It was a weekend of pre-season friendlies and interclub training matches across the Bedford Hockey Club teams, as the start of the league season approaches.
Both the club’s first elevens travelled away to Wapping to face their opponents; the women taking a squad of sixteen to the Lee Valley venue, and returning having secured a 3-2 victory with Molly Lincoln being named Player of the Match.
The men secured a solid 1-1 draw, looking to test themselves against some strong opponents before the opening of their league run, with a focus of bouncing back to the National League, aided by several new signings to the squad.
The Ladies’ 2s got off to a strong start, in the run up to their league contest, hoping to gain the promotion they came so close to attaining last season. Player of the Match, Catalina Granger, helped them towards their 4-2 victory away at Northampton Saints.
The other travelling team, the Ladies’ 3s, will hope to switch to winning ways this coming weekend, after a close 1-0 defeat to Wellingborough, when they head to City of Peterborough.
Both the Men’s 3s and 4s hosted St Neots at the club’s Chester Road ground.
Great keeping by player of the match, Will Jackson, restricting St Neots’ 1st team to just one goal in the Bedford 3s fixture; Josh Dixon finding the back of the net twice and Steve King netting a third, for Bedford to clinch the win 3-1.
With several of St Neots’ first team squad staying on to supplement their 2nd team’s fixture with Bedford 4s, Bedford fell to a 3-0 defeat. The 4s will be looking to come back strongly next weekend when St Ives travel to battle it out with them at Bedford.
The Ladies’ 7s Development squad were keen to ensure all available players had match play and, with their visiting opponents, Leighton Buzzard, being short on numbers, several of the Bedford players donned the away team’s strip to provide a competitive fixture.
The full Bedford squad took the victory, 4-1.
There are more friendlies to come, across all seven men’s and seven women’s squads in the coming weekends, before league encounters commence.
Words by Jean Fitch
