Ladies 1s game away to Runcorn was cancelled due to a frozen pitch.

Whitchurch ladies 3’s 4 Alderley Edge ladies Development 3

An excellent game to watch with two very evenly matched teams, the first half saw goals from Freya Kellett and Izzy Gilbert. With some excellent runs and accurate passes the 3’s were on good form for such a cold day.

The game saw many twists and turns with even possession of the ball on both teams. But Whitchurch played the ball wide beautifully and made some amazing passes.

In the second half there were goals from Sue Read and Rachel Chesters. Tracey Tolhurst found a new role backing up the keeper, sweeping not one but 2 balls from passing over the goal line, whilst keeper Phoebe Gregory was doing a fab job attacking incoming balls and players.

A very exciting match to watch, keep up the good work girls.

Alderley Edge Men’s 6s 6 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 0

Whitchurch travelled to Macclesfield on a cold Saturday after and played in a wind that felt sub-zero in temperature.

Never has a game of two half been so clearly demonstrated as this one. Whitchurch played poorly in the first half and Alderley took a five-goal lead into the break.

The half time break seemed to wake up the Whitchurch team and saw them attacking and creating chances. Will Edwards shot was scrambled around the post, Liam Pallet finding space and shots in the dee and Alfie Edwards storming forward from midfield to get on the end of crosses. At the back Martin Beecher, Archie Phews, Nik Moga and Adam Rance defended stoically thwarting the Alderley attacks leaving keeper Neil Jones with little to do.

Cian Hirst on his debut had an outstanding game interchanging with Oliver Edwards down the left-hand side of the pitch, while Craig Hockenhull and Charlie Edwards worked down the right.

As for so much of the season Whitchurch lacked composure in front of goal and were punished on the break as Alderley scored their sixth.

Whitchurch took heart from the second half performance and go into the next match looking for the same level of effort and more consistency.

Re-arranged game Sunday 22 January 24

Lymm ladies 3s 0 Whitchurch ladies 2s 0

Whitchurch ladies 2s travelled to Lymm on a very wet windy cold day, Whitchurch were keen to get the game started and dominated play from the start. The game was end to end for the whole match.

Lymm are second in the league and Whitchurch had them worried.  Whitchurch gave 100% with fantastic tackles, interceptions, running, pressing, shooting and great saves from the goalie.  Whitchurch deserved a win but on the final whistle the score was 0-0.  Onwards and upwards to next week Whitchurch take on Oswestry at home.

Triton Men’s 3s 4 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 2

Whitchurch returned to action having not played since the 25^th November and the rust showed in the early stages of the match as errors by the Whitchurch team gave opportunities to Triton who capitalised and took a two goal lead.

Whitchurch started the second half stronger and linked together periods of play resulting in Will Edwards scoring. Whitchurch had long periods of play but couldn’t string together the final pass in the Triton dee. Triton scored against the run of play but Whitchurch soon pulled back another goal thanks to Will Edwards.

The final Triton goal came from a penalty corner which bobbled through the Whitchurch defence and into the bottom corner.

Whitchurch ladies 1s 0 Chester ladies 2s 4

Whitchurch ladies 1s faced a top of the league side in their first game back into the second half of the season. The game started evenly with both teams attacking the opposing goal. After 10 minutes Chester showed their class and broke through Whitchurch’s strong defence to score their first goal.

Whitchurch did not give up, they continued to fight for the ball and put pressure on the opposition. Katie Laffey, Chloe Lloyd and goalkeeper Caz Wynn stopped Chester from increasing their lead through some amazing tackles and saves.

Unfortunately as Whitchurch were pushing for an equaliser Chester were able to break away to score their second goal. At this point, Whitchurch really upped their game and from a string of brilliant passes around the back from Hayley Kellett and Tilly James, Whitchurch were able to get the ball to Catherine Gresty who made an excellent run up the right wing and crossed the ball to Holly Edwards who was extremely close to scoring, only for it to go inches wide of the post.

At only 2-0 down at half time, Whitchurch started the second half strongly with Hayley Kellett making a run at Chester’s midfield. Jas Williams, Lisa Sullivan and Holly Edwards linked up beautifully in the middle of the pitch, making one twos to get around Chester’s players.

After some passes out wide, Poppy Huxley, Poppy Gilbert and Bella Spencer-Blow were able to make some great runs towards the Chester dee. However, Chester’s defence were experienced and strong, so Whitchurch were unable to get into the dee to score. Chester then dominated the end of the second half and applied a lot of pressure on Whitchurch resulting in 2 more quality goals. Whitchurch worked incredibly hard against a well drilled side and held their heads high after a great effort. Player of the match was awarded to Lisa Sullivan.

Whitchurch ladies 2s 0 Alderley Edge ladies 0

Whitchurch were eager to get on the pitch and found themselves playing a very young well put together Alderley edge team, but that didn’t faze them. Alderley Edge won the first pushback, but Whitchurch were straight on the ball.  Whitchurch had most of the possession in the first half and had numerous attempts on goal but unfortunately couldn’t get the ball to hit the back board. Alderley Edge seemed unsettled with Whitchurch’s great teamwork, excellent passing and communication.

The second half was very much the same as the first with Whitchurch not letting up on the pressure giving 110%.  Despite multiple penalty corners and a penalty flick the Alderley keeper kept them in the game. Whitchurch thought they had broken the deadlock in the final minutes as they beat the keeper and as the ball rolled towards the line it was scrambled away. Great match to start to the second half of the season. POM Freya Gresty

Lymm Men’s 2s 2 Whitchurch Men’s 1s 7

Whitchurch 1’s emerged victorious over Lymm 2’s with a commanding 7-2 win. Despite a slow start post-Christmas, Luke Beddow’s ignited the scoring for Whitchurch after 15 minutes. The momentum escalated with Beddow’s securing another goal, courtesy of a selfless pass from Tom Edwards, and Phil Handley netting two before halftime.

Lymm launched a strong comeback in the second half, but Phil Handley completed his hat trick, and a double by Joe Chester sealed the triumph for Whitchurch. A mixed performance from the team that showcased their resilience and attacking prowess, securing a well-deserved victory despite a month without any hockey

Whitchurch ladies 1s 2 Crewe ladies 1s 4

Whitchurch ladies 1s faced top of the league side Crewe at home. After a reminder about formation from stand-in captain Lisa Sullivan, the ladies came out in force; passing and moving up the pitch and working as a team. After 10 minutes of applying pressure on Crewe, Whitchurch’s efforts paid off after India Freer-Carmichael picked out Georgia Munro from a fantastic pass from a free hit. Georgia then drove into the dee and made a cross to Bella Spencer-Blow who converted her first goal for ladies 1s this season.

Crewe then fought back and after countless shots saved by Gwyn Thomas-Rees in goal, they managed to break through and converted 2 goals to go into half time 2-1 up.

After half time, Whitchurch repeated their first half performance and came out strong with Munro making another outstanding run and scoring a second goal. Defenders Katie Laffey and Tilly James held Crewe off from the back and gave some great opportunities for Poppy Gilbert, Sarah Kay and Jasmine Williams to make some great passing phases of play in the middle of the pitch.

Player of the match Holly Edwards worked tirelessly up and down the pitch making crucial passes into the dee and defending from the front. In the end Crewe were able to break free and score from a well worked short corner. Whitchurch then dominated the game and at 3-2 looked as though they may break even after a series of shots on goal and short corners, one in which Hayleigh Busby nearly scored after a fantastic shot on goal was saved off the line.

Unfortunately, minutes from the end of the game Crewe hit the ball to an unmarked attacker up front against the run of play and scored their fourth goal leaving Whitchurch disappointed but proud of the fighting effort they put in to make it such a close game.

Northern Men’s 2s 1 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 2

Whitchurch travelled for a late start in Liverpool hoping to capitalise on the previous week’s victory. Whitchurch started on the front foot and raced into a two-goal lead with a brace from Martin Beecher.

Whitchurch should have made the game comfortable, but a number of excellent saves frustrated both Beecher and Will Edwards.

As the game started to settle it became very even with both sides pressing forward but for some excellent defending from James Partington, Adam Rance, Archie Phews and some timely saves from goalkeeper Neil Jones and some luck as a deflected shot looped just over the crossbar Northern would have been back in the game.

The second half continued in similar fashion to the first with neither team managing to take control, Alfie Edwards flying down the wing caused the Northern defence numerous issues and Liam Pallet was unlucky not to connect on the back post from a fierce cross.

With 10 minutes to go Northern scored, Whitchurch fended off a series of attacks with the midfield of Craig Hockenhull, Airan Jones and Nik Moga taking control to the final whistle and another victory.

Whitchurch Men’s 1s 3 Winnington Park Men’s 2s 2

In a thrilling encounter, Whitchurch 1’s emerged victorious over Winnington Park 2’s with a 3-2 win. The intensity soared when Jack Barnes expertly converted a penalty flick, punishing a defender’s foot block on the goal line to give Whitchurch the lead. Felix Jeffrey’s added to the excitement, flicking the rebound from a short corner into the net, defying protests from Winnington Park players. Despite Sturge’s stellar saves, Winnington Park found a breakthrough, early in the second half, narrowing the gap with a well-placed shot.

The game reached a crescendo as Winnington Park levelled the score with their second goal, putting immense pressure on Whitchurch. Despite creating numerous opportunities, Whitchurch faced a resilient Winnington Park goalkeeper and steadfast defence, thwarting their attempts. In a pivotal moment, the Winnington Park centre back received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Joel Leese, giving Whitchurch a numerical advantage.

Seizing the opportunity, Whitchurch earned their second penalty flick, skilfully converted by Jack Barnes once again. With a man advantage, Whitchurch navigated the final minutes with composure, securing the three points. The hard-fought victory showcased Whitchurch’s resilience and strategic prowess in a heated exchange on the pitch.

The Mens 1s had a bye this week.

Clwb Hoci Eirias Ladies 1s 7 Whitchurch ladies 1s 2

Ladies 1s travelled away to Eirias Park to play second in the league. Expecting it to be a tough game, the ladies were pleasantly surprised to dominate the first 20 minutes of play. Unfortunately, after a string of short corners with no avail, Eirias were able to break away down the pitch and score a goal against the run of play. Within the next 10 minutes Whitchurch’s strong defence was put to the test and it resulted in more goals in quick succession. Player of the match Georgia Munro managed to get a great goal minutes before half time from a brilliant weaving run through the defence.

Whitchurch came out strong after half time and were awarded a short corner which Hayleigh Busby expertly converted to come back to 4-2. However once again Whitchurch’s tireless efforts and great team play did not result in those much-needed goals to get even. Eirias Park then capitalised on a tiring Whitchurch team and scored 3 more goals before one of their players took a nasty injury 5 minutes before the end of the game. Due to the nature of the injury the game ended early. Whitchurch had a lot of positives to take from this game and some areas to work on before facing top of the league Crewe at home next weekend.

Whitchurch ladies 2s 5 Alderley Edge ladies 5s 2

Saturday’s game versus Alderley Edge 5s at Whitchurch started slowly whilst the team adapted to this week’s positioning. Despite good defending from Cath Reece-Gresty and excellent tackles from Rachel Chester’s two goals were quite quickly conceded . Immediately, Whitchurch began to pressurise Alderley Edge’s defence and on numerous occasions shots were taken with Julie Parsons hitting the post and Jane Laffey’s shot being saved by the keeper. At 24 minutes, Heidi Groom finally broke the deadlock with a beautiful goal slipped by the keeper.

The second half started with Whitchurch totally in control passing the ball around between Lexi Morgan and Maisie Bennett as well as excellent runs up the right wing by Poppy Gilbert. Great teamwork ensued enabling several corners to be drawn and at 36 minutes, Gilbert injected the ball to Laffey who slipped to the left allowing Groom to score the equaliser. Further corners awarded saw numerous saves by the opposition’s keeper and a very close call from Eleanor Beecher on the right post.

Excellent passing by Maisie Bennett, Lucy Hearn and Bella Morris in midfield saw the ball soon transferred up the pitch where it was taken by Laffey at the front of goal and slipped sideways to Lucy Hearn who scored the 3rd Whitchurch goal.(39 mins) With lovely stick work in front of the keeper Eleanor managed to score a fourth.

Unfortunately, following on from this the game became a little heated and Beecher received a yellow card at 40 minutes after colliding with a player and Morris received a green card at 46 minutes for encroaching when a free pass was awarded to the opposition. Despite this, the team managed to keep their shape and this enabled Groom to score a final goal in the 56 minute making the score 5-2.

After a final late attack on the Whitchurch goal Gwyn Rees-Thomas made an excellent save from a short corner. All in all the team came away with an excellent 5 to 2 win.
Poppy Gilbert was awarded player of the match following her superb runs up the right wing throughout the match.

Whitchurch ladies 3s 1 Macclesfield ladies 4s 2

The 3’s came out this week very eager with lots of young legs on the pitch, some great runs were made by the forwards Izzy Gilbert, Esme Mackreth , Lois Ebben and Freya Kellett with Tracey Tolhurst up front ready to receive. Gilbert scored a goal halfway through the first half (her first in the 3’s) and the sideline roared. Many more opportunities were created but no more goals for us. The defence worked hard this week with some amazing tackles and injections to the forwards. Mel Reid, Isla Gregory, Mabel Hazelhurst, Erin Harnden, Alice Page and Ella Goodfellow.

Alice Snaith made some fab saves in goal but unfortunately two slipped passed her. The 3’s continue week on week improving to work well as a team with passes being more accurate and confidences growing every week. Continue with the good work and look forward to next week.

Player of the match Freya Kellett

Whitchurch Men’s 2s 7 Winnington Park Men’s 3s 0

After so many weeks of creating chances and failing to convert, Whitchurch took the game from the first minute and controlled throughout.

Martin Beecher scored a hattrick during the game as chances came thick and fast. Will Edwards caused the Winnington opposition many problems and grabbed himself a brace.

Captain Neil Jones was a spectator in goal for most of the match as the few chances created by Winnington were swept up by James Partington, Adam Rance and Lucas Hill in defence.

Whitchurch dominated the midfield with Airan Jones, Liam Pallet and Thomas Wyndam-Lewis putting up a midfield barricade freeing Charlie Edwards and Archie Phews to drive the ball down the wings.

Craig Hockenhull got in on the action as a ball came back from a penalty corner and he fired into the bottom corner. Oliver Edwards then received the ball on the run and neatly rounded the keeper for Whitchurch’s sixth.

The scoring was completed from another blistering strike by Hockenhull leaving the keeper no chance.

Whitchurch travel away to Northern next week hoping to capitalise on this well-deserved victory.