Fantastic Wins for 1st Teams
It was the penultimate weekend of the season for Wisbech Hockey Club, with a busy round of fixtures seeing plenty of goals, strong performances and determined team displays across the club.
The Men’s 1s produced an impressive performance on the road with a 5–1 victory over Newmarket, with Rob McGregor named Player of the Match. Wisbech started brightly and had the home side under the cosh from the first minute, earning an early lead through a Kieran Hallatt drag flick. The visitors doubled their advantage soon after with a well-worked team goal finished by Jonny Garner. As the half wore on Newmarket began to create chances of their own, forcing a number of excellent saves from McGregor in the Wisbech goal. Having failed to capitalise on those opportunities, the hosts were punished just before the break when Jason Mallett added a third. Wisbech asserted themselves again early in the second half, extending the lead through Karl Belding before Newmarket pulled one back from a penalty flick. With chances appearing at both ends as the half progressed, the win was sealed when Tom Jupp struck from another penalty corner to cap a dominant display.
The Ladies 1s secured a well-earned 3–1 win against Dereham 2s thanks to a strong all-round team performance. The opening goal came from a slick attacking move as Holly Tyler threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to Becky Gillick, who calmly finished past the keeper. Wisbech soon doubled their lead when a superb pass from Harriet Esser allowed Georgie Dunn to feed the ball into the D for Gillick, who stayed composed in a slightly scrappy moment to find the net for her second. Wisbech continued to press and added a third when Izzy Pope found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finished confidently. Dereham pulled a goal back from a penalty flick following a defensive challenge in the D, but Wisbech held firm in the second half, working tirelessly across the pitch and defending strongly to see out the victory. Izzy Pope was named Player of the Match for her goal and tireless contribution throughout the game.
The Men’s 2s enjoyed a productive final home match of the season with a convincing 5–0 victory in a game that at times showcased some excellent hockey. Wisbech opened the scoring early after good link-up play between Sam Booty and Ben Allen allowed Sam Markillie to score the first. The early breakthrough encouraged the hosts to press high and it paid off with three more first-half goals from Booty, Allen and Jonathan Shippey. The second half produced another goal from Markillie to complete the scoring, although Wisbech felt they could easily have added several more. It was a strong team performance that ensures the side will finish either sixth or seventh depending on the final weekend’s results. Drew Harvey and Sam Markillie both impressed, but Sam Booty was awarded Player of the Match for his awareness, control and goal.
The Ladies 2s travelled to league leaders St Ives and delivered a determined performance to earn a 1–1 draw. Wisbech started strongly and held firm in the first half with goalkeeper Rachel Archard making a number of outstanding saves while the defence worked tirelessly to keep the score level. St Ives eventually broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, but Wisbech continued to push forward in search of an equaliser. In the final two minutes Lou Sandall drove down the line to win a short corner, and from the resulting move the ball was slipped to captain Laura Dudley who smashed it into the backboard to level the score. The team battled to the end, man-marking effectively and communicating well to prevent St Ives from playing their usual game. Lily Cooper and Lucy Ludlow both worked hard throughout, but Player of the Match went to Rachel Archard for her excellent saves.
The Men’s 3s were without a fixture this weekend after their opposition were unable to field a team.
The Ladies 3s suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat to Newmarket despite a positive performance. Wisbech produced some strong passages of play but were ultimately undone by a single unfortunate goal.
The Men’s 4s delivered what was described as their performance of the season against an experienced Pelicans side. The young Wisbech team showed huge potential, outplaying their opponents for long periods with excellent work rate and commitment right through to the final whistle, although Pelicans proved clinical in front of goal. Leo Humphris controlled the midfield superbly and was deservedly named Man of the Match.
The Ladies 4s also had no fixture this weekend after their opposition were unable to field a side.
The Ladies 5s travelled to Pelicans 3s and, despite a strong display, came away with an unfortunate 3–1 defeat. Wisbech started well and produced several good passages of attacking play, moving the ball confidently and linking up effectively across the pitch. Their goal came from a well-worked move in the D, with Lily Cooper applying an excellent deflection to send the ball into the net. At the other end goalkeeper Rachael Archard made a number of impressive saves to keep Wisbech in contention. Although the result did not go their way, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, with the team’s work rate, teamwork and attacking intent clear throughout. Sophia Smithee was named Player of the Match for her excellent work rate, particularly when driving forward in attack.