Tough Weekend on the Pitch

It was another busy and action-packed weekend for Wisbech Hockey Club, with all sections of the club in action and plenty of competitive hockey on show.

The Men’s 1s were edged out 2–1 at home by Cambs Nomads despite producing a dominant performance. Wisbech started brightly and put the visitors under early pressure, but two counter-attacking goals against the run of play saw Nomads race into a 2–0 lead inside the opening stages. From that point on Wisbech controlled possession and territory, creating a string of chances and short corners, and were rewarded just before half time with a well-deserved goal to halve the deficit. The second half followed a similar pattern, with Wisbech continuing to pile on pressure and force save after save from an inspired away goalkeeper. Despite their best efforts, the equaliser would not come and the match ended 2–1, with Lee Punter named player of the match.

The Ladies 1s enjoyed a strong 2–1 victory over Sudbury 1s. Sudbury struck first with a fortunate goal, but Wisbech showed real character to respond before the break, quick thinking and excellent improvisation leading to a deflection off Holly Tyler to level the score. After half time Nat Ward produced a moment of quality, firing a superb slap across the D to the back post to seal the win. It was a huge team performance and their most complete display as a unit so far, with Hannah Welcher awarded player of the match for her tireless work rate and sharp link-up play in midfield.

The Men’s 2s battled to a 2–2 draw against a strong Cambridge side in a game where Wisbech were not quite at their best. With the regular goalkeeper absent due to cancelled flights returning from Berlin, his son Josh Shippey stepped up and put in a commendable performance between the posts. Wisbech trailed 2–0 at half time, but a change in approach saw captain Ben Allen lead from the front with two well-taken goals to secure a share of the points. Daniel Klibanecz impressed driving down the flanks, Harry Shippey put in a gritty display, and Jerome Lawrence was named man of the match.

The Ladies 2s travelled to Northstowe to face St Neots and made a strong start, opening the scoring within the first 10 minutes. Lily Cooper and Amber Crossley-King combined cleverly to work the ball around the defence, with Cooper finishing confidently into the back of the net. Despite everyone working hard and a positive team talk at half time, Wisbech found themselves 2–1 down early in the second half. The side continued to battle, with Ali Beel making some outstanding saves to keep them in the contest, but St Neots eventually pulled away to claim a 4–1 win. Player of the match honours were shared between Freya Mathews, Lily Cooper and Layla Gull for their work on the forward line, and Lucy Ludlow and Amelia Garfoot for their resilience in defence.

The Men’s 3s were beaten 4–1 away at St Ives. Both sides created chances in the opening half, but St Ives struck first from a short corner. Wisbech responded well and equalised through a neatly worked short corner routine, with a slip from Ciaran Lowe allowing Elliot Peck to calmly slot the ball home. St Ives regained the lead before the break and, with Wisbech reduced to 11 players and beginning to tire in the second half, the hosts added two more goals. Rhys Archard produced several excellent saves in goal to limit the damage, while Elliot Peck was named man of the match.

The Ladies 3s suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat against Ely in a closely fought encounter, with Charlotte Holt picking up player of the match for her tireless work rate.

The Men’s 4s faced a tough challenge against an experienced and well-drilled Kettering side, losing 11–0. Despite the scoreline, the young Wisbech players showed great character and never let their heads drop, with Alexander Roberts earning player of the match for making a number of good saves.

The Ladies 4s were beaten 3–0 at home by St Ives 4s in what was a competitive and evenly matched contest. Wisbech started well and the first half was closely fought, with a solid defensive effort, including several key tackles from player of the match Tina Forder, helping to keep the score at 1–0 at the break. Wisbech showed resilience in the second half and defended bravely under sustained pressure, dealing with numerous short corners, but St Ives eventually capitalised to extend their lead. Although Wisbech matched their opponents for large spells, they struggled to link play through midfield and create enough chances in the D.

The Men’s 5s had no fixture this weekend.

The Ladies 5s were again up against strong and experienced opposition. Although they were unable to find the net, Wisbech created a handful of promising opportunities and continued to push forward whenever possible. The opposition were somewhat fortunate with their goals, while the Wisbech goalkeeper made several important saves and the defence remained composed when repeatedly tested by short corners. It was a positive and hardworking performance with plenty to build on for the weeks ahead.

On Sunday the Ladies 1s were back in action at home against Cambs South, where despite some excellent passages of play they suffered a 6–0 defeat.

On Saturday there are games both home and away thanks to the freezing weather at the beginning of January so come down and show your support.