Hockey: Canaries on song... Upstarts fight back

Canaries B 2-0 Swallows B

Both hockey teams were on the attack from the start despite Swallows playing with a squad of 10.  

Canaries’ first penalty corner was awarded from a foul in the circle, which was passed by Georgi Drover to Rebecca Gibson and struck into the goal to the right of the Swallows keeper in the seventh minute.

The second half got under way with several plays by both teams, and with the ball hitting a defenders’ foot, Canaries were awarded their second penalty corner, which was eventually defended well by Swallows’ Shallan Dennis for a long sweep out of bounds.

A third penalty corner this time saw Canaries’ Claudine Pullen set up  Gibson, who executed well at the top of the circle to advance the score to 2-0.

Swallows’ Liz Stewart was their playmaker and there was some great defending by both Jen Hale and Kelli Nusum.

Upstarts 2-2 Spartans

An evenly matched game from the start by both men’s teams.

A crack at goal by Upstarts’ Mark Finnigan from an awkward angle into the circle hit the far left post and as the Spartans ‘keeper’ was already off his line Tyler Smith’s reverse shot in the empty goal moved them up 1-0 in the 28th minute.  

A penalty corner was awarded to Spartans that was received by Nigel Deane at the top of the circle and his effort was destined to go in but hit a foot. A penalty stroke was awarded, which was converted to the right of the keeper by Donovan Simmons seconds before the half time whistle.

Four minutes into the second half and Spartans’ Joshua Thompson carried the ball to the base line towards the ‘D’ and with the Upstarts’ goalie drawn out of position, he scored a field goal in the bottom left corner.

But 10 minutes later, Upstarts’ Mark Finnigan dribbled the ball down to the base line and into the circle and slipped the ball between the Spartans’ keepers pads for a field goal.

Wildcats B 4-1 Bluebirds B

Bluebirds’ Jill Finnigan scored a penalty corner in the 12th minute but it wasn’t long before the equaliser arrived.

Wildcats’ Belthea Pringle executed a penalty corner in the 17th minute.

Team-mate Zina Jones then scored her hat-trick of field goals in the 25th, 38th and 62nd minute.

Ravens B 4-0 Longtails B

Ravens’ Carolyn Soares scored a field goal in the 34th minute in the first half to open the scoring.

They went further ahead through Jessica McClure’s  penalty corner and field goal.

Ravens’ Georgia Harris completed the scoring with a field goal in the 47th minute.