Ryan Croxon winning a top-circle dance-off with the Eastcote left wing, but Ashford will need to improve their moves overall before their home game next weekend.

Ashford IIIs  1 – 8  Marlow IIIs
(1^st October, 2011)

Ashford’s 3^rd eleven started their season with a resounding defeat against Marlow; however the underwhelming final score was the result of a second half capitulation. For the first half at least, Ashford contested a relatively even game and perhaps should have been 2 – 1 up at the interval; slick passing in midfield was complimented by a tireless and resolute performance in defence, particularly from Ashford’s half-backs. As it was they went in 2 – 1 down with Marlow scoring just before the break after Smith had equalised clinically from a sweeping counter attack.

Yet the second half was an entirely different story. With Ashford carrying a couple of niggling injuries exacerbated by raucous 29-degree heat, their performance started to lag. Repeated substitutions – an attempt to gain some little respite for fatigued players – only succeeded in confusing the midfield. Ashford’s play throughout had seen the ball regularly played into space as they looked to utilise their pace and stretch the opposition; in contrast Marlow played increasingly to stick. The home team’s tactic backfired in the intense heat and led to deadened legs and exhausted minds. Ultimately, Ashford stopped tracking runners from midfield leaving the defence consistently and horrendously exposed to wave after wave of Marlow attacks. Dead on their feet, Ashford shipped 4 goals in the last 10 minutes despite the dogged and admirable efforts of their keeper and beleaguered defenders.

A result to consign to history and here’s hoping that next week’s game, with plenty of passing to stick, heralds an improved team performance.