NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 2C

Ipswich 2's v Cambridge Ladies

Result: Won 5-1

Scorers: K Higgins, F Lane, V  Dixon (2), C Bedingfield 

Ipswich 3s took on Cambridge Ladies at Tuddenham Road on Saturday looking for a win to close the gap on the league leaders. The home team made a great start pinning the visitors in their own half for much of the first 20mins. Kat Higgins worked well with Charlotte Christie and Vickey Dixon building up some superb attacks down the right and connecting well with Ro Anderson Hurst and Fiona Lane up front. Meanwhile Jenny Ellis & Sarah Logan had control of the left half of the pitch preventing Cambridge from attacking on their strong side. 5 minutes in, and the pressure paid off. Lane secured a penalty corner, Dixon’s first strike was saved by the keeper but Kat Higgins made no mistake with the rebound to put Ipswich ahead.

Ipswich kept up the pressure, and went 2-0 up from another penalty corner when Lane deflected Vicky Dixon’s strike into the right hand corner. Shortly afterwards, Dixon got her name on the score sheet with another corner strike. 

Cambridge tried to fight back but Logan, Ellis and Hannah Brooks made sure little got through to threaten Ginny Myres in goal.

The “coolest goal of the game award” goes to Connie Bedingfield who, collecting the ball on the edge of the D, realised that nobody was coming to tackle her, and calmly placed a precision flick into the top left corner. 

But at 4-0 up Ipswich started to slack off a bit and allow Cambridge to get into the game. Hannah Brooks and Lorna Hassell were called upon to soak up a lot of pressure into the half time break.

Cambridge must have been given a stern talking to at half time because they came out much stronger and had moments of dominating play in the second half. Their efforts were eventually rewarded when they pulled a goal back from a short corner. But otherwise Myres dealt well with any balls that came her way. 

Ipswich eventually regrouped and held the middle of the pitch well with Mitch Chidgey putting in a great performance at left midfield, linking nicely with Sarah Logan, and Sarah Brown working well with Higgins on the right.

Just a few minutes from time, Vickey Dixon sealed the game with a perfectly executed short corner strike. Final score 5-1.

Suffolk Premier League

Ipswich v 

Won 4-1

Scorers:

Suffolk Div 1

NE14HOCKEY East League

Prem A

Ipswich 2's v Bluehearts

Result: Lost 4-2

Scorers: Miller, Cook

NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 2 N

Norwich City v Ipswich

Result: Won 6-1

Scorers: P Graves (2), S Gibson  (3), T Lever

NE14HOCKEY East League 

Div 4NE 

UEA 2's v Ipswich 4's 

Result: Lost 4-1 

Scorers: T Gallagher

This controversial Division 4NE game started off with a Keystome cops esque feel. The Ipswich team spent sometime driving around the pretty villages of Tasburgh (Upper and Lower) and Newton Flotman as a result of the A140 being shut. At one point Whetton and Sneddon found themselves driving opposite ways down a country lane - was this to provide an omen for the team's defensive performance?

With captain Godbold absent to get married the 4th XI drafted in Reed for his 4th XI debut and Gallagher dropped down from the 3rd XI. As a result the team wandered onto the pitch in confident mood.

Then UEA dropped their bombshell. Their second umpire had come down with student Friday night food poisoning and they had failed to find an alternative. To cut a long story short Williams ended up volunteering to umpire to ensure the game went ahead.

So the game started and end to end play followed. The highlight of the first ten minutes was the yellow card for incessant dissent to the UEA centre forward.

Ipswich had most of the chances but UEA scored a disputed goal shortly before half time. The Ipswich players observed that the ball was not touched by a UEA player inside the D but Williams stood by his decision. As everyone knows the umpire is always right and particularly so when he also writes the match report. In any event if someone could explain the logic of the Ipswich proposition for the goal - that being that Whetton passed to Sneddon and he put it in the goal through Kwan's legs then the UEA stick in the middle of that muddle might just possibly not have existed.

In the second half Ipswich started positively but soon went two behind by conceding at a short corner. With Reed running in pretty circles in the middle of the pitch Ipswich continued to prosper. Out of interest why does Reed run in circles - what is wrong with a straight line?

The Gallagher swished in a reverse stick shot and the momentum swung right behind Ipswich. However the ball wouldn't go in and following a failure to force the ball over the line from a couple of feet UEA broke away and scored a third with about 10 minutes to go.

This rather deflated Ipswich and they were probably fortunate to only concede one more in the last few minutes.

So the match ended 4-1 to UEA and whilst the score line might have flattered them they did control the second half effectively.

Man of the match went to UEAs number 6 called Flash - what is he doing playing in their second XI! On the Ipswich side Ben Underwood probably edged it ahead of the ever running Gallagher.

So assuming the result stands Ipswich 27 game unbeaten league run has come to an end. Their lead at the top of Division 4NE has been reduced.

Next week Dereham at home and the rumour has already started that Ollie 'the totem' Holloway will be appearing for the 4th XI. He will probably take the place of Reed (G) who will probably take his rightful place in the 5th XI.

NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 6NE

IES 3's v Ipswich 5's

Result: Won 2-1

Scorers: A Mays, A Barker

NE14HOCKEY East League

Vets

Bishop's Stortford v Ipswich

Result: Won 2-1

Scorers: Glading (2), Sampson, Crowe

Bishops Stortford are probably the most improved team this season in the East Vets league and so Ipswich were expecting a tough encounter, but were fortunate to draft in Swindin to replace the free scoring Wrinch; the day did not start well when Girling was unable to travel at the last minute with a mystery affliction.

Ipswich started the game well, creating a number of clear cut chances, Foster in particular had several scoring opportunities that were scrambled clear. Ipswich took the lead, the ball bounced around the circle and eventually fell to Peter Sampson who finished clinically. More chances came and went without success but it certainly was not one way traffic, and Steward in goal was as usual called upon to pull out several brilliant saves to preserve the visitors advantage.

The second half arrived with several tactical changes and the home team bringing on some fresh legs. This seemed to give Stortford the advantage and they were looking the more likely to score but in a superb example of a quick counter attack Foster outpaced the defense to cross for Glading to steer home.

Stortford soon bounced back scoring from an excellent short corner routine when Ringrose, who was otherwise impeccable throughout, failed to cover his post. This could have proved the turning point for the home team, but once again Ipswich hit Stortford with 2 goals in quick succession, Glading converting a well worked short corner and then Crowe steering home from another Foster run and cross. Indeed Ipswich could have further increased the lead as the lively Curzon was denied by 2 excellent saves from the keeper.

The final minutes proved tricky as Stortford pulled a goal back, but the defensive line up of Langton and Gaffer held firm, and when Steward pulled off yet another classic save, Ipswich realised they had secured the points.

Next week Ipswich entertain Harleston, in a top of the table clash that could prove decisive in the chase for the title.

EH

Veterans Cup

Round 3

Ipswich v Indian Gymkhana

Result: Won 11-0

Scorers: Cook (5), Curzon (2), Palmer, Askins (2) Driver 1,

After a heavy defeat at the hand of the visitors in last years Veterans over 40s cup competition, Ipswich were expecting a very difficult match at Henley Road, in front of a vociferous home crowd. Whilst Indian Gymkhana turned up however, as soon as Ipswich took the lead in the third minute they never looked capable of competing as Ipswich gave a superb demonstration of attacking hockey. Gymkhana showed some silky personal skills but never really threatened Steward in goal and too often conceded possession cheaply and even Fry had a very comfortable outing at the back. Ipswich scored at regular intervals to build an unassailable 7 goal half time lead.

Ipswich were able to use their full 16 man squad as the Gymkhana midfield failed to make any inroads, and as 1 or 2 of their players became a bit out of hand firm umpiring was required, and the visitors were reduced to 10 men when a player who had already received a yellow card made another horrendous tackle on Cook. Ipswich could not quite match the first half scoring but such a convincing victory against a club with such a pedigree was no mean feat. They know look forward to the draw for the next round scheduled for February.