HOCKEY SLIDESHOW: Rugby Men's 1st XI in ten-goal game with Beeston

Rugby & East Warwickshire Hockey Club

REWHC Men’s 1st XI 5 Beeston 5

Rugby’s first half was not up to their usual standard. But from 4-2 down at half time they were very sure they could get back into the game.

The second half was a much different story, even after going a further goal down. Rugby fought back and looked the better team throughout the second half, with great team plays being made continuously. Rugby made numerous attacking entries and finally began to convert with either a short corner or a shot at goal. The 1sts scored three goals in the second half to make it 5-5 and after looking the better side were very close to grabbing a win from Beeston.

There were two goals each for Luke Armstrong and Andy Walker and one for Adam Hewitt.

Man of the Match went Danny Bell for some absolutely incredible saves that kept Rugby in the game in both halves.

REWHC Men’s 3rd XI 3 Sikh Union 1st XI 9

Rugby started well but two miscommunications saw goals for the Union. Rugby answered with a strike from goalscoring firm Liam and then another from Davo on the third attempt after a deflection. Two more goals came for the Union before half time. After that Rugby started playing worse and conceded a few more goals before Gaz scored from a short corner for our third goal. Man of the Match went to Xander for solid play throughout.

REWHC Men’s 4th XI 5 Sikh Union Coventry 2nd 0

Domination was the name of the game in the first half with Rugby camped in the Sikh Union half. This enabled Rugby to pass the ball around with consummate ease. They were unlucky not to be more than 2-0 up at half time. Cookie getting both goals, one was his trade mark simple tap in, the other an unorthodox pile driver. Stand-in Captain Peter Willis for once didn’t have to give the ‘hair dryer’ team dressing down at half time.

Rugby continued to press and eventually got their reward, with Cookie getting yet another hat-trick. James Harrison scored an orthodox goal to make it 4-0 and Nick Thatcher getting promotion to the forward line, scoring the fifth goal. It was not all one way traffic, Sikh Union had numerous forays on the Rugby goal. These attempts were repelled with Rugby’s U14’s keeper Freddie Taylor making his 4th team league debut, making a string of outstanding saves.

Warwick University 4th XI 2 REWHC Men’s 5th XI 0

It looked like Rugby were going to end up with a bare 11 for the second week running, but fortunately, Tom McCabe turned up two minutes before pushback. However, they ended up playing most of the match with 11, after Chris went off injured, despite having outpaced one of the students moments earlier. The first half ended at 0-0, with both sides’ best chances coming from penalty corners.

In the second half, Rugby sustained injuries to both Wokka and Max Murphy, who both had to play on, while losing Chris meant a lack of leadership at the back, which resulted in Warwick Uni’s first goal, as confusion over marking left one of their players unmarked at the back post.

Rugby then gradually started to get into the game more as they pushed for an equaliser, and came close on a couple of penalty corners, but eventually got caught on the counter, as Theo Olifent was left helpless for a 3 on 1, which resulted in them scoring an open goal from a yard out.

REWHC Men’s 6th XI 5 Northampton Saints 5th 1

From the whistle, Rugby were everywhere, the midfield controlling the game. Rugby broke and Saints could not live with the movement and pace of the front two. Will Cooper-Harris and Archie Houghton both converting their chances, and Ben Hardy adding one more before half-time made it 3-0 to the home side.

After the break, Saints, to their credit, never gave up, and for a time, Rugby were under real pressure. Man of the Match Charlie B, in goal, pulled off several brilliant saves, including a miraculous header over the bar from a vicious rising shot. James Robinson slotted into defence at left-back, again making the transition to senior hockey look extremely easy. However, every time Rugby broke, they looked dangerous, and Charlie Morrison converted another chance to make it 4-0.

Saints pulled one goal back after a scramble in the D, but any nerves were well and truly settled as Will, almost immediately, grabbed his second goal to kill off any thoughts of an unlikely Saints recovery.

U14s Boys: REWHC 5 Beeston 0

A dominant display from REWHC boys resulted in a convincing 5-0 victory at Hart Field.

Rugby controlled the game from the start, defending in numbers and countering with speed and precision.

Ed Thomas and Henry Woodward did a great job in snuffing out Beeston’s attacks, leaving George Spraget, Ben Hardy and others to torment the Beeston defense with blistering pace and incisive passing.

Several chances went begging before Charlie Morrison bagged the first of his two goals with a finish from close range. Rugby continued to pile on the pressure and further goals were added by Jamie Carr (2) and Ben Hardy in similar fashion.

Fixtures for Saturday, March 16

Ladies 1st v Matlock Baileans 1st Hart Field 1200

Ladies 2nd v Warwick 2nd Rugby College 1230

Ladies 3rd v Atherstone 2nd Hart field 1030

Ladies 4th v Berkswell 3rd away

Mens 1st v Edgbaston 1st away

Mens 2nd v Harborne 2nd Hart Field 1400

Mens 3rd v Nottingham University 3rd Rugby School 1200

Mens 4th v Oundle 1st away

Mens 5th v Warwick 4th Rugby School 1200

Mens 6th v Coalville 4th away

Mens 7th v Nuneaton 3rd Hart Field 1530