Another busy weekend of adult and junior matches and finally both 1st XIs won on the road. It's a slip weekend coming up but there still seems to be plenty of hockey going on. I'm off for a week so you'll be without Wardy's Weekly Waffle next week, which may be a blessing for most of you. Thanks as ever go out to our army of adult and junior umpire volunteers, we'd be lost without you, your umpire coaches and of course Vic's organising hand.

We had a committee meeting last week - much was discussed and sometimes with all the challenges of selection, getting 11 teams onto 1 pitch, teas, ISC relationship, beer prices and the hundreds of juniors on the books, we do sometimes need to pause for thought and think how far we've come in the last few years. Indeed we could even be hosting 6 men's and 6 women's teams next season. I'm looking forward to the AGM and seeing some new faces and some new hands raised to help keep growing this club on all fronts.

Final note before results and reports, look out for our suggestion for the end of season bash (May 17th) - we'd love your views before we get going. It will be shared with your captains next week.

W1 W6-2
W2 W3-2
W3 W3-2
W4 L0-3
W5 W3-2
M1 W2-1
M2 L1-2
M3 W1-0
M4 W8-0
M5 L0-1
M6 W2-1

W1 - Took half a game to kill the game.
High corner conversion rate - Ipswich headed up to Norwich for their second visit to face Norwich Dragons. The girls started a little jittery, with some forced errors and slow reaction to turnovers. Ipswich still had success going forward and found the forwards leading ahead of the ball. A few breakaways lead to closer opportunities but no converted chance. Dragons capitalised on quick ball, leaving Ipswich to have to jump back hard to defend. Some excellent jump backs from Sophie Sexton on the left to rescue the ball and give her teammates another change to attack.

The patience of the transfer served Ipswich well enough to find open gaps, with only a few being picked by Dragons. Some strong short corner defence lead by GK Ali Barham kept Dragons level with Ipswich. As the game progressed Ipswich won more ball and gained more territory which lead to two late corners. First one slotted from Captain Lucy Dunnett and a few minutes later, the second goal for Ipswich came from Sophie Sexton. (2-0) A very harsh green for Sexton then came just before half time.

Change ends and Ipswich managed comfortably with 10 players for the serving card. Now Ipswich had broke the deadlock, it didn’t take long for them to find their third of the game. PTOM, Taylor Ball deflects her first goal from another short corner. A minute later, a big team effort from the restart and quick ball allowed Ball to find her second goal from a smooth pass from India Goodman and Ipswich go 4-0 up. Dragons unraveling and Ipswich continued to apply the same pressure. And Ipswich weren’t done yet, another corner won by Jas Vincent gave Sexton her second goal (5-0). Another opportunity for Ipswich arose two minutes later, with the pace of Georgia Harrold running half the pitch and then the baseline she sets up Ball with her third goal and hatrick captured (6-0).

Despite Ipswich killing the game earlier in the second half, Dragons don’t get bageled and find 2 consolation goals before the final whistle. 4 corners converted and complimented by Dragons at the end of game will give Ipswich a big boost of confidence with their set pieces. A third forward to score a hatrick this season and hopefully more goals from the forwards to come…

Some interesting results within league opens the door a little wider for the ladies 1s…

A big game for them this weekend coming as they face Magpies. A goalless draw was their last result, can the girls find the 3 points they deserved last time…?

W3 - going up?
In a must win game in the hunt for promotion, both teams started strong. The end to end nature of the first 20 minutes was draining and while our pressure didn’t bear fruit, theirs did with a good umpire advantage leading to the decisive strike. The momentum didn’t seem to pick a side as both teams looked dangerous and could have scored but excellent goal keeping came to the fore until half time. This week’s team talk centred around tighter marking and wanting it more. So as the second half started, we took literally the comment about wanting it more to level with an expert finish over the prostrate keeper’s arms by Millie. Colchester annoyingly responded immediately with a deflected shot that took Jules one way and crept inside the post the other way.

In a higher scoring second half, up stepped Summer, who had spent a lot of the match up til then as a punching and elbowing bag for the frustrated opposition defenders, and her reverse strike beat their defensive line to thud us equal again. What followed was a period of our pressure which lead to a series of short corners and a predictable name appears again on the score sheet, with an expertly executed left slip routine, super sub Daley. The final ten minutes were nail biting and we were forced to defend many short corners with defenders Beth, Freya and Katie putting their all into ensuring that we kept our lead at the final whistle. An excellent team performance and we march on with more points on the board. Today’s player of the match vote featured a wide range of players, encapsulating the whole team’s efforts but ultimately selected coach, player, super sub Daley for her winning goal, motivating team talks and so much more.

M4 dominance, but with a Sweet & Sour taste.
M4 welcomed Dragons to Tudd Rd. It was just one way traffic from the off with what has to be the fastest two hatricks i can recall. Tom O scored 3 goals; 3 mins, 7 mins and 12 mins, followed by a Frank Downes hatrick; 20 mins, 22 mins and 27 mins. All of the Ipswich damage was coming from down the right with some excellent intricate 1 touch passing that had Dragons all a fluster. Wave after wave of attack culminated in the 6 first half goals.
A reset at half time to impress on the players that we need to maintain structure and play good hockey and not to go route 1 straight for goal was the aim of the talk.
This was evident from the start of the second half but goals were not as flowing still, however the calmest of finishes from Josh Hines who was sent through on goal with just the keeper to beat faked it, moved past the keeper and simply rolled the ball into the empty goal. 7-0.

A few minutes later and probably Ipswich’ 6th short corner ended in a slip to Steve Askins who struck it well and it hit the top of the backboard, 8-0. There could have been a few more goals but unfortunately we had to call the game early. 10 mins before the end the oppositions youngster turned with the ball in centre midfield and collided immediately with Chris Palmer. He was knocked straight to floor and appeared dazed so came off. Dragons played with 10 players for 2-3 mins only for the young lads condition to worsen and his dad was called from the pitch so they could both got to the hospital.

Ant agreed with the opposition and umpires to call the game at that point, it was only fair. 8-0 up and there was no need to rub their noses in it any further so the game was called.
The youngster is since ok which is good news. Thanks to Vic Shelley and Pidge for helping the yound lad and his dad navigate their way to the hospital.

A sour note to finish but also sweet with a comfortable 8-0 win.

Shout outs to Tom O and Frank D for the quickest hattricks ever, and James Bradford (who had a stellar game in defence). Next week is Cranes at Tudd Rd for a 3.15pm PB.

Women's 5s - on a roll!
The Ipswich Women’s 5s travelled to Culford to take on the Bury 6 Development Team, eager for a rematch after their narrow 4-3 defeat in the previous encounter. Determined to turn the tables, the team stepped onto the pitch with confidence and focus.

First Half: Leanna led the team as vice captain, briefing the umpires and ensuring a smooth start to the game. It was noted that Bury had some under-12 players, but any assumption that this would make for an easier match was quickly dispelled. The young opposition showcased impressive skill, executing flicks over sticks, 360-degree ball spins, and weaving through the midfield, keeping Ipswich on our toes. Eleven minutes in, a well-placed pass found Ebony, who charged towards goal with remarkable speed. With finesse, she slotted the ball past the keeper and paired her brilliant goal with an impressive leap over the diving goalkeeper!
The lead, however, was short-lived as Bury pressed forward with determined attacks, eventually breaking through Ipswich’s defense to equalise. Undeterred, Ipswich maintained their composure and continued to apply pressure. Their efforts paid off when they won a short corner. Executing a well-rehearsed training routine, Ipswich passed the ball around the D with precision before Jess coolly slotted it into the net, restoring their lead at 2-1 going into halftime.

Second Half: Ipswich came back onto the pitch focused on maintaining their advantage. Tactical adjustments in midfield defense and an emphasis on teamwork kept the energy high. The game continued at a relentless pace, with the ball moving from D to D.
Ipswich’s attacking pressure led to a crucial moment—an awarded penalty flick. Alice bravely stepped up to take the shot, but Bury’s young and agile goalkeeper pulled off an impressive save, denying Ipswich a further lead.

The intensity of the match escalated as both teams pushed hard. A collision led to a bully, with Jess stepping in to regain control and clear the danger. However, Bury’s persistence paid off, and they found a way through the Ipswich defense to bring the score to 2-2.
With the clock ticking down, Ipswich refused to settle for a draw. Their determination led to another short corner opportunity. Sukie delivered a sharp injection to Alice, who swiftly returned the pass, allowing Suki to power the ball through the defense and into the goal, securing a 3-2 lead for Ipswich.

Final Moments & Notable Performances: Clara produced a series of crucial saves to maintain Ipswich’s advantage, while Linda displayed composure under pressure, using her body effectively to shield the ball. Key defensive tackles from India and Eliza ensured that Ipswich held firm until the final whistle.
A special mention goes to Laura, whose commitment was on full display—including an unexpected but spectacular set of splits!

Final Score: Ipswich Women’s 5s 3 - 2 Bury 6 Development Team. A hard-fought and well-earned victory for Ipswich, highlighting resilience, teamwork, and tactical execution. Well played, team!

Men's 3s v Dragons 2s 1-0
With changes in personnel on Saturday morning a scant 12 travelled to Norwich to face Dragons 2s. A very slippery pitch made things a little dicey and various members of the team succumbed to a "bambi on ice" moment.The first half was a fairly open game with the dragons keeper making some outstanding saves, and not huge amounts of action in our D until Oli corrected the umpire for a big foot and gave Dragons a short corner which fortunately we kept out, thank you Fraser.Eventually we broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time with Harry getting to the far post and shovelling the ball across the line after the Charlie and drawn the keeper. 1-0 HT.The second half saw everyone putting a shift in to keep the game in our favour, although the short corner team take the DotD award for 0 from lots. MotM goes to Charlie Taylor for composure and strength on the ball in midfield and defence, well done sir! A mention for Charlie Cooper for standing up to their number 4 who was particularly physical and Fraser for some great saves when they did get through.

A real team performance to hold on for a 1-0 win, well done!