2018-19 Season: Mitcham 9 – 1 Berrylands
What a topsy-turvy season this has been ….. some matches where we have incurred a heavy loss, the results are not indicative of the actual game.
Take this week’s game, for example. Score at half-time was 2 – 1 to Mitcham; the game was equally balanced, and Ellie had scored a superb goal, flicking the ball up past Aimee in the Mitcham goal. I am not quite sure what happened at the start of the second half- within 5 minutes, Mitcham/Lena had scored four goals, and the scoreline read 6-1. There was no way back for the valiant Berries.
Berries were missing a few players who had signed up for the Richmond runs on Sunday morning – run well, ladies – and plus it was an early start – usually not auspicious for us. Lins was nursing a back injury so came along to support, and Eva stepped in on childcare duties, allowing both Vix
and Abbie to play.
Mitcham were lucky to have scored their first goal, umpire Tahlia having given a hit-out but this decision was overturned after protest from the Mitcham forwards and a goal resulted from this turn-around. A goal in the second half for Mitcham also looked dubious – a raised ball from a short corner deflected into the goal (again by Lena).
However, Mitcham truly deserved to win this game, and demonstrated their total reliance on three or four very skilful players. Berries also failed to capitalise on several short corners, but as the game drew into the closing stages, enthusiasm had waned to such an extent that any consolation goals looked unlikely.
Following last week’s disappointing performance against Merton, Berries arrived in the sunshine at Ricards Lodge ready to take on the self-styled COWS of Croydon, resplendent in their cow-hide socks and shirts ….. T warned us that they would be quick to take their free hits and ready to stick
their elbows in to gain advantage. Having waited a short while for their umpire to arrive, the whistle blew and battle commenced.
Differences between last week, and this week …
• Our shots on goal were more successful – three times, in fact! The first goal, scored by Grace from the edge of the D, was a corker (her words) and flew past the keeper. Second goal came courtesy of Sophie D who having completed one of her trademark runs down the left hand side of the pitch, and despite being closed down by both defenders and the keeper, executed a perfect reverse shot angled from the edge of the D, behind the keeper
and out of her reach, and into the goal (followed by mutterings from the COWS ‘ who in our league scores from a reverse shot?’. Answer, obvs, Sophie!
• The third goal in the second half, proving that persistence and positioning pay off, followed a ping-pong with the ball between the goalie and Sophie D – the final clearance by the goalie fell at Niamh’s feet and she calmly slotted the ball into the net.
• Play was much more spread out – possibly due to the fact that Croydon were playing a very passing game, putting together moves across the whole width of the pitch – and at one stage, this reached 9 passes as Gerry noted and even complimented them on this during the game – and this helped us to avoid the bunching that plagued the match against Merton.
• When the defence and T cleared the ball – it actually was cleared, and didn’t fall kindly for the opposition.
• Croydon had one excellent chance, when their young midfielder ran from the halfway line, managed to dribble around several of our team, past T and then screamed as she shot for goal about 3 feet out, and shot wide …. But once again, T proved formidable in goal, coming out to block shots and clearing with a strong right foot.
Interesting fact – we were awarded not one single penalty corner thoughout the entire game!
A disappointing result at the end of a disappointing match – the Merton goalie kept them in the game with a series of several outstanding saves, including one from over her head. These saves happened early on in the first half and had we managed to score a couple of them, then the result
could have been very different.
As it was, Abbie put us into the lead with a perfect strike past the keeper, having received the ball from passing moves involving Grace and Katja but a one-nil lead was too slender a margin to defend, although it wasn’t until half-way through the second half that T cleared the ball following a Merton attack which only managed to find Jainie’s stick and rebound back into the goal. This rejuvenated Merton and for the remainder of the match they were determined to notch up their first win of the season, and with five minutes to go, put together a series of passes which resulted in their second goal.
There was little time for us to fight back and despite the fact that we had possession for the last few minutes, a short corner would have been our chance to equalize but this didn’t materialise and Merton celebrated their win.
It was lovely to welcome back ex-Berries stalwart, Ali, on a fleeting visit to London from Switzerland, and it would have been perfect to have marked the occasion with a win but alas, Merton would not cooperate.
A few Berries set off to find the location for teas which proved more difficult than expected, but tea and pizza rewarded our persistence.
The 10 brave souls of Berrylands girded their loins, donned their gumshields and padded their shins for this 4.30 pm match in deepest, darkest (literally) Oxted.
The home side were providing two umpires; they may just as well have not bothered as the umpiring – or lack of – was simply shockingly awful as one umpire blew for any Berrylands offence, real or imagined; and the other hardly blew her whistle at all, cheerfully admitting “I don’t umpire”. You don’t say …
The Oxted veteran centre forward was obviously eager to get her name on the score sheet once again, though she didn’t manage to score quite a quickly as during out previous encounter but despite T’s best efforts in goal – and there were some absolutely amazing saves during the game, with T blocking shot after shot as the ball cannoned into her chest time and time again – and Lins, Jainie and Helena in defence scurrying around to thwart Oxted’s attacking moves, it was soon 2-0 to the home side.
However, as the half wore on (slowly), Berries started to get more into their stride and there were some lovely passing moves particularly on the right hand side of the pitch between Sophia and Ellie, and eventually Katya managed to scramble the ball across the goal line but unfortunately the ball had hit the back of her heel and the goal was disallowed. Funny how the umpire saw that foul.
Play was halted briefly to allow Sophia to change her trainers as the sole had completely come away.
Gerry – in a coaching role – was also admonished for encroaching on to the pitch …. Tut tut. We turned round at half-time 2- 0 down and Oxted then scored from a cracking short corner shot which flew into the goal – no chance of stopping that one…..
Then came the bizarre episode …… an Oxted father insisted the umpire stop the game and speak to Grace who, apparently, had slapped his daughter in the back. So sure was he that he initially accused Katya before changing his mind. Grace was summoned across the pitch to be told “I haven’t got a green card but I’m giving you one anyway”, and she was sent off, to silence from the Oxted supporters.
Despite being down to 9 men, Berries kept Oxted away from the goal but Lins got a nasty ball on the knee as a reward. The clock was stopped once again, ice was administered and Lins bravely stayed on the pitch.
It was only in the last dying minutes of the game that we conceded two further goals, thus flattering Oxted with a 5-0 scoreline.
The umpire apologised to Grace saying “I shouldn’t have sent you off; I didn’t see anything”. Bit late now.
There were no refreshments after the game, the whole Oxted team shot off leaving one player to switch off the floodlights and leaving Berrylands to get changed in a dark car park as the changing rooms had been locked and there was no access to any toilets…..
Yours truly was away in the wilds of Yorkshire for this grudge match ….. all I know is that Grace scored a superb goal from a short corner and that one of the Kenley players was lucky not to get sent off for her aggressive manner. Enough said. And Ali was over from Zurich and played! Welcome back Ali – I’m sorry I missed you.
The first icy pitch of the year, and on arriving (very early T!!) at 10.40 am, a quarter of the pitch was still white. However, as the sun rose over the trees, the ice gradually melted and with help from the groundsman and his roller, the game started more or less on time at 11.30 am.
Highlight of the game has got to be Vix’s superb reverse sweep into goal from a pass from the edge of the D from Lucia. Perfect timing and it was really the only occasion during the game when OC’s goalie was wrong-footed. She played a fearless game and definitely contributed to their win. Unfortunately, fate was on OC’s side and they scored three goals really against the run of play, and T also made some further superb clearances to keep the scoreline down. Lowlight of the game was OC’s rather officious umpire who seemed to take delight in telling Lucia and Jenny that if they did that again (not quite sure wheat ‘that’ was), it would be an immediate short corner and she really didn’t like repeating her decisions if we happened not to hear exactly what she said. It was an evenly balanced game with luck going OC’s way and not ours. Tea was burgers and chips in the clubhouse with cakes rather reluctantly shared by the oppo.
Croydon were anxious to get started on time as their umpire had another game to get to – but Berries were running late due to rain and traffic. T had to pad up quickly to go into the goal for the first half and when the whistle blew, we were a bare eleven. However, we kept things tight and the game flowed badkwards and forwards very equally. Croydon seemed a very organised team and although not the quickest on the pitch, had their passing moves very well practised and it soon became clear that we needed to watch their forwards coming forward behind our defnender.
Unfortunately this is how they scored their first goal courtesy of yours truly as a pass came across the D in front of goal which was out of T’s reach but a perfect ball for their forward at the far post. Sorry guys! Berrylands pushed on and had several very close attempts at goal – one from Nikki was an absolute screamer from a short corner which just caught the wrong side of the post, and Grace and Cairalee (in her new position as speedy left wing!!) just put shots wide. Another day and we could have had two goals in a matter of minutes but their goalie, although tiny, was loud and fearless, going to ground to block any shots. We had several short corners that we couldn’t capitalise on, though we did manage to defend several short corners successfully.
So near ….. and yet, so far ……. #2 This game provided two significant points of interest ….. first, our goal came from a penalty flick (well stepped up, Nikki!) and second, Epsom’s umpire’s fetching red headband, rather John McEnore-esque. Which teamed with his rather too short shorts, was a rather bizarre appearance on the hockey pitch! He green-carded an Epsom player for ‘back of the stick’ work but did over-ride Gerry to award us a pflick, the ball having been blocked (unintentionally) on the goal line by a defender’s shoulder off a deflection from Lucia’s stick.
Epsom’s first goal came early in the match when their forwards broke through our defence and the ball was passed into the goal and hit on the half-volley by the young centre forward giving T no chance. Play went back and forward with no clear chances for either side until Berrylands pushed forward, there was a shot on goal which Lucia managed to get a stick on and the ball rebounded off the defender’s shoulder. Gerry awarded a long corner but was overruled by Epsom who insisted on a penalty. Nicky remained calm and flicked the ball to the right of the keeper. 1-1.
At half-time T warned us about stick-tackling as she feared the umpire was about to produce a card which he duly did in the second half, ruling that an Epsom player illegally used the back of her stick which even Gerry thought was a bit harsh. It’s Surrey Div 9, not the World Cup! Epsom produced some fluent, well-practiced moves to penetrate our D but T made some great clearances to keep the ball out. To be honest, I can’t remember their second goal but Berries kept the pressure up right to the last few minutes but were unable to capitalise, several shots going just wide of the post.
So near …… and yet, so far ……. Well, we’ve had two weeks off and it now feels like the start of the season again …. We were playing Oxted, an unknown quantity though according to one of their players, she remembered playing us 30 years ago on grass. Who won that match is misted in the shrouds of time…. Oxted won this time around, but only just and Cairalee scored a magnificent goal with a shot akin to a tennis match.
Back to winning ways! Berrylands needed to come back from the previous week’s defeat and come back we did! With 16 players on the team sheet (though we did lose Cairalee at the 11th hour due to a bug) and facing bottom of the table London Wayfarers, the outlook was sunny. But we know from experience not to rest on our laurels, and had to work hard for the 3 points. Wayfarers had two very solid defenders – one with a knack of clearing any balls accurately without actually stopping the incoming pass, and the other who could dribble her way skilfully out of the D. However, Sharon’s determination gave her the force to push past her towards the end of the first half and slot the ball over the goal line.
The second half started brightly with an early push up towards the Wayfarers goals and Jenny picked up a loose save and scored. The crowd went wild. Lucia as usual kept control of the middle of the pitch, fighting for every ball and special mention must go to Hannah who made a couple of goal line clearances late in the match, and Linda who was an absolute star in goal making some very fine saves. Our new short corner routine didn’t quite work as hoped but that’s something to improve in future matches.