All posts by Craig Hockenhull

Whitchurch Hockey Club – AGM & Presentations – Sunday April 24th 2015 @ 15.30

Dear Members of Whitchurch Hockey Club,

Please join us on Sunday 24th April from 15.30 at the Whitchurch Leisure Centre for our AGM, & Senior Presentations.

We have decided to go back to having a combined event for the Academy, Juniors and Seniors, so that we can get the whole club together at the same time to recognise everyone’s achievements, and we felt a Sunday afternoon would be the most suitable for families with younger children.

Before the presentations we will hold our AGM, which will last no more than 30 minutes, and be a good opportunity to see what goes on in the running of your club.  We will have a bar for refreshments, and after the presentations would like to ask everyone from the club to contribute something to a buffet – cakes, sandwiches, crisps, etc. – so that we can finish with a bit of a social.

The formal stuff:

This is formal notification of the Whitchurch Hockey Club AGM which will take place on Sunday 24th April from 15.30 at the Whitchurch Leisure Centre commencing @15.30.

Please review all the AGM documentation on the website at

https://www.whitchurchhockeyclub.com/club-info/documents/

We propose to keep the meeting as short as possible with a round-up of the year’s events and election of officers, if you have any topics you want to raise please do so by email in advance to the Club Secretary – email below. 

We need more people to help out:

Without your help the club cannot function so please take on a role or split it with another member or friend as the more helpers we have the easier it makes the task for all.

Types of roles – Committee roles eg. Secretary, Treasurer, Chair & Vice Chair, wider club roles – Umpiring co-ordinator, Fixtures Co-ordinator, Sponsorship, Club Development, Social, Captains & Vice Captains, Membership & kit co-ordinator, Junior/Senior Development, Volunteer Co-ordinator…

There is a dedicated group of people who will support and help you within any role you take on. If you wish to take on a role within the club please fill in a nomination form (on the website) and return to: secretary@whitchurchhockeyclub.com by Sunday April 10th 2016.

Agenda

1) Chairman’s address

2) Finance report

3) Captains’ report – 1st team men / 2nd team men/ 1st team ladies / 2nd team ladies

4) Academy report

5) Election of officers

6) Any other business.

Thanks for all your support,

Whitchurch Hockey Club Committee 2015-16

20/03/16 Whitchurch ladies secure back to back promotions – match report

Alderley Edge ladies 5s 3 Whitchurch ladies 1s 5

Whitchurch ladies travelled to Alderley Edge on a sunny Sunday afternoon to complete another hugely successful season in which they completed back to back promotions finishing runners-up in Cheshire Division 4.

The Whitchurch team composed of 1s and 2s due to the late start took the game to the Alderley side from the whistle as they were in no mood to finish the season with a loss. Captain Catherine Gresty led by example and shot past the Alderley keeper to give Whitchurch the lead in the early stages.

Alderley obviously hadn’t read the script and came back at Whitchurch with a combination of speed and skill to get an equaliser. Julia Neale scored her first goal for the 1s when a shot rebounded off the Alderley keeper and was pushed into the corner beyond the stranded keeper.

Alderley again came back at the Whitchurch side and equalised through a well taken penalty corner. Whitchurch continued to pressure and created numerous chances with Lisa Sullivan picking out the speedy wings of Charlotte Lawder and Laura Workman but despite all their efforts the final touch in front of goal eluded them.

At the break the scores remained level but the team talk focussed on doing the basics of accurate passing, keeping the ball and thus controlling the game. Whitchurch began to take control of the game and press the Alderley team into making mistakes. Alderley still had plenty of the ball but were restricted to running into wide channels as the defence of Emily Hilton, Jess Kimberley, Mel Reid and Jane Williamson closed up and limited their opportunities to get into the Whitchurch dee.

Alderley took the lead for the first time in the game when they were awarded a penalty stroke and the following flick left no chance for keeper Gwyneth Rees-Thomas to save.

Whitchurch continued to roll their subs using up and coming juniors to maintain fresh legs and continue the pressure and when Hebe Dixon picked out goal supremo Sue Read in the dee she deflected home for number twenty-eight of the season to bring the scores level.

It fell too Emma Harper to round off the game as one of Charlotte Lawder’s runs down the right picked out Harper on the top of the dee to sweep home and give Whitchurch the lead. Within minutes Harper had her brace as Sullivan feed her the ball and she struck into the bottom corner to give Whitchurch a cushion. As the game drew to a conclusion Whitchurch remained firm as Alderley pushed forward without success.

Whitchurch left the pitch after another victory in their final game to the applause of the travelling fans and looking forward to life in Division 3 next season.

Match Reports 12/03/16

Chester ladies 4s 0 Whitchurch ladies 1s 5

Whitchurch ladies 1s travelled away to play against Chester ladies 4s. Whitchurch knew that they needed a strong performance with two games to go and promotion still a possibility.

From the start Whitchurch applied pressure to the Chester team and scored within the first 5 minutes as a shot from captain Catherine Gresty bounced off the keeper and to Sue Reed who scored the first of her four in the first half.

Whitchurch had a number of chances but were unable to convert but kept up the pressure with some amazing runs and tackles from Emma Harper, Jane Williamson and Laura Workman down the left side of the pitch. Whitchurch continued to create chances and as the shots came Sue Read positioned herself in the right place to pick up deflections and re-bounds.

Despite their dominance Chester showed that given the chance they could still be dangerous on the break and the post saved Whitchurch on the stroke of half time.

Whitchurch started the second half with a comfortable lead and settled quickly into the game with Catherine Reese-Gresty and Jess Kimberley sweeping up any attacks at the back and feeding the midfield. Down the right hand side Whitchurch held their fort with Emily Hilton and Hebe Dixon rolling to keep up the intensity of the attacks, when Lisa Sullivan picked out the run of Emily Hilton she neatly slipped the ball under the advancing keeper. In the later stages Hilton thought she had another with a lifted shot but the Chester keeper got her finger tips too it and it dropped just wide of the post.

Lisa Sullivan got player of the match and Whitchurch got another vital three points. It now all comes down to the last re-arranged game against Alderley Edge on Sunday March 20th.

 

Whitchurch Ladies 2s 3 Brooklands Poynton Ladies 4s 0

With the last game of the season, Whitchurch were excited not to finish bottom of the league! As stand in captain Emma Clarke won first pushback the team were “on it like a rocket” as skilful play from the Whitchurch team meant that Phoebe Jones opened up the scoring in the first three minutes.

This gave the team a wave of confidence and within five more minutes, applied pressure meant that Ashleigh Heath had a straight shot on goal. Whitchurch’s next chance came from the right side of the pitch as Masie Owen passed to Charlotte Lawder who spotted Hayleigh Busby on the right wing who drove along the base line picked out Helen Hocknell in the dee who then popped the ball in the back of Brooklands net.

Whitchurch went into half time ecstatic and with the help of the half time goodies were left feeling energised and ready to show Brooklands what more they can bring. However Brooklands came fighting but with the excellent defending from Mel Reid, Emma Clarke, Becky Brookfield, Masie Owen, Martha Teggin and keeper Shola Bailey, quickly cleared the ball and Brooklands chances of scoring.

Whitchurch were determined to get another goal and never stopped fighting with teamwork from Helen Machin, Sami Ives and Emily Vernon who just kept on coming at the tiring Brooklands team.

The final whistle was blown by none other than Whitchurch’s very own Wendy Cooper along with Tom Leonard who both did sterling jobs umpiring. Player of the match was awarded to Charlotte Lawder.

The ladies 2s would like to thank all of their supporters in cheering and encouraging them, Julia Neale for leading her team in her first year of captaincy and also coach Craig Hockenhull for the hard work and time he puts in. They would also like to wish their 1s team good luck in their fight for promotion as they know “you can do it”. The team has improved and developed a great deal over the season and as a result of this finished 11th place overall in the league with 10 points and earned themselves 16 goals.

Ladies 2s 05/03/16

Whitchurch 2s ladies 05/03/16

2nd team ladies 12_03_16

Whitchurch 2s ladies 12/03/16