Results – 22/23 January
Results from the weekend…
Saturday:
Men’s 1 drew 1-1 at home to Loughborough Students 4
Goal: Alex Hammant
WIN – Men’s 2 won 4-0 away to Berkswell & Balsall Common 3
Goals: Elliot Roper (2) & Luke van Diepen (2)
WIN – Men’s 3 won 11-1 away to Leicester Westleigh 3 (Friendly)
Goals: Callum Akanno-Ruff (4), Ben Matthews (3), Owen Arthur (2) & Richard Goswell (2)
Player of the Match: Owen Arthur
Well we only took 9 players but they lent us a Goal Keeper and a full back (who was even older than Raoul). It was clear from the start that we were the stronger side but it took a while for us to get going.
There were several goal attempts but their keeper played well and early on it was still 1-1. We then started playing the ball around and with some crisp passing soon started to get past the keeper and score some goals.
The forwards (Richard Goswell, Callum Akanno-Ruff and Ben Mathews ) did well and scored 9 between them. Owen Arthur and Toby Fletcher controlled the midfield providing a good supply of passes to set up the forwards. Cian Kirke, Cameron Smith, Finn Ingram-Hawkes and Raoul Mercer were solid at the back and not really troubled.
A bit of ill discipline did creep in and at the end of the first half we were down to 9 players due to several green and yellow cards being shown. Player of Match was Owen Arthur for great working, scoring twice but also helping to set up several others. Overall a great game!
Men’s 4 lost 2-6 at home to Towcester Development
Goals: Noel Burton & Neil James
Not our day, a well organised Towcester side had the better of Harborough. Some good hockey played but we need to ensure we play our game and don’t get drawn into playing how the opponents want us to.
We will learn from it and come back strong next week. The game was played in a good spirit and hopefully provided entertainment for the spectators.
Fair to say Towcester have developed since the 2-1 fixture at the start of the season.
Women’s 1 lost 1-5 away to Loughborough Students 5
Goal: Evie Hunter
Women’s 2 lost 2-12 at home to Loughborough Carillon 1
Goals: Faith Naylor & Emily Doe
Badgers lost 0-7 away to Long Buckby
Sunday:
Men’s O40 lost 1-11 at home to Leicester O40
Goal: Noel Burton
An overcast morning awaited the hardy souls, many of whom were still aching from yesterday’s matches.
Market Harborough assembled a team of enthusiastic over 40s, feeling confident that they had made the morning start time; a morning match is a rarity for some. The confidence lasted for quite sometime, almost until the opposition arrived and started going through their warm up drills and routines. These were far more energetic than ours, but not as careful as our liberal applications of Ralgex.
Raoul gave a Churchillian pre-match speech to enjoy ourselves and score at least one. Harborough won the toss, a positive sign and chose ends. The first half was a blur of attacks, suspect short corner techniques and missed opportunities, mostly from the opposition. 4-0 down at the break but Harborough at times played some good hockey and were still in it.
After the turnaround Harborough continued to play some pleasing passing hockey but could not find the target. Leicester scored one or two more until Noel Burton popped up and planted the ball in to the back of the net and gave us a glimmer of hope. Despite some more good play from Harborough, at the breakdown the opposition’s youth began to show and four more were put past the home keeper.
The final play of the game saw Leicester awarded a penalty corner, it was jolly decent of their keeper not to come up and help their forward line. Umpteen against five is only going to end one way. Final score: MHHC 1 Leicester 11.
Thanks for the match gentlemen, the score did not give a fair reflection of the match, more a representation that we conceded more than we scored. There will no doubt be some aching limbs in the morning.
WIN – U18 Boys won 1-0 away to Stratford U18 Boys
Goal: Cian Kirke
The match was well fought by both sides, neither seeming to give way to many attacking opportunities. Just a few minutes before half time a very good goal came our way. An excellent strike from top of the D from Cian Kirke meant we were 1-0 up before the half way point.
The second half saw an excellent defence from Harborough managing to keep the very high pressuring Stratford out. No goals were scored despite the determination from both sides. The game ended with a 1-0 win for Harborough.
