Whitchurch Men’s 1s 5 – Neston Men’s 5s 1

Whitchurch returned to winning ways this week with a tough game against Neston 5s, who brought a number of quick, young players with them. Whitchurch, in turn, were able to field a strong team with substitutes, so the scene was set for what turned out to be a well-balanced game despite the final score line.

Whitchurch started well enough, with some good movement and players staying out wide, which stretched the Neston defence, and their keeper was called on a number of times to prevent the Reds from scoring. The defence were able to nullify the Neston attacks well enough, and Paul “Sturge” Leigh in goal was only called on a couple of times in the first half. Whitchurch finally got the ball up to the Neston dee and Jack Barnes got a great cross in to Ben Kimberley who put the ball away. This was followed soon after with Kimberley’s second of the game, with a good strike on the reverse stick beating the keeper for a 2-0 lead.

What came next was 15 minutes of some of the poorest hockey that Whitchurch have played this season: passes were off-target, or not strong enough, giving the ball straight back to Neston; people tried to go through the opposition instead of around; people stopped running into space, and the defenders let their men get away too often, giving Neston far too many chances. Neston lacked only a final touch, or a bit of luck, and the game settled only when Ben Fry moved into the centre of the field and gave the Reds the structure they had been missing. This new base allowed Fry, Dale Seymour, Rob Chappell and Tom Leonard to move the ball around with much more freedom, and Kimberley and Peter Scales were able to get runs going down the wings which stretch the Neston defence and shifted the balance of the game back in Whitchurch’s favour. Jon Chappell was able to create some space and then played a sublime slip-pass to Leonard who got himself onto the score sheet with a strong shot to take the game to the half-time whistle at 3-0.

The half-time talk highlighted the areas that Whitchurch needed to build on, and the parts that were working well, and it gave the team the confidence to play as they know they can in the second half. The difference was marked, with some champagne hockey between Leonard, Alex and Ben Fry, Rob and Jon Chappell and Barnes, moving the ball at speed through the Neston midfield. Tom Forster and Dale Seymour worked the left wing well, and Kimberley and Fry spread the attack out on the right and the pressure told, resulting in a number of short corners from which Leonard was able to put a straight strike past the diving keeper’s left foot.

Neston didn’t let their heads drop and regrouped, determined to get something from the game for all their hard work, and an attack down the left led to a free hit going their way, giving them a chance to get into the Whitchurch dee and claim a short corner. Despite a strong run out from James Partington, and good blocks from Steve Kay and a diving save from Sturge, the ball just managed to cross the line before being kicked back out by the keeper. It was disappointing for the Reds, but a fair reward for the efforts of the Neston attack who had put Whitchurch under constant pressure in the later part of the second half.

Good marking and running for loose balls by Whitchurch added pressure on Neston, which led to a pass back by the Neston midfield missing its intended target and Seymour and Kimberley were left on their own against the Neston keeper, and Seymour was able to blast one past him to make the score line 5-1. Despite a yellow card for a Neston player in the final few minutes, Whitchurch were unable to capitalise and the game ended 5-1. Whitchurch will take confidence from their second-half performance into their game against league leaders Wilmslow next week at home.

 

Sale ladies 2s 7 Whitchurch ladies 1s 1

Whitchurch ladies 1s travelled away to play second from top, Sale 2s.

Whitchurch knew it was going to be another tough game not having all of their usual team and it certainly was. To start with Sale passed the ball around Whitchurch and scored from most of their short corners. Whitchurch played a very defence game in the first half, only making it into Sale’s dee a couple of times. Millie Edwards and Catherine Reece-Gresty pushed up from time to time trying to give Whitchurch the opportunity to attack but Sale’s defence were very strong.

At half time Whitchurch were 4-0 down. And to top it off the heavens opens just as the second half started.

Whitchurch kept their heads high but couldn’t stop Sale scoring two more. The reds started to attack as Sale began to tire and Charlotte Lawder managed to slip the ball to Hebe Dixon at top dee where she pushed into a Sale player to tap it in. One for Whitchurch! Which brought them back to attacking mode.

Whitchurch had several chances that they failed to convert, but robust play from Sale saw them score another before the whistle.

 

Whitchurch Ladies 2s 5 Sale Ladies 3s 3

This week Whitchurch played at home against Sale. From the offset Whitchurch were the stronger of the two teams and within a couple of minutes Whitchurch opened the scoring with a shot from the top of dee from Hayleigh Busby.

Sale responded with a quick equaliser but Whitchurch continue to push forward with Emily Vernon driving through the Sale defence and round the keeper. As Sale regrouped Vernon then got her second of the game moments later.

Sale came back fighting and as Whitchurch team went down to 10 players they brought the game back to 3-3. Stephanie Stanton worked tirelessly up front throughout the game and was rewarded as she intercepted a pass and gave Whitchurch the lead at the break.

The second half saw Whitchurch come out with more aggression to increase the score line. And a goalmouth scramble saw Tracy Tolhurst put the ball past the keeper to increase the lead to 5-3. The score line remained the same with a strong defence of Emma Clarke, Mel Reid, Wendy Cooper, Edina Jones and keeper Shola Bailey making sure she kept a clean sheet in the second half. Final pushes from Becky Brookfield, Izzy Huxley, Phoebe Jones and Olivia Edgerton saw the ball moving towards the Sale goal however the final whistle blew.

 

Neston Men’s 8s 5 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 0

Whitchurch Men’s 2s took a relatively young and inexperienced eleven to the Wirral for a late pushback against Neston Men’s 8s on Saturday.

The Merseyside team immediately took control of the game, pushing Whitchurch back to defend within their own twenty-three. Although Neston had lots of the ball and territory, Whitchurch defended diligently and restricted the home team to half-chances and speculative long-range efforts.

As the half wore on, the 2s became more confident in possession of the ball. Jake Wood and Ryan Murtagh were taking up good positions in midfield and using the width, provided by Wyn & Euan Morris on the right and Doug Buckeridge & Joe Faithful on the left, to good effect. Whitchurch were particularly good at recycling possession and switching the ball from one side of the pitch to the other. However, the Reds struggled to make any real inroads into the Neston dee.

With Whitchurch playing further up the pitch they became susceptible to counter attacks. Neston’s experienced players were able to win the ball on the edge of their own dee and fire long passes to their pacy forward. Whitchurch were caught out a couple of times with the Neston forward beating the last defender for pace. Whitchurch keeper Neil Jones was quick to come off his line and close the angles, forcing mistakes and rushed shots from the Neston player.

Eventually Neston did take advantage of one of these breaks. Whitchurch seemed to have covered the break, but from a narrow angle, just inside the dee, the Neston forward smashed the ball goal-ward and somehow found the net.

With good defending from Matt Brooks, Danny Foulkes, Doug Buckeridge and Wyn Morris, Neston were frustrated and unable to add any more goals before halftime.

Neston changed their approach a little in the second half and made a conscious effort to stop Whitchurch enjoying comfortable possession in the middle of the pitch. Leaving more players higher up the pitch meant Whitchurch had to be careful pushing players too far forward and leaving themselves outnumbered at the back.

As a result, much of the second half was being played in the Whitchurch half and eventually the Neston pressure began to show rewards and the Wirral side opened up a 3-0 lead.

Whitchurch tempers were beginning to get a bit frayed as all of the marginal umpiring decisions seemed to go either for Neston or against Whitchurch. Inevitably the umpire decided that too many decisions were being questioned and (harshly) carded Danny Foulkes. With a sense of injustice the Whitchurch players regrouped, with Ryan Murtagh dropping back into defence and Sam Conway dropping into midfield, and made a determined effort to shut down Neston’s one-man advantage.

When Danny returned to the field of play, the Whitchurch side became more expansive with their play. Suddenly the game became very stretched with the ball going quickly from one end to the other. Whitchurch had chances, with Euan Morris doing well to get a shot at the keeper, Sam Conway going close and Airan Jones sweeping the ball just wide at the end of an excellent passing move. But Neston also had their chances on the counter and added a further 2 goals, one courtesy of a penalty flick, bizarrely awarded despite the ball already crossing the goal line before hitting a Whitchurch foot.

Ultimately Neston were worth their 5-0 win. Although the Reds had issues with some of the umpiring decisions in the second half, these decisions didn’t have any real bearing on the result. Despite the defeat, Whitchurch could take some real positives from the game. In the first half the controlled possession of the ball showed an emerging maturity to their play, and some of the passing moves towards the end of the match showed what this young team can do when they move the ball quickly.

So something to build on next weekend when the 2s travel to Llandudno on Saturday afternoon before facing Chester at SJT on Sunday morning.

Wilmslow ladies 4s 9 Whitchurch ladies 3s 1

The game started with a push back from Wilmslow, who gained some ground early on but were bested by Whitchurch whose centre forward, Jessica Carruthers, managed to slip an early goal past the Wilmslow goalie. However Whitchurch were brought back down to earth and despite managing to defend some hard shots from the Wilmslow forwards. First time goalie Evie Whatmough valiantly saved multiple shots however Whitchurch were 3-1 down at half time.

With high spirits Whitchurch started the second half, with many quick runs to the opposing goal by winger’s Ellie McEvoy and Caitlin Shaw. Unfortunately, excellent play from Wilmslow earned them a 5-1 lead and without a practiced goalkeeper and the absence of their regular captain Whitchurch went home with a heavy 9-1 loss. Player of the match was Jessica Caurruthers.

 

Deeside Ramblers Men’s 7s 3 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 1

The Men’s 2s travelled to Tarporley on Saturday for a high-noon showdown with Deeside Ramblers 7s.

Fielding a side with more experience than many games this season, the 2s took control of the ball from the first push back. But it was Deeside that somehow managed to score the first goal, almost immediately. With no apparent danger a long straight ball was played into the Whitchurch dee and the Deeside forward, under pressure, seemed to mis-control the pass but inadvertently divert the ball into the goal.

Whitchurch quickly overcame their bewilderment and took control of the game. Whilst Deeside struggled to get close to the Reds goal, Whitchurch manoeuvred the ball well in midfield, with Tom Forster and Ryan Murtagh driving through the middle of the pitch and created a number of chances to equalise.

Doug Buckeridge playing in an unfamiliar right wing role, did well to manoeuvre the ball past the on-rushing keeper, but wasn’t able to apply a finishing touch ahead of the retreating defender. Wyn Morris was unable to apply a back-post touch to a bouncing shot from Buckeridge. Craig Hockenhull was unlucky to have the ball bobble off a defender’s stick just as he was about to sweep home a right wing cross, and Tom Forster did well in the dee but saw his shot hit the outside of the post.

With Iain Bones, Matt Brookes, Danny Foulkes and Mark Sugden repelling all of the Deeside attacks, it seemed inevitable that Whitchurch would score the next goal. However an error of judgement gave away a soft short corner. This was well defended by Whitchurch, but due to encroachment by a Whitchurch player at the halfway line, the umpire decided the short should be retaken. This time Deeside got a lucky break as a ricochet favoured their striker who flicked the ball over keeper Neil Jones, and Iain Bones was unlucky that his high block dropped and span backwards over the line, before being hacked clear.

Although 2-0 down at halftime, the 2s had played well and looked to continue their form into the second half. From the pushback Whitchurch attacked the Deeside goal at every opportunity. Despite illness, Euan Morris worked hard down the left wing, until replaced by dad Wyn, ably supported by Airan Jones from left back. Craig Hockenhull went close when a flick took a touch from the keeper and the ball spun agonisingly wide of the post. The 2s won a number of short corners which were well defended by Deeside, until eventually one was squared to Iain Bones who rifled the ball through the keeper and defenders to pull a goal back.

Whitchurch continued to push for an equaliser but as the second half wore on, legs began to tire and Deeside became more of a threat on the counter attack as the Whitchurch players struggled to find accurate forward passes.

Neil Jones produced a couple of excellent saves, but as the match drew to a close, he was powerless to stop a fine, high strike from a right wing cross.

The 3-1 defeat was harsh on Whitchurch. They played well and dominated the game for large periods of the match. Deeside got lucky breaks for both of their first half goals, whilst Whitchurch didn’t have any of that fortune in the opposition’s dee.

 

Whitchurch Men’s 1s 7 Bangor University Men’s 2s 1

The first game in the double-header weekend was against Bangor University, who had beaten the Reds 5-0 in the away fixture, so Whitchurch were keen to impose themselves on the match from the start. Able to field a strong team with several senior players available, Whitchurch had the early possession and were able to control the game for large periods of time.

Jon Chappell had another fantastic game, scoring four goals in a busy first half, with two strikes from the edge of the dee, a tap in from a scramble after a short corner, and a top corner bullet from a short corner routine. He was supported up front by Tom Leonard who also scored from a few feet away after another short corner routine moved the ball past the Bangor players quickly.

Bangor were able to get a goal back, thanks to a quick counter attack, but the defence of Steve Kay, Alex Fry and James Partington were able to keep the attacks out for the rest of the half, and the midfield of Rob Chappell, Jack Barnes, Ben Fry and Dale Seymour were able to move the ball around with ease setting up multiple attacks. Seymour was able to get on the score sheet too with a smart run through the middle and a cracking shot from the top of the dee.

Ben Kimberley caused trouble down the wing again, and Jake Wood had another impressive game on the left, and Martin Beecher was able to continue his scoring record with an impressive one-handed reverse-stick swat to send a rebound back past the diving keeper to go into the half-time break 7-1 up.

However, this was to be the proverbial game-of-two-halves as the second half involved no scoring at all, but rather a much-improved Bangor performance cancelling out the Whitchurch effort well. They moved a striker up to sit at the edge of the Whitchurch dee, changing the structure of their attack, opening up the centre of the pitch and ensuring that the long ball had some outlet.

Whitchurch had to defend well and use that new space themselves, but the damp pitch and renewed strength of the attacks meant a much slower, more even half with Paul “Sturge” Leigh in the Reds goal called upon only a couple of times – but times that he was impressive in stopping anything going near the net. It was to be a muted second half and frustrating at time for Whitchurch, but critically no goals were conceded and the game ended 7-1, moving the Reds up to fourth in the league.

 

Re-arranged game Sunday 28th

Whitchurch Mens 1s 2 – Keele University Mens 2s 4

The second game of the weekend was hit by availability issues, which Whitchurch unable to field as strong a team as the day before, and it was to prove critical in a rearranged game against Keele played in Stoke. Keele were able to field a strong team with substitutes, and their fitness and skill paid off with a first half where Whitchurch couldn’t match their pace and conceded at regular intervals.

Their goals were all well worked, bar the second which was fortuitous as James Partington slipped whilst running out for a short corner and blocked Sturge’s view in goal and the ball flew past the two of them, and Whitchurch struggled to respond. When they did have the ball, they were able to make good progress and were unlucky not to go 1-0 up within five minutes with good work from Ben Fry, but a succession of poor passes or trying to get past one player too many meant that attacks were blocked and a lot of time was spent running back.

The half ended with Keele 3-0 up and looking strong, but the half-time talk from captain Alex Fry reminded the players to focus on their strengths, pick their passes better, communicate louder and fight to “win” the second half 2-1 to show what they could do.

It was to be a prescient rallying call, as the second half was a much better performance by Whitchurch. Constantly under pressure they were able to mark Keele effectively, forcing them to pass backwards on several free hits, and the runs that Keele did do were stopped in time – Sturge in goal had a very strong half and between his dives, his pads, and his right goal post, he kept everything out bar one shot from an overload run.

Danny Foulkes was instrumental in blocking runs down our right wing, and covering as the Keele attack swapped to their right, and Ryan Murtagh marked their centre forward out of the game for large periods. Airan Jones, stepping up from the 2nds, put in a solid shift at left back, working well with Josh Parry – also stepping up – who had an impressive game on the left wing. Partington made up for falling over with some critical blocks on short corners, and the momentum shifted. Alex Fry, Ben Fry and Jack Barnes controlled the centre with far more time on the ball, and Ben Kimberley was tearing their defence apart with high-speed runs.

With the pressure starting to tell, Barnes was able to drill a shot past the Keele keeper after a rebound, and Whitchurch’s recent successes with short corners continued with Tom Leonard scoring a screamer into the top-right corner to give the Reds two goals which reflected well the amount of effort they put in the second half. The final whistle went with the game at 4-2 to Keele moving them up to fourth, but Whitchurch can be proud of the resolve and effort shown in that second half, and can take that on to their match against Liverpool Sefton 3s away next week.

 

Rearranged game Sunday 28th

Lymm ladies 5s 3 Whitchurch ladies 2s 1

It was a tough match for Whitchurch who were finally playing against Lymm on their 4^th attempt to rearrange the game.

Whitchurch started off strong, with great passes from Beth Sykes, Natasha Foster and Edina Jones in the midfield interchanging with Tracy Tolhurst and Hayleigh Busby wide on the wings. Eventually their possession paid off as Phoebe Jones received the ball in the dee and spun around slotting the ball past the keeper into the goal.

Whitchurch weren’t in the lead for long, as Lymm quickly ran at the defence and only some great interceptions by Martha Teggin broke up the Lymm attacks. Despite some excellent saves by Sarah Latham Lymm took 2-1 lead into half time.

Chloe Lloyd debuted in the centre half position playing with strength and speed picking out teammates with a range of passing. Izzy Huxley ran up and down the pitch helping keep Whitchurch in the game. Captain Emma Clarke and Jess Kimberley controlled the defence and helped Whitchurch continue to try and drive their way back into the game. The final score was 3-1 to Lymm and player of the match went to Tracy Tolhurst.

 

Lymm Ladies 3s 6 Whitchurch ladies 1s 1

Whitchurch ladies 1s travelled away to play Lymm 3s with a number of regulars missing and no subs. From the off Lymm were the controlling side, making the most of their quick, accurate passes and entering Whitchurch’s dee easily.

Lymm scored first from a well-executed short. Whitchurch started to put the pressure on Lymm and managed a great pass in from Hebe Dixon to Sue Read who deflected into the net. Lymm responded with attacking pressure and were rewarded with a short corner from which they scored just before half time.

After the break Whitchurch tried to push up with many fantastic manoeuvres from Millie Edwards and Helen Machin, but Lymm were too strong in defence. Whitchurch tired and Lymm played around the midfield players and received plenty of short corners, which they scored three more goals.

Sprits were low and even though Whitchurch dropped to defend Lymm managed to score their final goal to make Whitchurch walk away with a 6-1 loss.