Results

LADIES 2ND XI - 24/02/2018 VS HARLESTON MAGPIES 3 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 2nd XI 
DATE: 24/02/2018 
FIXTURE: Womens 2nd XI VS 24/02/2018 
HEADLINE: Back to winning ways! 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 2 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: W2-1 
 
REPORT: 
Match report  
 
24.02.2018 vs Harleston Magpies 3 
 
A very chilly afternoon at TRF, the womens rallied together in the changing room for the pre-match team-talk (definitely only to delay having to step outside into the arctic temperatures, but we won’t tell anyone that).  
 
The start of the game saw rather end-to-end stuff, neither team particularly looking like they were going to break the deadlock. That said, hard work from the City midfield and forwards lead to some chances. 
 
Finally, a break came for city in the form of a penalty corner. A top injection from Rosie Humphrey gave Danni time to stop and strike the ball cleanly. On target, the ball took a fortunate deflection off a Harleston stick into the back of the net. City 1 - 0 Harleston. 
 
Harleston then dominated the rest of the half, and everyone on the City side worked their backsides off to block any potential chances their opponents won. Many penalty corners and many open play chances were blocked by some solid defending from Longy, Kathy, Megan and of course Serena too - who, might I add, made some epic saves to keep City in the game at various points.  
 
Half time came and Coach Chris gave some handy pointers of what to work on in the second half. Unfortunately, Harleston opened the scoring in the second half with an open-play goal. City 1 - 1 Harleston.  
 
The game stayed neutral for the majority of the rest of the second half, looking like a draw was going to be the result; however, with around 8 minutes left, Harleston conceded a penalty flick. Danni volunteered to take the flick and made the score line 2-1.  
 
The last minutes of the game saw city defend well and trying to keep possession of the ball by any means possible. I must say, the full-time whistle was like music to our ears! 
 
The game was a big credit to the whole team for working together, maintaining discipline in a frustrating game, communicating and helping each other out. 
 
Onwards and upwards again to a busy weekend of two league games next week. 
 
City 2 - 1 Harleston.  

LADIES 2ND XI - 21/10/2017 VS NORTH NORFOLK 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 2nd XI 
DATE: 21/10/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens 2nd XI VS 21/10/2017 
HEADLINE: City Unlucky  
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 2 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: L 1-2 
 
REPORT: 
City started the day with a decent team talk from coach Chris and a decent warm up too. They started the game with fire in their bellies.  
 
Decent talking, decent passing, decent runs from everyone on the pitch and city had some good chances. Unfortunately, none were converted to goals, but a positive start nonetheless. 
 
North Norfolk scored an unlucky goal in the first half which gave them the head start, but this didn’t get to City at all.  
 
City kept their heads up. Excellent running from POTM Rosie, Milly, both Hannah’s and Alice Gill gave city some lovely chances, and one particular run from Alice Gill lead to City being awarded a penalty flick. Danni scored to draw the score line level going into half time. 
 
Second half, many chances created again with city making some threatening runs and balls into the ‘D’, and being awarded multiple short corners, making NN’s lives very difficult in their defensive roles. Unfortunately, none were scored; however, City continued to work tirelessly. A really unlucky goal against the run of play came, which gave NN the lead and the game finished 1-2.  

LADIES 2ND XI - 30/09/2017 VS YARMOUTH 1 (H) 
 
TEAM: Womens 2nd XI 
DATE: 30/09/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens 2nd XI VS 30/09/2017 
HEADLINE: Norwich City maintain winning start to the season 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 2 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: TRF 
RESULT: 2-1 Win 
 
REPORT: Norwich City continued their wining start to the season with a 2-1 win over Yarmouth in their first home game of the season. After a slightly shaky start, for the second week in row, city soon found their feet on a familiar pitch and began putting the visiting side under pressure. City were perhaps fortunate not to concede the first goal after a long ball into the circle took a deflection and found the corner of the goal, but the umpire adjudged the touch was not off an attackers stick. This was one of the few chances that city gave their opposition and the majority of the game was played with city on the front foot. The home side created a number of chances of their own, and had it not been for the Yarmouth keeper they could have quite easily found themselves 2 goals up by half time. 
 
Half time came and city were reassured that the goals they deserved would come if they continued to keep up their good work of the first half and improve a couple of areas in the second half. They did not have to wait long for their opening goal, as shortly after the break Hannah Jarvis converted the first short corner of the half, her strike from the right hand side of the circle was too much for the keeper to handle and the ball was fired through her legs. Determined to push on and add to their lead city continued to push hard and spent most of the next 15 minutes camped in the Yarmouth half. The second goal of the day came from a Milly Brown deflection, after leading her marker to the edge of the circle she lead back towards the goal and connected with a direct ball from Danni Garwood, and although a visiting defender got a touch it was not enough to keep it out, with Rosie Humphrey guarding the ball from any incoming defenders. Yarmouth however were not down and out, and hit back with a goal of their own only minutes later. After winning the ball on the city 25m, Yarmouth took the ball into the circle and whilst leading across goal the attacker was felled by a city defender - short corner Yarmouth. They converted the short corner with a strike from the edge of the circle into the bottom left of the goal giving city keeper Serena Scott little chance. The remaining 15 minutes were dominated by city creating a number of good chances, however the city attackers were unable to beat the Yarmouth keeper a third time. Yarmouth did manage to have one last counter attack and Serena Scott was called into action once more but was alert to the dangerous and smothered the Yarmouth attacker before she knew what had happened. 
 
Another win and another good performance for the newly promoted city, they will be happy with their points tally so far but know that they still have room for improvement as they look to continue their winning run through October. 
 

LADIES 2ND XI - 23/09/2017 VS CHRISTCHURCH 1 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 2nd XI 
DATE: 23/09/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens 2nd XI VS 23/09/2017 
HEADLINE: City Secure a Win! 
LEAGUE: EAST DIVISION 2 NORTH EAST 
VENUE: St Joseph's College 
RESULT: W 0-1 
 
REPORT: 
 
Brand new league, brand new season, brand new team and a brand new captain. City had an early start to head down to Ipswich for their opening game of the season against Christchurch 1.  
 
After an 'inspiring' team talk from the new captain Danni Garwood in the changing rooms, the womens headed out for a warm up on the Olympic-style pitch.  
 
The start of the game saw some shoddy passing, some slobby tackling and some 'first game of the season' hockey, city were slow to react and spent the first five minutes basically making sure they didn't concede a goal as opposed to playing proper hockey, which, to be fair, was sort of to be expected with a whole new team and set up! 
 
City then really started to get into the game, with Milly, Leigh-Ann and Matilda working tirelessly upfront with balls in from Rosie and Hannah, but unfortunately, despite multiple penalty corners and many decent chances, city could not score (credit to the Christchurch keeper - she was awesome).  
 
At the other end of the pitch, POTM Megan Conway and half-back Becky were busy too, making some essential tackles and some very decent passes up the line to the forwards.  
 
Serena and Longy were too working hard, with Serena frustrating the opponents by making some lovely, textbook saves, and Longy really slowing Christchurch down by making some solid tackles. The city defence also did some lovely transfers of the ball across the back line, which was brilliant to see.  
 
After a talk at half-time, city knew they had to start the second half with some serious fire in their bellies, and they did! Each and every yellow shirt on the pitch was working together to get the ball up the pitch and put serious pressure on the opposition.  
 
The goal came when Megan made a lovely ball up the pitch to Milly, Milly then passed the ball into the 'D' to Rosie, Rosie then passed to Matilda, and Matilda finished the goal. A true team effort and testament to what can be achieved when we all work as a unit (which we are already very good at!). 
 
The rest of the game was dominated by city, with very few Christchurch chances swiftly cleared away, with Georgia making some fantastic tackles, and Evie, Ellie and the inners making some brilliant runs/passes/chances - none successful, but a very good start to the season.  
 
Many things to work on as a new team, but also, nothing can be taken away from the fact that we won the game as a newly-promoted team, secured the three points and worked very hard with the step up. 
 
Onwards and upwards to Yarmouth next weekend. 
 

LADIES 2ND XI - 02/09/2017 VS DEREHAM 2 (A) 
 
TEAM: Womens 2nd XI 
DATE: 02/09/2017 
FIXTURE: Womens 2nd XI VS 02/09/2017 
HEADLINE: Solid start as City shoot for 6 
VENUE: Dereham Hockey Club 
RESULT: 6-0 Win 
 
REPORT: 
Norwich City Hockey Club's Womens 2nd XI started their preseason with an East Div 2NE preview clash against Dereham 2s. Even with an influx of players over the summer for Norwich, the 2's travelled to Dereham with a fairly familiar team, many of whom had played several games together last season however they did welcome new recruit Georgia Cleveland and youngster Hannah Bush for their first games with the team. 
 
Right from the off both teams were keen to assert themselves on the game and both worked hard to create chances in the first few minutes, Norwich trying to build their attacks from maintaining possession and cutting in from wide areas while Dereham were more reliant on the work of their forwards to drive through City half. Both goalkeepers were tested early as forwards from both sides were given space to shoot, but in the early exchanges both held firm and kept the score level for the first 15 minutes. 
 
It was Norwich who broke the deadlock as Rosie Humphrey opened here account for the season after Milly Brown cut in from the right hand side and shot from wide in the D, the goalkeeper was only able to stop the ball and Humphrey pounced on the ball to tap it through the legs of floundering keeper. The score was doubled before half time as Rosie doubled her tally for the game, Emily rash drove round the baseline and pulled the ball back towards the penalty spot for Rosie to sweep home into the bottom corner of the goal. Conceding twice did not deter Dereham from pushing forwards and challenging the City defence but the forwards were no match from Serena Scott, the Norwich 'keeper, who's confident performance earned her the first clean sheet of the season. 
 
The second half followed much the same script as the first, the high September sun taking it's toll on the small Dereham squad, and the 4 more goals followed for Norwich City. Hannah Bush claimed her own brace in similar form to the first half goals, her first was deflection at the far post following another attack down the right and her second was arguably from the best move of the game. Rachael Cave earned a free hit on the very edge of the circle and with quick thinking rolled the ball into the path of the overlapping Emily Rash, who hit the baseline and pull the ball back towards Bush to finish across the goal keeper and in at the far post.  
 
Georgia Cleveland opened her Norwich City account with a great strike from a short corner. The initial shot from Leigh-Ann Worrall was blocked but the ball fell loose on the right hand side of the circle and Georgia was the first to react, smashing the ball the past the right foot of the keeper. The game was sealed by Player of the Match Hannah Jarvis, converting from close range to make sure a well directed shot from Worrall wasn't to be reached by the retreating defenders following good build up play down the left hand side of the pitch. 
 
A great effort from all the players saw NCHC put in a very solid performance in their first test of the season as they look to build on the promotion of last season and remain in the east league this season.