Due to inclement weather and frozen pitches, quite a number of matches were cancelled this weekend. However do not worry, they will be rescheduled to future dates. The exception was the Newark mens 3rd team whose game was cancelled, as the opposition could not field a team.
Men’s 1st Team: Newark (home) v Nottingham Trent Uni 1st Team
Final Score: Newark 0 – 4 Nottingham Trent Uni
Position in East Midlands Premier League (1st teams): 11th out of 11. East Mids Prem League (1sts)
This was going to be a difficult match with Nottingham having won 5 out of their last 7 games. This proved to be, with a loss to the Newark Men’s 1st team playing at home.
Player of the match: None selected
Men’s 2nd Team: Newark (away) v Nottingham 2nd Team
Final Score: Newark 0 – 11 Nottingham
Position in East Midlands Premier League (2nd teams): 12th out of 12. East Mids Prem League (2nds)
Narrative: Newark Men’s 2nd team travelled to Nottingham with a depleted squad boosted by several 3rd team players who were available to travel away after their own game was cancelled. Newark worked hard all game but some well worked passing moves and well-taken short corners by Nottingham were too much for Newark who saw 11 goals scored without reply. Newark had a few chances but failed to hit the target.
Player of the Match: Ryan Parrett
Men’s 3rd team: Newark (home) v Market Harborough 3rd Team
Final Score: Newark 3 – 0 Market Harborough (due to cancellation)
Position in East Midlands 1 League (3rd teams): 10th out of 11. East Mids 1 League (3rds)
Narrative: Unfortunately, Market Harborough could not field a team, however that fortunately Newark 3rd team won by default 3-0. This gifted the 3rd Team their first points of the season and pushes them to 10th in the league.
Player of the match: None selected
Ladies’ 1st Team: Newark (home) v Boots Ladies 2nd Team
Final Score: Match postponed
Position in Midlands Feeder East: 5th out of 10. http://mrhawl.clubbuzz.co.uk/midlands_feeder_east
Narrative: Match postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Player of the match: None selected
Ladies’ 2nd Team: Newark (home) v Beeston Ladies 3rd Team
Final Score: Match postponed
Position in Premier Division: 9th out of 12. http://www.nottshockey.org.uk/notts-whl/premier-division/
Narrative: Match postponed due to a frozen pitch
Player of the match: None selected
Ladies’ 3rd Team: Newark (home) v Nottingham University Ladies 3rd Team
Final Score: Match postponed
Position in Division 1: 8th out of 12. http://www.nottshockey.org.uk/notts-whl/division-1/
Narrative: Match postponed due to a frozen pitch
Player of the match: None selected
Ladies’ 4th Team: Newark (away) v Boots 6th Team
Final Score: Match postponed
Position in Notts Women’s League Division 3: 3rd out of 11. www.nottshockey.org.uk/notts-whl/division-3/
Narrative: Match postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Player of the match: None selected
Men’s O35s: Newark (home) v Leicester Westleigh
Final Score: Newark 6 – 3 Leicester Westleigh
Narrative: Newark welcomed Leicester Westleigh to the Magnus on a cold Sunday afternoon to play the first match in the England Hockey Over 40s Championships Tier 3.
The home side fielded no less than 14 players, 5 more than the last game! It was Newark that started brightly going 2-0 up within 10 minutes. Penalty corners converted by John Reynolds and Ben Brown gave Newark the lead. With the side up it was one-way traffic for a while against Leicester, and there should have been more goals on the scoreboard but Newark kept letting the visitors back into the game. When Simon Higgs and Arran Coggan combined in the circle right in front of goal, it was made difficult for Coggan with the keeper making a brilliant save to his right, and edged the ball round the post.
Leicester Westleigh soon hit back from a penalty corner against Newark and it was 2-1 at the break.
In the second half, Newark had to keep possession but it was Westleigh with the momentum and another penalty corner saw them even up the game; 2-2.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Captain Coggan found space at the top of the circle and with a one-handed waft of his stick, touched the top of the ball and everyone watched it glide into the corner of the goal. This magical goal opened the floodgates and Newark took charge of the match as they saw 3 more goals unanswered by the visitors - Reynolds again used his power at a penalty corner to score the 4th for Newark, Coggan with his 2nd goal as another penalty corner saw the ball slipped left and over the goal line, and then a fine goal by Simon Higgs after good work by Adrian Smith, Brown and Gary Barker weaving their way down the right hand side of the pitch.
Leicester Westleigh were determined to take something home, and they fought to the end and were rewarded with another goal to make the final score 6-3. Newark advance to the next round on 21 January next year.
Newark team - Simon Chambers, Dean Newell, Adrian Smith, Adrian Parrett, Dave Heason, James Barker, Ben Brown, John Reynolds, Steve Littlewood, Gary Barker, Paul Halfpenny, Simon Higgs, Arran Coggan, Nick Wade.
Scorer - Coggan 2, Reynolds 2, Brown 1, Higgs 1