![]() WOMENS 1ST XI - 20/09/2025 VS CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 1 (H)
TEAM: Womens 1st XI
DATE: 20/09/2025
FIXTURE: Womens 1st XI VS 20/09/2025
HEADLINE: Late goal snatches a point
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 1 NORTH
VENUE: Taverham Recreation Facilities
RESULT: 2-2
REPORT:
Norwich City Womens 1s came up against Peterborough 1s in a strongly contested game. City started the first half with high intensity and great plays, coming up with a quick counter attack down the left handside, entering the D and resulting in a penalty flick only 5 minutes into the game. Ellyn Roberts stepped up to take the penalty and scored a great flick left of the keeper and straight into the back net, putting City up to 1-0 very early on. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep the momentum going and with Peterborough eventually finding their ways, they managed to come back against us and scored two quite quick goals, ending the first half 2-1 to them. After a great chat from Ali and Emily the womens went out strong again hoping to see a smilier result from the first five minutes of the first half. We started playing the ball better from the back into the middle and then up to the forwards creating better plays and more opportunities to equalise, with winning a few penalty corners and yet another penalty flick, but we were unable to capitalise and defeat looked on the cards. With only 3 minutes left of the game City managed to claim a short corner, and with Hannah Nunn’s great strike from the top of the D City managed to get the score back to a tie to 2-2. Coach Ali was very satisfied with a draw so sent us all back into a half court press to ensure we didn’t concede and start the new season with a loss, with these great tactics City managed to maintain the draw finishing the game 2-2 against a very strong Peterborough team.
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![]() WOMENS 4TH XI - 20/09/2025 VS NORWICH DRAGONS 4 (H)
TEAM: Womens 4th XI
DATE: 20/09/2025
FIXTURE: Womens 4th XI VS 20/09/2025
HEADLINE: 20/09/2025 Match Report
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 3 NORTH EAST (NORTH)
Match Report: NCHC Womens 4s vs NDHC Womens 5s
Venue: Home - Taverham Recreational Facilities
Date: 20 Sep 2025
Result: 2 (H) -2 (A)
The Norwich City Hockey Club Womens 4s kicked off their season with a spirited home fixture against Norwich Dragons Womens 5s. Despite this being the first game of the season, both teams delivered an exciting and hard-fought match that kept both teams on their toes.
First Half:
* NCHC dominated possession early on, keeping energy high and creating lots of opportunities.
* The opening goal came from NCHC player Olivia and was assisted by Wiktoria, showcasing persistence and great teamwork.
* NDHC responded with determination, equalising before halftime to level the score.
Second Half:
* The momentum shifted as NDHC took control, scoring a goal on a well-executed short corner.
* NCHC rallied back with a fantastic goal from Olivia, the ball brought in from a strong pass outside of the D by Wiktoria, bringing the scoreline to a thrilling draw.
Goal scorers: Goal 1 - Olivia Greenway. Goal 2 - Olivia Greenway.
Player of the Match: Charlotte Knight played in midfield, covering immense ground and battling tirelessly for possession.
Team Spirit: This was the first match of the 2025 season for the newly formed NCHC Womens 4s squad and the team gelled impressively on the pitch. Captain Wiktoria and coach Pies did an immense job at motivating in the team, organising positions and supporting rotations. The team had strong communication, relentless effort, and promising chemistry, the Womens 4s team are excited for the season ahead and eager to build on this performance.
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![]() MENS 1ST XI - 21/09/2025 VS UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM 2 (A)
TEAM: Mens 1st XI
DATE: 21/09/2025
FIXTURE: Mens 1st XI VS 21/09/2025
HEADLINE: Tough away day but great result to open this season's account
LEAGUE: CONFERENCE MIDLANDS
VENUE: university of Birmingham
RESULT: 5-2 win
REPORT: 175 days without competitive hockey, and we were back. Our prize for missing out on promotion by 7 points last year was a long and early away day to Birmingham. The 5 am wake-up call for the 6 am bus journey was tough, but the weather post-big team nap was anything but. Wonderful sunny welcome to Brum. After a spot of table tennis in the clubhouse to get the boys going, we headed out to dodge some sprinklers before pushback.
It didn't take long for normal service to resume as last season's top goal scorer, Cameron Cooke, had started his tally for 25/26. Lawry Williams made a glorious run down the left-hand side to enter the D and place it on a foot for a Penalty corner. Cameron's flick was initially saved, but Max Wilson hunted down the rebound outside the D and passed into the P spot, where Cam was able to slide the ball under the out-rushing Birmingham GK, and Norwich had the lead! This was not an indication of how the game would continue, though. Birmingham quickly got themselves together, Norwich sat back, and Birmingham won 4 penalty corners in the space of 7 minutes. Fraser Evans was equal to the first two; the 3rd was expertly left to head wide of the right goal post, but the 4th was coolly slotted into the side netting to bring the scores back level. 1-1 Q1.
Q2 was quite cagey, neither side wanting to over-commit given how deadly both sides had looked on the counterattack or when they'd been given space to carry. The scores remained level mid-way through the quarter after a combination of Fraser, the goalpost and Tom Irvine's stick or maybe shoulder managed to keep another Uni of Birmingham drag flick out. The resulting 16 led to a wide pass finding a Birmingham midfielder at halfway, but Ben Griffiths was on hand to catch him napping and steal the ball back. Ben might've forgotten that this wasn't ice hockey and you can't use both sides of the stick whilst doing it as he dribbled away with the ball but the umpire also forgot and didn't call him up which allowed him to run away into space, play a 1-2 with the birmingham CB and find Lawry Williams at the p-spot who expertly rounded the Birmingham keeper to restore Norwich's one goal lead just before halftime.
As the birmingham crowd came out in superb spirits to try and inspire their squad to make the comeback George Bedford was equal to them and confidently managed to silence them after a carry up the line under their noses and aerial into the centre of the pitch where Lawry was able to bring it down with plenty work to do but beat 3 defenders before slamming a half volley into the roof of the Birmingham net, the goalkeeper had no idea what he'd just witnessed as a debut brace for lawry etched him into Norwich city history only 36 minutes into his career with the yellows.
Norwich showed ruthlessness beyond their years as they immediately won the ball back after pushback, and a quick long corner led to a ball across the face of the goal that was deflected upwards and held up in the air long enough for Ben Griffiths to run in and volley it into the goal, a National League debut goal for promising 17-year-old Ben! The goals continued, and the next one came from a man who's at the other end of the experience spectrum with about 50 national league caps to his name, as club stalwart Tom Cooke made sure Cameron wasn't the only family member with a goal, and he flicked a PC into the bottom left corner and extended Norwich's lead to 4 goals. A calamitous 5 minutes from Birmingham, but they regained composure and started to build some opportunities, another Penalty corner and another warning, but it went wide. Followed shortly after by another penalty corner, but a mistrap let Norwich off the hook this time. Finally Birmingham got the goal they'd threatened for 10 or so minutes... questions of a stick tackle, questions of interference, questions of a foot, but ultimately Norwich got lucky with their 2nd so this was the umpires evening it up and after a shot and rebound an attacker was able to bundle the ball in and add a little bit of spice to the match. 5-2 to start Q4, but all the momentum is currently with Birmingham. Norwich City were able to quickly quash that momentum as Tom Cooke, Harry Brown, Tom Irvine, George Bedford, Harry Morgan and Louis Preston were able to keep the ball for 3 minutes straight, even whilst Birmingham pushed to cut options. James Mackenzie, Ben Griffiths, Max Wilson & Ben Chapman all found themselves in space in the Birmingham half but weren't quite able to find the gap through the defence or goal goalkeeper and the scoreline remained the same. A confident 5-2 win was complete, and Norwich briefly became top of the table based on being the first to enter their result.
A lot of debuts, either in the national league or for the club, a new captain, a new member of the coaching team and not a single person on the teamsheet disappointed. An excellent display to open this season's account. Bring on the first home game of the season Vs fellow Conference Midlands veterans Banbury.
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![]() MENS 2ND XI - 20/09/2025 VS CITY OF PETERBOROUGH 2 (A)
TEAM: Mens 2nd XI
DATE: 20/09/2025
FIXTURE: Mens 2nd XI VS 20/09/2025
HEADLINE: 6-3 Win - Phenomenal way to start the season
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 1 NORTH
VENUE: City of Peterborough Hockey Club
RESULT: 6-3 W Vs City of Peterborough 2
REPORT:
To start the season, the Men’s 2 travelled away to Peterborough with a strong squad of 14. After a delayed start due to injuries in the previous match, the guys were ready for battle. As the whistle went, Norwich — with pushback — kept possession and, after some high-intensity passing, Corey Ruston slotted the ball into the net after just two minutes of play. From the restart, Norwich quickly regained possession and Chris Wardle scored City’s second. What a way to start!
Peterborough then began to liven up, pulling one back after 20 minutes and a few 50/50 decisions, making it 2-1. Norwich responded quickly, with Charlie Hutchinson showing some fabulous dribbling before scoring Norwich’s third to make it 3–1.
Our newly appointed men’s 1s/2s coach, Grant Gilmore, then showed why he’s not only a coach, netting a wonderful goal to make it 4–1. Just before the halftime whistle, Peterborough scored their second, sending the teams into the break at 4–2.
After a motivating speech from Tom, Grant, and Pete at halftime, Norwich earned a penalty corner just a few minutes into the second half. From left slip, Tom Bailey spotted the post unmanned and slotted in his first of the season to make it 5–2 — a phenomenal goal! The game then quietened down until Peterborough were awarded a penalty stroke from some questionable play, bringing the score to 5–3. Norwich responded positively, with Archie Chipperfield showing why he’s earned his place in the squad by scoring a sensational goal to make it 6–3.
Norwich then controlled the game until the final whistle, sealing a 6–3 win. Jonty Black was deservedly named Man of the Match for his phenomenal performance and work rate.
Written by Tom Bailey
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Ellyn Roberts,Hannah Nunn
Niamh Rushton