After a week’s break, matches resumed for Bedford Hockey Club, with fixtures across the junior, adult and master’s sections of the club.
Saturday at Chester Road started early, with a friendly fixture for the Ladies’ 7th team, Bedford and Letchworth both having byes in their league, but wanting to maintain match fitness in preparation for league play next weekend.
It was a competitive, but good-spirited match, ending in a 2-2 draw. The Bedford squad head away to Luton Town next weekend.
The Men’s 7th XI was next out on pitch, continuing their winning league run with a 5-1 victory over Hertford, aided by goals from Rob Campbell, Jon Ratcliffe and Paul da Silva.
On the neighbouring pitch, the Ladies’ 5th XI, after a disappointing loss before their week’s pause, returned to form with a 4-1 triumph over Saffron Walden.
The result has Bedford sitting alongside Broxbourne and Berkhamsted & Hemel at the top of the table on identical points and goal difference. A head-to-head with Broxbourne away next weekend could bring a significant change.
The home crowd were also treated to a victory for the Men’s second team, goals from James Champion and Adam Priston aiding their 3-2 win against St Albans third team. Bedford don’t have too far to travel next weekend, for a local derby with Shefford & Sandy.
It was another St Albans’ match, playing out at the same time on the second pitch, for the Men’s 5th’s, a goal from Alex Smallwood bringing the scores level at 1-1 after St Albans had taken an early lead.
1st XI win seven goal thriller
Next up at Chester Road, were the Men’s 1st XI and the Ladies’ 3rd’s.
It was on the cards to be a tough match for the ladies, sitting neck and neck with their Bishop’s Stortford opponents in the table.
On this occasion, it was Stortford who took the points, Bedford falling to a 3-1 loss. The team will need to put in their best play next weekend, as they travel away to Hertford, who sit just below third-placed Bedford, Bedford being above by six goals on goal difference.
It was back to winning ways for the Men’s first team, despite their Old Southendian opponents catching them unawares and scoring within a minute of the first push back.
Bedford equalised 15 minutes later, only for Old Southendians to take the lead again on thirty minutes.
Two goals in quick succession by Bedford were enough to clinch the victory, and despite a late goal from the opponents, Bedford won 4-3. It’s an away fixture next weekend, heading to 7th place Broxbourne, with Bedford currently sitting in 3rd.
In away fixtures, there was a 2-1 win for the Men’s 6th XI against Royton, a 4-1 loss to Stevenage for the Men’s 3rd XI and a 1-0 defeat for the 4th’s away to Hertford.
The Ladies’ 2nd’s sit second in the table, after a 2-1 win away to Sudbury, although the Ladies’ 1st team are still looking for a win, following a 3-1 loss to Birmingham University.
A 3-3 draw with Hertford for the Ladies’ fourth team still has them sitting top of the table, whilst a 1-1 draw for the sixth team, against Broxbourne, puts them third in their division.
Juniors out in force
Sunday was another busy day for the club, Bishop’s Stortford, Peterborough and Saffron Walden bringing teams to play the Under 14 Girls, Under 14 Boys and Under 16 Boys, respectively.
All the matches were highly competitive, with end-to-end action, The Under 14 Girls were unlucky to go 1-0 down to Stortford, in what was a very evenly matched game.
It was a tough battle for the Under 14 Boys, Peterborough walking away with a 6-1 victory.
Meanwhile, a gallant effort by the Under 16 Boys, against a strong Saffron Walden team, with some great defending by Bedford, frustrated many of Walden’s attempts on goal, limiting Walden to five goals to Bedford’s three.
The highlight of the day, and the weekend, was the Ladies’ Masters Over 35’s match, Bedford taking on Milton Keynes in the first round of the England Hockey Masters Club Championship play-offs.
A dominant performance by Bedford saw them take the win by 10 goals to nil and has them continuing on in Tier 1 of the championship.
Words by Jean Fitch
