Isle of Wight senior hockey saw triumph on home turf, as well as overall success, with 3 out of 4 sides victorious on Saturday (1st October).
The 1st game of the season for the ladies’ 2XI, was at home to Petersfield. Their game started well, with a goal from Dee Sanchez-Brown after just three minutes. The home team kept the upper hand throughout the 1st half, coming close on several occasions to add to the score line. With the clock counting down to the half-time whistle, Megan Bridger slotted another goal home to give the island side a solid lead.
Pep talks at half-time kept the ladies focused and structured for the remainder of the game and despite Petersfield’s best efforts, they had no answer. With 3 further goals from Sanchez-Brown, Anya Clarke and Amelia Wroath-Hickley, the island sealed their first win and sit comfortably towards the top of the table.
Final score: Isle of Wight ladies 2XI 5 – Petersfield 2s 0
Goals: Dee Sanchez-Brown (2), Megan Bridger (1), Anya Clarke (1) and Amelia Wroath-Hickley (1)
Joint Wightlink player of the match: Cully Trevallion and Amelia Wroath-Hickley
The island Men’s 2XI faced Lavant 1s.
The island started on the front foot when a ball into the D from Mike Dodds enabled Thomas Young to deflect the ball into goal. Minutes later, dominating play from midfielders Carl Joyce, Steven Holbrook, Nick Goode and Max Sharp ended with a pass from Young into the D for Nathan Bruce to put away with a calm finish into the corner of the goal. Momentum continued and Young scored 2 more in quick succession, earning himself a hat-trick in 8 minutes.
The Island side displayed some great hockey, the ball flowing from the defence, with Toby Moyes and Reuben Smallwood-Butler playing above their years. Substitutions saw Young replaced with Johnny Kirby, who found the net straight away with a smashing shot from the top of the D, shortly followed by another from the centre of the D. Young Finn Woodford was not to be left out and added to the tally, after some great team play. John Pearson’s goal attempt was sadly kept out by the opposition’s keeper.
Half-time came and the island had an impressive lead. The second half started and Lavant tested the island’s defence with a couple of attacks. The island stepped it up again with another goal from Bruce.
Final score: Isle of Wight men’s 2XI 12 – Lavant 1s 0
Goals: Thomas Young (5), Johnny Kirby (4), Nathan Bruce (2) and Finn Woodford (1)
Wightlink player of the match: Thomas Young
The Ladies’ 1XI travelled to go up against Bournemouth 2s.
The game started badly as the opposition confidently put away 2 goals; the 1st a beautiful deflection from a powerful cross into the D, the 2nd a clinical finish from a short-corner.
Determined, Bournemouth were forced to dispatch the ball around their defence and constantly re-think their attacks. The islands’ defensive line of Emily Lord, Kirsty Fraser, Claire Caddick and Crys O’Connell beat off any opposing pursuits, with any stray balls getting past cleared up by keeper Tia Shutler. Running up both lines from Lizzy Sargent, Carolyn McClellan and Megan Turner gave forwards Sarah Shaw, Coral Arrowsmith and Lola Marfleet chances in the attacking D.
Jaimie Payne’s effortless individual skill awarded the ladies with a few short corners. The island looked threatening but sadly, the opposition’s defence was strong, and the 1st half finished 2-0 in their favour.
Running into the 2nd half, the island began fiercely. Nothing but strength and talent was provided by central midfielders Saffron Hart, Georgia Whittle and Pip Spibey. Distribution from central players sending wide began many of the attacks. It was end-to-end play for the rest of the game.
Despite picking the ball clean and disrupting Bournemouth’s short corner attempt, a break-in formation saw an unmarked player slot a ball past the Island’s defence. The game ended with 4 consecutive short corners after the final whistle – in which one, Kirsty Fraser capitalised, but sadly, this didn’t count as the umpire blew his whistle for another short before the ball crossed the line.
Final score: Bournemouth 2s 3 – Isle of Wight ladies’ 1XI 0
Joint Wightlink player of the match: Megan Turner and Emily Lord
The Men’s 1XI travelled to face Romsey 1s, anticipating a battle after last season’s close result in the 1XI trophy game.
The island started strong and scored early, Elliot Cole winning the ball in the D, allowing Tom Gould to slap it into the goal.
Picking up an injury, Gould’s efforts saw the island side, then without substitutes, and the pressure increased. Their momentum continued, midfielders Aaron O’Hanlon-Hoare, Samuel Challis, Stephen Woodford and Joe Arnold linking up well with forwards Tom Turney and Adam Payne to tear apart Romsey’s defence. Payne’s attempts could not find him anything other than a green card and Romsey took their chances, capitalising from a short corner, but the defensive line of James Moody, Lewis Heaven-Gandy, Patrick Butt and Cole, kept any attempts at bay.
The 2nd half started with Arnold playing a ball into the D for Turney to give the island another goal, putting them in front. A ball from O’Hanlon-Hoare saw Challis execute a perfectly weighted 1st-time pass into the D for Arnold to run on to. A square pass from Arnold saw Payne slap the ball into an empty net.
Romsey then managed to get another short corner which they scored from making the score 3-2. The last twenty minutes of the game became a tense scrap, but after recovering on the sidelines, Gould returned to the pitch to tap in a played ball in the final minutes.
Final score: Romsey 1s 2 – Isle of Wight men’s 1XI 4
Goals: Tom Gould (2), Tom Turney (1) and Adam Payne (1)
Wightlink player of the match: Joe Arnold
