The 1st XI have one hand on the South Premier trophy after a 3-1 win over Spencer, while the 3rd XI clinched their fifth successive promotion with a 4-0 defeat of Oxted … while the Ladies section had an unbeaten weekend
Men’s 1st XI 3-1 Spencer
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Championships don’t come easy and we knew the match against high-flying Spencer would not be a simple stroll across the grounds of Thames Ditton. Yet three points would all but engrave ourname on the elusive South Premier 1 vase.
Like Josh Doble on a Wednesday night, the game started ugly and then got uglier. Inside three minutes the league’s top goal scorer, Matt Murphy, limped off and Spencer snatched the lead after some undesirable OC’s defending. Nick Ripley looked to the sky and asked for a saviour. That came in the form of Matthew Laidman who converted a short corner, calmly wrong footing the opposing goalkeeper from 16 yards. 1-1 at half time, Pettitt and Ripley demanded more from their players.
Our defensive shape continued to frustrate Spencer and as the midfield battle swung our way another short corner was won. The scene was set for Hugh Robinson to take advantage and give us the lead through a well- worked routine. Less than two minutes later Man of the Match Will Phillips stole the ball in midfield and played in veteran striker David Roberts who was cruelly taken out by a barbaric tackle from a Spencer defender. Penalty stroke awarded and Laidman converted, 3-1 OC’s.
The final whistle echoed around Thames Ditton, we won 3-1 maintaining ourlead at the top of the league. We go into the final game of the season against a friendly Indian Gymkhana team needing to avoid a heavy defeat to secure the league winners spot, and even then with Bromley and Beckenham recording double-digit wins in their last two games.
MOM – Will Phillips
DOD – David Roberts
Chichester 2s 2-2 Men’s 2nd XI
As the 2nd XI season slips gently to a close, a draw on the South Coast should see us finish sixth while the side extended their impressive record of not submitting match reports.
Men’s 3rd XI 4-0 Oxted
This was a magical Saturday at the club. What better way to spend a day than seeing the 3s secure another promotion, the 1s beat Spencer and is essence win their league, see Wales thrash Ireland and win the Grand Slam with, to top it off, West Ham scoring 3 late goals to beat Huddersfield 4-3. A day of which dreams are made. Mezzer had the decency and humility to text me to pass on congratulations for the 5 out of 5 even though he is an ardent English rugby fan. 5 out of 5 for the fourth time in 14 years, remarkable. Our promotion also meant that we had our own 5 of 5 which is probably a unique feat in Surrey hockey.
We once again had to shuffle the pack with a virus affecting the whole squad passed on by an ailing Roskos. Remarkably this had no effect on selection but instead was courtesy of Warmup and threatened to bring all our systems down. West Sussex Eds who did fall for the trap, hoping for a cheap thermostat, now has to pay $30,000.00 to prevent all sorts of dramas. The excuses this week were quite astonishing with only 2 weeks left of the season and included a couple of skiing trips, a brunch in Brighton at the Pink Flamingo and a load of other bo**ocks. The 3As are going to have a mighty strong team next week after the 14 valiant survivors knocked 4 past Oxted without reply.
David Attenborough was delighted to pick up the news that there was still a Don in existence and that the climate change theory was incorrect as was the concern of the trophy hunting rumour. The UK Big Four may still exist. Diggers does have the very creditable achievement of finding Clarkey in South London and is challenging Channel 4s “Hunted” with a new programme called “Kentied”. Dick of the Day was awarded well before we assembled on Saturday with King Arthur picking up the award for the second week running and will also win this next week too no matter what happens in the next 6 days. Lewi is a lucky boy.
The game against Oxted fortunately fell on one of the 90 days that Grimer was allowed in the country to ensure he does not infringe his tax saving residency. To cap it he all scored his first goal in 12 months whiles brother Matt Grimes followed suit by scoring his first goal ever against Manchester City in the FA cup in the evening. A happy day for the Grimes family where scoring goals is rare. Charlie Fletcher came in and managed to stay for the whole game sporting his CUHC track suit trousers. For the record we have played against a number of players this season who should also wear track suits trousers, track suit top and shirts with a four-letter word emblazoned thereon also starting CU.
We struggled in the last outing against Oxted being fortunate to nick a 3-1 win due to a 10 minute purple patch late on in the first half. Last time out the second half saw us troubled by “Wheezer” on the right. Oddly we have played against a number of Whazzers this season too. On this occasion we went two up with a Clarkey slip on a short corner oddly going goal bound and West Susses Eds back to his predatory best to be in front of the keeper and nudge home the ball to take his tally to 20 for the season. We were pressed in the second half but M o M Rosko came to the fore and made some top saves before JJ mullered a tomahawk into the far corner and Grimer wrong footed the keeper and all of us by slicing home his shot. Following Ports’ bout of concussion resulting in his missing last week’s night outing we were concerned that there would be signs of a personality change in Ports. Thankfully in the last 10 minutes he picked up a yellow card to put all our minds at rest.
Shortly after our game Grimer whizzed up to Chiswick and, being the team man he is, forfeited the tanning booth to watch the last knockings of OGs beat Barnes 2 -0 to secure their and our promotion. The league title is still up for grabs with there being a 2 goal difference in favour of OGs who play Barnes 3s next week whilst we take on the first half of the season vociferous at how good they are social media giants Barnes 2s at TD. All to play for.
Men’s 4th XI 4-3 Addiscombe 3s
Only another win would be enough to maintain pressure on Guildford in second place in the hunt for a promotion spot. Looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Sunbury, OCs scored first in a wide-open game that promised much after the 2-2 earlier in the season. Each time we scored, Addiscombe scored right back, but in the second half, they began to tire with an injury and only one substitute. We took full advantage and at 4-2, the game looked done and dusted, but there was one last twist and a late goal from some loose defending set up a busy final three minutes which OCs survived for a well-earned victory.
Despite the win, Guildford’s 8-0 victory against Leatherhead means we will finish third with one more game against Barnes to play. So close but no cigar
Maidenhead Vets 2-9 Barnstormers
Stormers fielded a strong squad for what was anticipated to be a tough fixture in the league run in for promotion.
With all other mens teams registering wins prior to our late start the pressure was on and from the off Stormers were more than up for it – that is once Closey had broken back into the ground having strayed into school grounds to perform his pre-match ritual without reading the times at which the gates would lock automatically. Gav managed to stop laughing long enough to help him scale the fence, saving Matt a long wait until the janitor returned on Monday morning.
It was probably our best starting phase since the heady days of our first two league matches back in October. Passing was slick as were release balls from the back and our work rate off the ball was high as midfield and forwards linked well.
As the goals started to come Maidenhead were forced to play half-court, seemingly shell-shocked as the game was effectively over by half-time, heading into the break 6-1 up, the only blot on Moz’s clean sheet a well taken penalty stroke following the intervention of Darren’s foot at the end of a rare Maidenhead foray into our D.
Stormers debutant, Wizzer, slotted in well between a controlling Cato/Toby axis and an active front line of Gerry and Gav. We were able to easily switch between slow, controlled passing play to breaks at speed, getting the ball quicky to Gerry, Gav, Poen and Seearsy, creating overlaps, scoring chances and several breakaway goals.
It didnt matter that we secured only two or three penalty corners all game. When we got into the opposition D, a goal seemed the most likely outcome. Our midfield was able to compound the pressure playing higher with Wizz frequently finding space to run at defenders and Darren as well as Ross finding it easier to give wide options.
Well deserved hat-tricks for Gav and Gerry were the result of a good day’s work, with Wizz, Poen and our very own John Seears bagging one each to complete the scorers.
At the other end Moz was barely troubled with any shots in anger so it was a little annoying for a speculative strike to be deflected in without intervention, giving a little more respectability to the scoreline.
Whilst the game was generally good natured it was disappointing to see the same Maidenhead player adopt an altogether different attitude generally – this time he somehow avoided the usual compulsory card and was even able to goad Stu W into a juvenile verbal exchange, earning Stu a two minute cool-down. He provided the game’s best comedy moment, however, when the player actually took a dive to win a penalty corner. Certainly the first time in my career I can recall such antics; even his own team-mates were scoring it out of 6.
We wait to see how the league positions ultimately play out but we can take pride from the performance and attitude.
Hamstrings 2-1 Richmond Rogues
A keen Hamstrings team, bolstered by the “youngsters” Mikey, Robin S & Howie, produced a spirited, never-say-die performance against a well-organised & skillful Richmond side. OCs, under Colin’s strong guidance, were generally resolute in defence, with Nick Aston a standout addition to the team. Midfielders produced some incisive attacking play, but the newly-elevated emergency centre forward, Evergreen Eastie (yes, really), could not quite produce the finish the approaches deserved. A very even game looked to be drifting to a 1-0 win for Richmond, but the last 4 minutes transformed glum OCs mugs into happy chappies. A decent move ended with Jon Gray smashing in from 12 inches, and OCs felt chuffed to have salvaged a deserved draw. Then, in the last minute, Howie started p*ssing about in the oppo corner, thinking to preserve the draw – until the Richmond defence decided to invite him into the D for a last shot at glory, whereupon he slung the ball blindly across goal, and Team Hero Tim Bamford got his stick there ahead of the goalie, scoring a delightful deflection. Cue scenes of home jubiliation; somewhat tempered by anxiety over pacemakers over-heating.
Ladies 1st XI 5-3 London Edwardians 2s
With a depleted side due to illness and skiing, the OC’s Ladies were ready for a tough match. But from first push back, an interception by Olivia Cooke saw her drive the ball up the left, into the D resulting in a goal top left within the first 2 mins. The OC’s were pumped and came back with another goal coming from a well worked formation down the right into the D, resulting into a goal from Georgie Syms. The Oppo continued to fight back and a scramble in the D which lead to one of our players on the ground in front of goal, led to a somewhat questionable goal being allowed. The OC’s had a number of players out of position but they managed to work hard for each other and get further product in the D and win a short corner right at the half-time whistle. The goal game from a deflection off the keepers pad into Olivia Cooke, who controlled the ball and slotted it into the net. Half time score 3-1.
In the second half, the next goal came from Jackie Waite and Olivia Cooke, who worked well together on the left, passing the ball onto Georgie Syms who, with acres of space, scored bottom right. There was plenty of pattern play and the OCs dominated, locking down their free hits and 16s we kept the ball in their half. With Georgie Sangster playing full back, out of pattern play she put one through from a 16 which went the full length to Georgie Syms who drove it in and scored her hatrick! 5-1 OCs. with 20 minutes to go! The Oppo then played with three high players and fought back with two lucky breaks, one an unstoppable strike into the back of the net. The other came after we lost Captain Nikki Springett to a nasty eye injury – stitches required nothing broken! That’s two matches and two split eyebrows…from London Ed’s! One final break from Ed’s saw them slot another one in the goal – full time 5-3 to OCs!! Solid play from the whole squad but MOM to Syms for her hatrick!
Richmond Ladies 3s 0-2 Ladies 2nd XI
We all knew this was going to be a big match playing top of the league Richmond, who we beat in a fantastic battle at home, winning 6-4. With only one more match to play, this had to be a win if we wanted to remain in the top 3 and fight for those top spots. So an away match at 16.30 in Richmond, while thousands of rugby fans headed towards Twickenham, wasn’t exactly the most convenient time or location. However, we were determined, focused and ready.
Due to the fastest winds known to a hockey pitch (well, nearly), it was lucky that talking at our last training session had been banned, as we were prepared with not being able to hear each other! Richmond started quickly, getting in our d on the first 30 seconds, but our strong defence proved their value very early on, clearing in confidently. After that, we began our attack, and it never really stopped! Convincing passing prevailed throughout the guest half with waves and waves of attacks up the right into their d. Their GK made some impressive saves, but our efforts paid off when captain Ele scored a beauty. Half time and we were 1 nil up.. We knew we were playing the better hockey but they were a good team and we had to stay focused.
Richmond came back stronger but still barely got a shot on goal. At one point they attempted to attack but Evie confidently ran out and led to an awesome counter attack by OCs. OCs were staying calm and playing their hockey, with amazing passes being made up both the left and the right of the pitch. Theresa and Josie were working well together down the right while Rachel and Ele did some amazing work on the middle. About 15 minutes into the second half a ball was sent from the right hand side across the D and a goal was nearly scored had it not hit a Richmond players foot. The ref called a penalty flick but with Kara being off the pitch it meant that Theresa had to step in and take. It was very tense as this goal would firmly put the OCs in a winning position and ease the pressure. Theresa scored an amazing flick with the goalie reaching in the wrong direction.
OCs continued their attacking streak, although at one point when Hels knee was badly hurting and she needed to be taken off, Richmond broke away down the pitch and nearly scored only stopped by Hels running ragged on her sore knee and preventing them. Ele kindly stepped into Hels position and had a cracker of a game, fitting into her new role perfectly. Lizzi was sending some fantastic balls down the left hand side up to Jo and then Bernie and the OCs had total control of the game. Was a fantastic 2-0 win!
Croydon and Old Whitgiftian Ladies 2s 1-1 Ladies Vamps XI
The Vamps were on a mission to try and win to enable us to be within striking position of promotion. Started well and on the attack and Sophie, just back from injury, made a fantastic run into the “D” to score the first goal. COW fought back and scored from a penalty corner. Second half and the Vamps upped their game and Chris, Hannah’s dad as match manager, giving us inspiration, especially liking his “Jane, run for the D, run here, there and everywhere” but despite our best efforts, several penalty corners, Vamps couldn’t get it past their incredible goalie. Not sure we deserved only a draw, very unlucky. Big thank you to Chris James for match managing and to Sophie Cook, but also once again to our incredible colts, Hannah, Alina and Georgina. Next week is crunch week and a possibility to get 2nd or 3rd. Final score 1-1
London Wayfarers Ladies 8s 1-3 Ladies 3rd XI
Match report to follow