Slazenger EHL

Premier Division

Ipswich v Canterbury

Won 2-0

Scorers: B Baker, L King

Slazenger EHL

Premier Division

Ipswich v Chelmsford

Lost 2-1

Scorers: L Aldous

 Ipswich had a mixed weekend in the Slazenger EHL Premier Division, recording one win and a loss but despite the slip up on Sunday, the Suffolk team moved up to 4th place, their highest position so far this season.

Saturday's opponents Canterbury arrived at Tuddenham Road, looking for their first win in Suffolk since 2004 but the Kent side again had to head home pointless after Ipswich produced a professional display to take all 3 points.  Starting well the home side dominated the early exchanges and looked comfortable dealing with one of Canterbury's most dangerous players England forward and ex-Ipswich striker Cathy Gilliat-Smith. With Kirsten Spencer back in the starting line up Ipswich were looking very comfortable in defence and with player of the match Hannah Tallent also controlling the left hand side any attacks were dealt with and quickly turned into an attacking move.

Despite the majority of possession and several short corners Ipswich could not find the final touch to open the scoring and had to wait until the 33rd minute to finally break through. A short corner strike from Captain Becky Baker clipped the leg pad of the prone Canterbury keeper Becky Duggan and flew high into the next. It was Bakers second goal of the season and her 9th outdoor goal for Ipswich.  

Going into half time 1-0 up Ipswich were the happier team but were also aware that the slim lead was vulnerable against a side with Canterbury's attacking formation.

The second half saw the Kent side create more opportunities but a mixture of missed chances and some good Ipswich defending kept the home side in front.  Ipswich too had chances and felt extremely aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty stroke when Leisa King was fouled as she bared down on goal. However on the 59th minute the home side eventually were awarded a stroke, for a foot on the line and King stepped up to fire it past Duggan to make it 2-0. It was King's fourth goal of the season and means she is the teams top goal scorer so far.

Canterbury continued to push for a goal but some resolute Ipswich defending by Lucy Gallagher and Hannah Tallent in particular, saw Ipswich end the game with their first clean sheet of the season and move up to 4th place.

Sunday should have been the easier game on paper but 8th placed Chelmsford had come to Tuddenham Road with a strict game plan and a determined attitude after suffering  a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of league leaders Bowden the day before.

The game started at a high pace with the majority of play in the hotly contested midfield area, Ipswich created the first real chance but a reverse stick shot by Sarah Daley was comfortably dealt with by GB goal keeper Katy Roberts.  Then on the 13th minute Chelmsford caught Ipswich on the break and GB player Lisa Wooding was able to hit a tame reverse stick shot into the corner of the goal.  Despite being 1-0 down Ipswich continued to play some good hockey but a combination of tiredness and frustration led to the ball being given away too often and 5 minutes later home side were caught on the break again. Chelmsford attacker Charlotte Roberts was probably as shocked as the Ipswich side to see her shot straight at keeper Charlotte Lee-Smith go in.  Going in 2-0 down at half time Ipswich coach Royce Waters had some positional changes to make and replaced Lee-Smith with 2nd team Captain Claire Gould and moved to a more attacking formation. He also had to adjust to the loss of striker Jenny Hall who was hit on the thumb by the ball and had to leave the pitch with a nasty looking cut. Hall was taken to A&E and has not only split her thumb but also broken it and will be out for minimum of 3 weeks. It is a massive blow to her and the team after only being back in action for 3 weeks after her shoulder injury.

Despite the loss of Hall the positional changes seemed to pay off as Ipswich started the second half in a much better frame of mind and began to create clear cut chances. First King dummied Roberts in the Chelmsford goal, only to see her reverse stick shot cleared off the line, then she watched in disbelief as her fantastic strike from the top of the circle smashed against the right hand post and bounced to safety.  With time ticking away Ipswich could sense that a goal would see them right back in the game but Chelmsford defended with gusto determined not to suffer 2 defeats in the weekend. Ipswich though kept on battling and finally broke through, Lizzy Aldous bundling the ball home from a melee in the circle. Unfortunately the goal came on the 69th minute and it was too little too late for the Suffolk side. 

A frustrating result as Ipswich know they can play much better but they remain in 4th place and with only 2 games to go before the break for the indoor season, the Suffolk team are more than capable of remaining there and hitting their pre-season Christmas target.

 NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 2C

Suffolk Premier League

Ipswich v Carlton Park

Lost 4-0

Scorers:

Suffolk Div 1

Slazenger EHL

South Division

Firebrands v Ipswich 

Lost 4-2

Scorers: P Messent (2), R Rutterford (2), W Hearne, M Wheelhouse, I Smith, R Stainthorpe

The old and the new generations of Ipswich Hockey Club combined perfectly as a teenager and a reinvigorated 33-year-old produced spectacular performances in Ipswich’s impressive 8-4 victory over Teddington, the world’s oldest hockey club. 18-year-old Phil Messent and the enigmatic Richard Rutterford were the stars of the show in an impressive display of attacking hockey, watched by a good sized crowd that included, amongst others, current England and Great Britain captain Glenn Kirkham.

Teddington are a club with a rich history. Just over a decade ago, the team were not only one of the finest men’s sides in England, but a major force in European club hockey. Ipswich were well aware that, although Teddington have recently hit hard times, their players have always been proud to wear the 
famous pink and brown shirts and should never be under-estimated.

Much like the previous week, Ipswich started the game brilliantly, moving into a two goal lead inside five minutes. Phil Messent opened the scoring with a wonderful solo goal, casually passing the ball into the net after beating three defenders down the right, before Richard Rutterford smashed a trademark strike from the top of the circle just seconds later. In last Sunday’s fixture against Firebrands, Ipswich threw away an early two goal lead, but were determined not to let history repeat itself. It was Rutterford again who scored Ipswich’s all-important third goal, brilliantly dribbling round the Teddington keeper before tapping into an open goal, and England U-18 player Will Hearne soon made it four with a simple finish in 
the 25th minute. National League debutante Ed Driver nearly made it 5-0 shortly before half time, but fired his shot inches wide of the target at the end of a promising Ipswich move.

Despite the efforts of coach Ian Gall telling his players to remain focussed, Ipswich were guilty of giving Teddington a chance to mount what would have been a sensational fight-back. After Mark Wheelhouse made the score 5-0 from the penalty spot, Teddington’s Graham Anderson pulled a goal 
back for the visitors with a penalty corner. David Hutton soon dragged Teddington closer to Ipswich when he made the score 5-2, but Ipswich re-established a four goal cushion thanks to a penalty corner strike from Ivan Smith. Anderson grabbed his second of the game to make the score 6-3, but the impressive Messent scored Ipswich’s seventh goal with a well-executed penalty corner routine. Teddington’s Tom Anderson scored a field goal in the 65th minute, before Richard Stainthorpe completed the scoring with a tap in after opposition goalkeeper Jonn Sprakes could only parry Will Hearne’s drag flicked penalty corner. With eight goals in the second half, and twelve in total, the large crowd certainly got their money’s worth.

“Teddington are a massive club who have won pretty much every honour going in the domestic game, and we know that they will at some point win games this season”, said captain Ivan Smith. “We just needed to make sure that it was not against us, and I’m really pleased that we produced such a good 
attacking display in what could easily have been a tricky fixture.”

Next weekend sees a crucial double header for the 1st team, facing two sides who currently sit below them in the league table. Next Saturday, Ipswich face Cambridge University for the second third time this season, and will hope to secure a second league victory over their East Anglian rivals. On 
Sunday, the team travel to Bromley and Beckenham, hoping to avenge the defeat at home earlier this season.

NE14HOCKEY East League

Prem A

Ipswich 2's v Wapping

Result: Won 4-0

Scorers: C Palmer, S Miller, M Walker, G reed

Ipswich in the cage were not at the best on this Saturday afternoon but came away with 3 vital 3 points. Captain Geoff Reed will be particularly impressed that even when his side are not playing there usual attractive hockey the team can still group together and get a result. In this game Ipswich showed character against a Wapping side that were well organised and hard tackling but had quite clearly come to hit Ipswich on the counter.

Ipswich lead at half time 1-0 through a poor P flick from Palmer, but did have enough on it to beat the keeper. Both Reed and Miller found it hard to get into this game but as everyone knows when Miller has his electric 10-15 mins there are few teams that can deal with him and Wapping were the latest team 
to fall to his creativity. Scoring a first time shot from the top of the D from a fine pass from Smith ( we know you meant it to come off the defender) and then laying on a ball for M walker to brilliantly slot away. (didnt know you had that in your locker)

After a poor game captain Reed was found by Palmer who at this point had gone walk about form defence and Reed smashed home the 4th in the bottom corner.

With Broxbourne away to come next week, Man of the match Paul Calver is missing and is a big loss after proving to be quite a free transfer from bury. Also missing is the injured Cook and Ipswich are still awaiting to hear a late fitness check on Dixon who would prove a valuable asset if passed fit for 
fire power.

England Hockey

2nd Team Cup

Round 2

Telford & Wrekin v Ipswich 2's

Result: Won 2-1

Scorers: J Gall (2)

Ipswich 2s cup run got off to a good start and with three 14 year olds, two 16 year olds it was a very young squad that faced a tough test. Paul Calver  brought the average age up to 22. Ipswich came out the blocks brilliantly with youngsters Ben Underwood, Max Underwood Jono Gall, Ben Glading and Josh 
Godfrey all impressing and destroying the opposition there is a superb future ahead for Ipswich mens sides.

Ipswich went 2-0 up through 2 brilliant strikes from Gall who did all captain Reeds running for him. Man of the match was closely contested between Gall and Ben Underwood, but on this occasion Underwood just edged it letting nothing come down his side in a remarkable performance. B Underwood was sent off for the 1st time in his career.

Ipswich will host the holders Havant at home in the next round with the youngsters again looking to make a name for them selves on the 9th December.

NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 2 N

Spalding v Ipswich 

Result: Won 3-2

Scorers: T Lever, S Gibson, S Patel 

The setting for our away game this week was a very grey cold dank arena situated somewhere on the edge of the world,  that only the insane were looking forward too, Spalding (somewhere near the Scottish border).  With no directions the team still managed to arrive in plenty of time with minimal ‘U’ turns.

Now at the ground four hours before the start of the game, the troops were restless so Sergeant Major Lever took his charges on a warm up run through the suburbs of Spalding.  Unfortunately, one unscrupulous dog owner didn't use his poop scoop and our midfield workhorse, Paul Graves , putting his best foot forward, put it straight into the dog's refuse which on hind sight was probably an omen for the forthcoming 70 minutes. 

Ipswich started quite well though as has been seen regularly this season, they lacked the patience in a packed 25, particularly in the first half, to make there possession count with several final balls being slow or telegraphed.  When the young guns did breach Spalding's defence, they squandered their chances with the keeper riding his luck on several occasions and when he should have run out of luck, Lever hit the ball straight at him.

Spalding were fairly direct, both on the ground and aerially and from one of these sporadic sorties, an aerial bounced up and was played by the Spalding forward over the on rushing Glading and into the goal.  Ipswich were sure that the final touch was well out of the area but the Umpires decision is final and the goal stood (much to the delight of the vocal home support). 

One nil down at half time, Ipswich started the second half well and scored a good goal from Gibson after good work from the back and right hand side.  Ipswich relaxed with the equaliser and then Chairman Mao decided that he was Steven Gerrard and bombed through the heart of their defence before giving the ball away and after about 3 passes, Spalding had regained the initiative. 

Ipswich finally pulled their collective fingers out and scored twice, one from a short corner with Sergeant Major Lever realising that the ball didn't always have to hit the keeper, bundling the ball home.  Some tactical changes in the team saw the angry Sushi Sultan receive a cross field pass from Bouttell and smash the ball past the dazed keeper.

Ipswich continued to make it interesting with Paul Graves working hard for Spalding in the latter part of the game as well as certain members of the team running round like headless chickens (though I am sure that headless chickens could keep the ball for longer).  Spalding's best chances came on the break and after another kamikaze charge by Ipswich , Spading were thwarted by Ben Glading with a great save.  Glading had previously endeared himself to the home support, and warned by the Umpire, for kicking the stick away of what seemed to be a moody teenager who had forgotten the rules thinking that foul language and shoving a person in high density foam is what was required.

Paul Graves quiet rightly received Spalding's Man of the Match award while Jono Gall earned Ipswich 's for a commanding performance, particularly when needed in the second half.

‘Thought for the game’ was Ipswich should be calmer and use their skills to control games, work harder on positioning both with and without the ball and watching where they are running while warming up.

Final result SPALDING 2 – 3 IPSWICH

NE14HOCKEY East League 

Div 4NE 

Ipswich 4's v Norwich Union

Result: Won 3-2 

Scorers: Scarff, Reed

It is an unusual event when an Ipswich 4th XI match report fails to appropriately exaggerate the brilliance of a performance. It appears last week's did not do justice to one of Ipswich's goals. So to correct this blunder the following extract is copied from the web-site, with their kind permission, of Gorleston HC.

"The decisive score then followed 3 minutes later. With the Gorleston defence backing off to cover every other possible angle Ipswich centre back Gary Scarff was allowed to advance 80 yards up the pitch to the edge of the circle. There he was still given too much time to line up his shot which rocketed past a helpless Barney."

Apologies Mr Scarff ....... that must go down as the winner of the goal of the season competition.

Anyway, onto last Saturday's match.

As the game started the ever professional Ipswich 4th XI were missing a key player with Reed at home awaiting the delivery of a double sprung king size four poster bed. With this in mind the rest of the team started as if they were asleep and Norwich Union took full advantage to score two excellent goals.

By half time Ipswich had managed to grab a goal back, cant recall the scorer but I hope it was Fisher as he is in all the best fantasy league teams but it may well have been Sebborn. At half time an inspired Paul Whetton delivered an impassioned oration which was to a standard far in excess of his first half performance.

Shortly after half time Williams got a bang to the head and had to go off with blood pouring from a gaping wound. Swain was switched to the middle at the back and the game ebbed and flowed for a bit with neither team dominating. Then Godbold played his masterstroke and put Williams back on in midfield (with fetching blue plaster to the head) where his lack of pace and fitness were guaranteed to ensure he was never caught too far up-field.

The pressure Ipswich built up eventually told and Reed somehow forced the ball past the keeper from a stupidly narrow angle at his near post. Then from a short corner Glassford smashed a shot well wide only for Scarrf to deflect it in from behind his back. After last week's epic goal Scarff managed to score an even more crucial one. With Underwood (Ben) and Cook providing young legs to support the old salts at the back Ipswich endaevoured to play out the last five minutes.

Then with 3.5 minutes to go the Norwich Union goal dynamo picked up the ball on the half way line and completely skinned Whetton to the extent that unusually he didn't touch ball, stick or player. Now aficionados of Ipswich Hockey Club would normally expect Swain to appear from nowhere and mow ball, player and various other things off the planet. But he had gone awol and the centre forward rounded Kwan with some ease and knocked the ball into the empty goal.

But the man who is only two years away from his free bus pass someone deflected it wide with a despairing full stretch reverse stick lunge. The man of the moment ..... Mr Paul Whetton.

As a result Ipswich held on to win and record their 25th straight league victory to preserve Godbold's 100% record as captain.

Man of the match would under different circumstances have been Ben Underwood who played his best game for the 4th XI. However it had to be Mr Whetton for his one moment of brilliance which typified the complete commitment he has given to the club and the 4th XI in particular over many year. Can anyone think of any other veteran who would sprint 50 yards defensively - and actually catch someone up!

Next week the team face the dynamic Cranes attacking line and an imposing (if that is an appropriate word to describe a combo of Hicks and Bunce) defensive line.

NE14HOCKEY East League

Div 6NE

Ipswich 5's v Felixstowe 4's

Result: Drew 2-2

Scorers: A Mays, P Glading (2)

Felixstowe 4 started this game rooted at the foot of the league table with no points & finding the back net hard to come by with a difference of minus 18 goals. They turned in the performance of the season with an exemplary display of counterattacking hockey the like of which wonders how the previous weeks opposition managed to score six against this disappointing side.

Ipswich, as usual, started very well in this game, quickly settling into their familiar short passing game. The much feared striker, George Payne was in fine form leading the front line with fine skills & deft footwork but it was U18 midfield maestro Andy Mays who fired the home side into the lead half way through the second half. A feisty & very vocal Felixstowe side struggled to contain the robust Simon Godbold but managed to counter attack with a goal against a defence that was missing the 5s inspirational captain Howard Walker through injury.

The second period saw Peter Glading roll back the years & justify his 10million price tag with two goals in quick succession to put the home side in a commanding position. This spurred Felixstowe into action & applied their greyhound like strikers to good use & finally pulled two goals back to draw this fiercely contested derby match.

NE14HOCKEY East League

Veterans