Two goals from Kate Costin helped take Bedford Hockey Club Ladies 1st XI to a resounding 6-0 victory against Upminster on Saturday (1 November), as she broke a first team record for the number of sequential matches a player has scored in.
From statistics going back to 2007, the previous record was eight in a row. Kate now tops that, having scored in her last nine matches.
Further goals were scored by Aine Gransden, Ellie Scott, Sherri Fensom, and Rachel Collings.
This coming weekend sees top of the table Bedford host second place Cambridge City, guaranteeing an exciting spectacle for the home crowd.
Richard Evans opened the scoring for the Men’s 1st XI just five minutes into the match against second in the table Pelicans, following up with his second just minutes later, before Pelicans pulled one back in the second quarter.
It was a game that had two school-boy debutants in Freddie Bowis and Man of the Match, keeper, Will Jackson, who prevented Pelicans from converting any further goal-scoring opportunities, giving Bedford the 2-1 victory and Pelicans their first loss of the season.
The team head away to bottom of the table, Cambridge South this coming Saturday.
There was also victory for the Ladies’ 2nd XI; Bedford getting on the scorecard just three minutes into the match against Crostyx, with further goals following from Cheryll Wilson and Harriet Potter.
The win takes Bedford up to third in the table, level on points with second placed Blueharts but just below on goal difference.
With so many of their talented youngsters being drawn up for first team action, the Men’s 2nd XI are struggling to find their feet this season, suffering a 3-0 loss to Chelmsford at the weekend.
There was a draw for the Ladies’ 3rd XI away to Welwyn Garden City, as Emma Burak added to her season’s goal tally.
Lee Hoggett pulled a goal back against St Albans for the Men’s 3rd XI, having fallen 2-0 down. Despite preventing further scoring opportunities for their opponents, Bedford also failed to find the back of the net again as St Albans walked away with the 2-1 win.
There were wins for both 4th XIs; a 4-1 victory for the women over St Albans with goals from Alice Brady-White, Emma Cook, Emma Gibbs and Molly Hawkins, and a 2-1 win over Letchworth for the men as Sandeep Sira and Kieran Farrer found the back of the net.
There was just a consolation goal by Ella Litchfield for the Ladies 5th XI against Blueharts, ending in a 3-1 win to the opposition, whilst it was a win for Bedford’s Men, with two goals from Michael Bennell and a goal apiece to James Pagliaro and Keith Sohl.
Bedford’s 6th XI keeper, Charlotte Toombs was voted Players’ Player for a second consecutive week for holding St Albans to just two goals in a match that Bedford came so close to drawing.
Isabel McConnell scored to bring the score to 1-1 on the 48th minute, only for St Albans to steal the win in the closing phase of the game.
There was also a defeat for the Men’s 6th XI, going 3-1 down away to Letchworth, with Bedford’s goal coming from the stick of Duncan Talbot.
The Ladies’ 7th XI secured a solid 3-1 win over Chiltern’s 2nd XI; a goal from Steph Daniels, just three minutes into the match, followed by two from Charlotte Goodson bringing the points home for Bedford and seeing them sitting second in the division.
It’s a second place spot in the table for the Men’s 7th XI as well; Zameer Safdar adding to his total for the season to help the team to a 3-0 win over Rickmansworth.
There was also league action at the weekend for the Under 18 Boys’ youth team.
Blueharts struck early, scoring within the first minute, but Bedford soon settled into their stride with Freddie Bowis scoring the equaliser, only for Blueharts to take the lead again as the first half was ending.
Digging deep in the second half, it was Bedford who found the back of the net, the match closing in a 2-2 draw.
Words by Jean Fitch
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