Westbury & United Banks (Bristol) Hockey Club results page

December 2008

Westbury & United Banks HC: Results for Saturday 20/12/08
Team	Opponents		League	Scr	Scorers
1^st XI	v W Wilts	A	Friendly	2-5	Nichols G Hancock
2^nd XI	v W Wilts II	A	Friendly	2-6	Farrell Hill
3^rd XI	v W Wilts III	A	Friendly	can
Wanderers	v W Wilts IV	H	Friendly	4-9	Lipfriend 2 Watts Chalk
Wizards	v W Wilts V	H	Friendly	3-2	Brown Fishley Connelly
Warriors	v W Wilts VI	H	Friendly	8-2	Geddes 2 Sheppard 2 Ogilvie 2 Yuill Palmer M
Match comments With unavailability higher up the club everyone stepped up a team to play today as has been the tradition in many seasons past at Christmas time and 28 goals were scored in the three home games at Coombe Dingle.
1^st XI: Richard Beesley reports: It was a battle to get a squad to go to West Wilts, but well done and thank you to those that did. A good friendly to have but the last weekend before Christmas maybe too close for some. The first team game was lost 5 - 2 (Nichols and Hancock) against most of their 1st team. The best performance came from the younger lot, Nichols, Banting, Longden and Glynn all played really well and did not look out of place against a young, fit and quick team. Interesting to see where they are picked after Christmas, Max and Will both deserve a chance higher up!!!
2^nd XI : The second's score was a 6-2 loss. A side with players from 1sts to 5ths with a few playing a second game competed well and had some excellent passages of play. However ultimately the pace and cohesion of a West Wilts team that played regularly together proved too strong and the result was never really in doubt.Westbury's goals were a short from Pete Farrell after a period of Westbury pressure and cracking pick up and shot from Rich Hill from a long corner.
Wanderers: There was a goal fest at Westbury in the three friendlies, with the Wanderers led by Chris Cocks with his Wizards posse, taking part in a high scoring game at home to W Wilts. The visitors from Wiltshire opened with an early goal, but this was countered by an excellent team goal. Mark Crofts's pass found Duncan Armsby who unselfishly squared it first time from the right hand side of the D to Ben Lipfriend to slot home. Both teams played attractive hockey on a surprisingly mild day with excellent skills and passing being the order of the day. Where W Wilts came out on top was their greater experience in the D. By half time they had added three more well taken goals to a short corner strike from Terry Watts to lead 4-2. W Wilts came out of the blocks quicker in the second half. Within minutes Chris Cocks's foot stopped the ball on the line - he'll have a nasty purple bruise there all over Christmas, and the visitors converted the stroke. Not long later they sneaked another. Westbury sportingly loaned them Mike Harvey, and it was Mike's shot from the left that played bagatelle with several defensive sticks before Dom Harris's foot nudged it over the line. The ball was whipped out by a defender, but the goal was rightly awarded. W Wilts scored three more well taken goals. The festival spirit saw Westbury press forward to get goals of their own, but this left themselves a little thin at the back and W Wilts exploited the space they had very well. There were two more Wanderers goals. Tom Fishley threaded the ball through for Ben Lipfriend to score and Jack Chalk got his first goal for the club with a clever reverse stick sweep. This was a game played between two very good sides and it was also played in very good spirit. Youngsters Fishley and Lipfriend showed they have the ability to step up, but it was Ed Minchin who caught the eye going forward. All three have made a lot of progress in the first half of the season
Wizards: The Wizards side, looking remarkably like the Warriors, powered their way to a 2-0 lead at home to W Wilts. Graeme Brown scored early on after some good approach work down the right wing had delivered an accurate cross for him to knock in at the far post. Shortly afterwards Pete Thomas found the near post with his shot and Tom Fishley swept in the rebound. W Wilts had a very young side and it was the Wizards who controlled the first half and looked set to go on and win the game. Just before half time W Wilts snatched a goal back. The second half was an entirely different affair. As Westbury lost their shape and cohesion, W Wilts began to dominate and you had to be impressed with their skill going forward. The visitors evened the game up with their second goal and looked to be set to take the game to a winning conclusion in their favour. However, Westbury hadn't read the script. Joe Connelly, who returned to playing only this season, has found it difficult to get a goal. Today he did it with an amazing goal. The ball came to him after a goalmouth scramble. Joe was on the right side of the goal with the ball practically on the back line. His old instincts kicked in and he belted the ball back across the goal, and to his, and his team mates delight, it went perfectly between the posts form the most impossible of narrow angles. This turned out to be the winning goal of a well contested match.
Warriors: The Warriors, heavily disguised as the Widgets fell behind to an early goal in their home match with W Wilts. The Warriors took some while to get into gear and it was W Wilts who looked more likely to build up a lead in the first quarter of the game. The Warriors began to make an impact going forward and Alex Yuill put in a well placed shot after showing some tricky skills to level the score. Not long before the interval, Griff delivered a thumping cross that Duncan Ogilvie made good contact with, the ball rolled towards to the far post where Martin Palmer had a simple tap in after his 6 weeks lay-off with injury. Shep felt he was unlucky with his short corner that spun off the keeper, onto the post and back into play with no goal awarded. It may have gone in but no one will ever know! In the second half the Warriors began to get the better of the game when Adam Geddes got not only his first, but also his second goal for the club. Griff provided the perfect free hit from the right that Alex slapped in from around the penalty spot, then minutes later Sam Brewer provided a similar ball from open play and Adam performed an action replay of his first goal. W Wilts were still in the game and pulled a goal back. Then came a brace of Westbury goals. Shep struck twice from short corners, this time the ball hit the backboard with that reassuring thump! Next came a couple of firsts. A penalty stroke was coolly converted by Duncan Ogilvie, the first time he has ever taken one. At the other end Ed West pulled off a fine save to stop W Wilts scoring from the 'P' spot themselves, his first penalty stroke save for the club. The game finished with Duncan Ogilvie getting a good touch to a ball driven straight into the D for goal number eight. Today's home friendlies were well worth taking part in and the players who took part played some outstanding hockey in all three home games. Thanks to everyone who supported the games today.

Westbury & United Banks HC: Results for Saturday 13/12/08
Team	Opponents		League	Scr	Scorers
1^st XI	v Plymouth Marjons	H	Premier 1	1-2	Parish
2^nd XI	v Leominster	A	North Div 1	1-3	Armsby
3^rd XI	v Team Bath Buccs VI	H	Avon Div	0-2
Wanderers	v S Glos	A	Br & NW Som Div1	1-1	Taylor M
Wizards	v Imperial	A	Br & NW Som Div 2	pst
Warriors	v Somerset Gryphons III	H	Br & NW Som Div 3	1-3	Lipfriend
Widgets	v O Bristolians V	A	Br & NW Som Div 3	0-4
Match comments
1^st XI: The firsts gave one of their best performances against top-of-the-table Marjons of Plymouth. They equalised mid way through the second half, but fell to 2-1 defeat when Plymouth were awarded a penalty stoke.
2^nd XI :
3^rd XI : The thirds gave a 'gut busting' performance to hold a very impressive Bath Buccs team to two short corner goals.
Wanderers:
Wizards: Imperial couldn't raise a side!
Warriors: The Warriors came a little closer than in their first encounter with Somerset Gryphons losing by a three goal margin. The warriors at last found the net after three games without a goal. Ben Lipfriend scored his first winter goal for the club.
Widgets: The Widgets were well beaten by O Bristolians at Failand by 4-0.

Westbury & United Banks HC: Results for Saturday 6/12/08
Team	Opponents		League	Scr	Scorers
1^st XI	v Exeter Univ II	A	Premier 1	1-1	Parish
2^nd XI	v Somerset Gryphons	H	North Div 1	0-2
3^rd XI	v W Wilts III	H	Avon Div	8-1	Pearce-Smith 3 Poulsom 3 Wornell Walkey
Wanderers	v O Bristolians III	A	Br & NW Som Div1	0-1
Wizards	v Bristol UWE III	A	Br & NW Som Div 2	1-5	Ludley
Warriors	v Bristol UWE IV	H	Br & NW Som Div 3	0-3
Widgets	v Firebrands VI	H	Br & NW Som Div 3	3-1	Money 2 Sheppard
Match comments
1^st XI: The first team came back from their trip to Exter with a well earned point from their match against the University. Jonny Parish was on target.
2^nd XI : The seconds had a lot of the game against Somerset Gryphons but fell to a 2-0 defeat with two late goals.
3^rd XI : The thirds were on fire agianst W Wilts with hat-tricks from James Pearce-Smith and Psycho. Worny and Nathan Walkey chipped in one each.
Wanderers: The Wanderers lost 1-0 at Failand against O Bs.
Wizards: The Wizards opened the scoring with a well worked goal from John Ludley at Frenchay against Bristol UWE. The students then turned the game around with five goals.
Warriors: A young and inexperienced Warriors team gave a battling display against a well organised Bristol UWE team. Joe Connelly did well in his first ever game at sweeper and Dave Holliday gave the midfield a solid shape. There were lots of encouraging passages of play which show that there is a bright future for the young lads playing. Ned Holmes, a very late call up showed some good touches. The Warriors couldn't conjure many shots at goal or turn the pace of Harry Newington down the right into and end product. Two goals in the first half put Bristol in charge and a third midway through the second half sealed their win.
Widgets: The Widgets won their home game against Firebrands with three late goals after Brands led for some time. The experience of Dave Money who bagged two goals and Austin Sheppard struck from a short corner. Three well deserved points puts the Widgets just two points behind the Warriors in the table.