Wet and Windy Weekend for Wisbech
The weather did its level best to dictate the tone of the weekend, but Wisbech Hockey Club’s ten teams still delivered a full slate of graft, grit and drama.
At Harecroft Road, the Men’s 1st XI suffered a 1–3 defeat to a sharp, opportunistic Newmarket side. The visitors landed an early punch, scoring within minutes and forcing Wisbech to chase the game from the outset. To their credit, Wisbech settled quickly and controlled most of the first half, moving the ball neatly and pinning Newmarket deep, but chance after chance went begging. Just when the hosts looked likely to level, Newmarket countered ruthlessly to double the advantage right before the interval. The pattern repeated after the break: Wisbech pushing, probing, searching for a breakthrough; Newmarket sitting compact and waiting for the moment to strike. Midway through the half they did exactly that, nicking a third against the run of play. Jordan Trundle’s late finish finally got Wisbech on the board, but it proved no more than a consolation. Player of the Match Dom Stannard shone regardless, battling relentlessly in difficult conditions and driving the team forward at every opportunity.
Men’s 1s were at home to Newmarket this weekend
The Ladies’ 1st XI were away and again suffered a narrow, battling defeat—this one a 3–2 loss to Dereham 2s in a contest that ebbed and flowed with real intensity. Wisbech looked the stronger side for much of the first half, threading together confident passing patterns and generating the better openings, but Dereham nicked the opener from a short corner that took a cruel deflection in front of goal. Early in the second half Dereham struck again, forcing Wisbech to open up and chase. Laura Bell clawed one back with a superb reverse-stick finish, only for Dereham to immediately restore their two-goal cushion with a deft touch in close. Still Wisbech pushed, refusing to fade in the rain. Their pressure paid off when a driven ball into the D found the stick of Ana Norman, who produced a smart deflection to make it 3–2 and set up a frenetic finale. Despite sustained late pressure, the equaliser stayed out. Midfielder Georgie Dunn earned Player of the Match, her tireless energy and drive a standout feature in a tight, frustrating loss.
Back at home, the Ladies’ 2s produced one of the club’s standout performances of the weekend, grinding out a superb 2–1 victory over second-place St Ives in conditions more suited to an ark than a hockey match. With five regular players unavailable, the side reshuffled courageously—Sam Pritchard leading the line, Amber Crowley-king pushed to right midfield and Lou orchestrating play calmly from the centre. Their perseverance at short corners finally paid off late in the first half when captain Laura Dudley rifled home their third attempt. St Ives levelled just before the break, but a spirited halftime rally from the coaches lit a fire under Wisbech for the second half.
The work rate across the pitch was immense: Lilian Ley ran tirelessly, Amber repeatedly burned down the right wing. The winner arrived through beautiful simplicity—Amber driving the baseline and cutting the ball back to the P-spot where Lilian finished with composure. From there, Wisbech locked things down, parking the metaphorical bus with total commitment. Lilian took Player of the Match, but the collective effort spoke volumes about the side’s resilience and togetherness.
Ladies 2s braved the rain after the game
The Men’s 3s delivered the weekend’s biggest scoreline with an emphatic 8–1 dismantling of Long Sutton 3s. A first-half brace from Brodie Ellis set the tone, with Ciaran Lowe adding another before Long Sutton nabbed a reply. Up 3–1 at the break, Wisbech exploded in the second half. Ellis completed his hat-trick with style, Lowe claimed his second, and further goals from Harry Shippey, Sam Booty and Steve Rogers turned the match into a rout. Relentless pressure, slick finishing and a defence that rarely looked troubled made this a complete team performance. Unsurprisingly, Brodie Ellis claimed Man of the Match.
The Ladies’ 3s also found themselves drenched but determined in their home fixture against Cambridge Nomads 2s, eventually settling for a 1–1 draw. They started brightly, passing crisply through midfield and using the full width of the pitch. A brilliant interception from Rachel Rivers sparked the opening goal: Lainey-Paige Thompson strike smashed off the post, drawing the keeper wide, and Elana Freedman reacted quickest to guide the rebound home. But as the rain intensified, Cambridge Nomads capitalised on a quick break, levelling before halftime. The second half was a gritty tussle in miserable weather; Wisbech created moments of danger, earning a short corner that flew inches wide after a fierce hit from FionaH-P. Claire Sissons, Charlotte Holt and the midfield unit worked tirelessly, with Charlotte’s composure and industry earning her Player of the Match. Playing without subs, the team showed admirable resilience to preserve the point.
The Men’s 4s, also at home, slipped to a 1–5 defeat against Pelicans in a match that felt far closer than the scoreline suggested. Wisbech actually struck first—Jasper Allen producing a superb reverse finish to take an early lead—but despite spells of energetic, organised play, they could not convert pressure into further goals. Pelicans gradually took command, punishing defensive lapses while Wisbech’s luck deserted them at key moments. Mark Littlechild’s tireless display earned him Man of the Match on a day when the final score hardly reflected the team’s effort.
The Ladies’ 4s endured a tough afternoon of their own in a 2–0 loss to Cambs South 6s. They began impressively, adapting admirably to positional changes, moving the ball with confidence and looking the sharper side in the early stages. But the match changed when Beth Hodgson suffered a painful hand injury while bravely charging down a short corner. Moments later a freak deflection looped over the goalkeeper for 1–0, a gutting blow after such a promising start. Down to only ten players in the second half, Wisbech still showed immense resilience, but a brief lapse allowed Cambs South to snatch a second. Despite everything—injuries, numbers, weather—the team battled to the end, with Player of the Match Emma McGregor standing firm at the back.
The Men’s 5s also fell 1–5 to Cambs South, though the scoreline came with flashes of encouragement. Their lone goal was a beautifully constructed passage of play finished confidently by Player of the Match Ryan Boler, and several other attacking phases hinted at the squad’s emerging potential. Cambs South’s experience ultimately told, but Wisbech left with enough positives to build on.
The weekend closed with a spirited 2–2 draw for the Ladies’ 5s Development squad against St Ives, a performance full of heart and growing maturity. After conceding the opener, Wisbech hit back through a superb strike from Kimberley Mackett, only to fall behind again a minute later. Undeterred, they kept moving the ball neatly, linking well through midfield and defending determinedly through a spell of St Ives short corners. Early in the second half, Kimberley struck again to level the match. Wisbech pushed for a winner, but a draw felt fair—and satisfying—given the conditions and the development focus of the side. Libby Clark earned Player of the Match for excellent link-up play and well-timed tackles.
This coming weekend. There will be more action at Harecroft road, with the ladies 1s starting the days matches off at 10:30am. Come down and show your support.
Ladies 5s with an excellent draw against St Ives