A bad day at the office this weekend for Reading who were again lacking in inspiration as they took on Canterbury at home, a place where they are usually tough to take points from. Despite a good start from Reading, they spent most of the first half turning the ball over far too cheaply in the final third, and letting the experienced Mel Clewlow make too many easy forehand tackles.

Canterbury were quick on the break, punishing some sloppy passing from Reading and a counter attack in the 13th minute lead to a penalty corner that allowed the influential Clewlow to put the Kent side 1-0 up from the top of the ‘D’.

Reading were good in patches, linking well between the defence and midfield thanks to some superb distribution from Helen Richardson, but they were unable to attack with any real energy or momentum and Canterbury stayed ahead into the break.

It was a better second half for the blues and after Canterbury were reduced to 10-men within the first 10 minutes, Reading pushed for an equaliser, finally finding one in the 47th minute when Alex Danson deflected in a penalty corner.

But Reading found little else to throw at the game and were at times lucky to stay level, with ‘man-of-the-match’ Beth Storry showing her GB calibre in goal, keeping out numerous chances in her first game for Reading after a long shoulder injury.

It wasn’t a game for the neutral fan, as a largely scrappy match finished 1-1, with neither team able to find the back of the net for the rest of the half.

Reading take on Olton and West Warwicks away next Saturday where they will see the return of Emma Thomas and Marianne Downer to strengthen the back line, and will be hoping to rediscover their form and hang onto 2nd place ahead of Slough.

Arctic conditions had to be endured a little longer than expected as confusion with the umpires saw them arriving at Sonning Lane when the game was in fact at the Uni this week.

So following a slight delay to proceedings while the umpires got to the right pitch the game got underway, but Reading were left wondering whether they themselves had actually arrived after conceding in the first 2 minutes.

Reading found their feet after the early set back, but the majority of the first half was fairly even with only 1 real chance for each team.

Havant nearly extended their lead when Helen Ritchie tackled a Havant forward who then hit the deck, seemingly without contact from Ritchie, but the umpire thought different and awarded a penalty stroke. Reading keeper Sarah Ellis kept the 1a’s in the game with a fine save of the penalty, reaching it with her stick high and to her right.

Readings chance came when Chloe Lyons found herself in the D with the ball, but with the keeper closing her down she made an intelligent slip to Nicky West on the post. Wests diving effort came agonisingly close with the ball deflecting just wide of the goal.

With a 0-1 halftime score Reading made a better start to the 2nd period and dominated play in a half which was to contain most of the days action.
The score was levelled at 1-1 from a well executed corner routine. Alison Pope stopped the ball for Kirsty Reeman to play into the D and Claire Taylor, stepping up from the 2’s, was in just the right place to deflect the ball into the goal.
Shortly afterwards Taylor turned provider when her cross was converted by Chiara Clarke, a first time shot clearing the Havant keepers head to fly into the roof of the net, giving Reading a 2-1 lead.

Reading were now easily in control of the game, forcing errors from Havant who had a tough time trying to get the ball past the Reading press. Reading kept their feet on the gas and moments after the 2nd goal they added another to make it 3-1. A free hit from Alice Margerison was played to Chiara Clarke and Clarke again combined well with Taylor, this time Clarke laying the ball off to Taylor for Taylor to score her second of the day.

It would later prove crucial that Reading had made the most of a good spell and converted their chances, and they did so by adding a 4th goal courtesy of Chloe Lyons who coolly scored before taking a tumble over the top of the Havant keeper.

Havant got the score to 4-2 from a short corner which Reading keeper Sarah Ellis got a hand to, but the ball deflected over her and into the goal.

Another short corner gave Havant a chance. The ball was flicked into the body of Kirsty Reeman on the goal line and Havant were awarded a second penalty stroke of the day, which this time Ellis was unable to reach, leaving the score at 4-3 to Reading for the closing minutes of the game.

Reading held on to the ball for the last few minutes to take the 3 points, and remain in 2nd place in the league, 6 points behind leaders Surbiton.

Reading take on Surbiton this coming Saturday, 20th Feb, away at Sugden Road. They will then have faced all of the top 5 teams in the league, with only lower teams left to play in the season.

TEAM – Sarah Ellis, Amy Bryant, Kirsty Reeman, Fran Feather, Alice Margerison, Nicky West, Alison Pope, Alex Marshall, Chloe Lyons, Hayley Munt, Chiara Clarke, Amy Sanders, Helen Ritchie, Claire Taylor

COACH – Paul Turk
DOD – OJ for admitting she had no idea what she was doing when she scored, and her roof of the net shot was completely unintentional!

Reading Hockey Club

Ladies 1a’s Team Match Report
Date – 13/02/10
Opposition – Havant 1’s
Result – Won 4-3
Scorers – Claire Taylor x 2, Chiara Clarke, Chloe Lyon

With numbers depleted due to injury and other commitments the Blues began the game in confident mood, but knowing it might be hard work against the full Chelmsford squad of what seemed like 25 players (‘We only have the full allowed 16 you know’!)
Reading had the better start and it was only 7 minutes before a short corner strike from Kirsty Reeman snuck its way under the keeper to give them a 1-0 lead.
Reading remained the better side throughout the half and with some players playing in more unfamiliar positions they did well to keep the ball moving. Nicky West and Alice Margerison both moving into midfield alongside Alison Pope gave the team a solid midfield platform to push forward from, limiting possession for Chelmsford.
Chiara Clarke had the next big chance for Reading but with the ball on the baseline her reverse stick shot was never going to make the net from such an acute angle.

However she made up for her error in judgement just moments later when she intercepted a Chelmsford pass and took the ball into the D to shoot past the keeper and take Reading 2-0 up, 2 minutes before half time.

With Amy Sanders retiring early with a second knock to the thumb in the weekend the 2nd half had the potential to be a tiring test but Reading were able to maintain control and find space all over the pitch. Both Alison Pope and Alice Margerison came close with shots but the team had to wait until the 56th minute to close the game out when Kirsty Reeman scored her 2nd of the day. Her corner strike this time took a deflection off a defenders stick but was hard enough to carry onto the goal taking the score to 3-0.

A fine performance from the whole team sees them through to a Semi-Final draw at home to Trojans on 7th March, and again proves that Pie really is the Dinner of Champions.
TEAM – Sarah Ellis, Kirsty Reeman, Rachael Marriott, Fran Feather, Amy Sanders, Nicky West, Alison Pope, Alice Margerison, Chiara Clarke, Chloe Lyons, Hayley Munt, Briony Anyon, Lucy Scott

Reading Hockey Club

Ladies 1a’s Team Match Report
Date – 07/02/10

Opposition – Chelmsford 2’s

Result – Won 3-0

Scorers – Kirsty Reeman x 2, Chiara Clarke

Just to remind you that this is NOT a members only event.

Soooo, bring the wife, the kids, your parents, next door neighbours wife, your mate, an escort or whoever else you fancy bringing to enjoy the event!! They will love you for it and might even buy you a ginwine for you bringing them!

It’s gonna be amazing!!! Trust me! The acts and just as importantly the 3 judges are just simply BRILLIANT!!

Bar will be open through from 6pm until 1am. The main room will open at 7pm with the acts starting at 7.45pm! Get there early to get the best seats £3 Entry fee is all it costs and you get to vote for the best act.

Much Love

Your faithful Social Secretaries

Tino
+
Hannah

On a chilly February afternoon in Hampshire, it wasn’t a game to spend standing still, yet Trojans were determined to play their trademark deep half court press to deny space in midfield and slow the game
down. But Reading had done their homework and some hard work from the half backs and inside forwards allowed them to get in behind Trojans to open up scoring chances. Alex Danson’s clever stick work in the ‘D’ immediately caused problems and forced some fine saves from the ‘keeper.

It was Danson who eventually opened the scoring after 29 minutes, a fine piece of individual skill saw her chuck it past several unsuspecting Trojans defenders into the ‘D’ at waist height before cooly flicking it past the keeper, much to the relief of fellow forward Vicky Bryant who was growing icicles waiting on the far post.

The flamboyant effort was enough to earn her both a post-match fine and the man-of-the-match award.

Reading’s second goal came from a penalty corner just before half time. After the initial shot was saved, the resulting goalmouth scramble produced a loose ball across goal which was duly tucked away by Clare Appleton.

The second half was a more laboured affair, and whilst Trojans offered
little to trouble the Reading defence, the blues struggled to raise the tempo and failed to put away chances in the ‘D’.

Competent full backs Emily Maguire, Josie Inverdale and Lisa Wooding, playing her debut in Reading colours, tidied up much of the lacklustre Trojan attacks, but against the run of play, the home side snatched a goal back from a penalty corner making the score 2-1.

The goal provided some much needed momentum for Reading who were guilty of coasting through the final third of the match and in the 66th minute, they finally converted one of their 9 penalty corners. Bryant’s reverse stick deflection made sure Claire Kerr’s precision pass beat the logging keeper to make it 3-1

Reading will be looking to raise the bar and be much more clinical in front of goal when they take on Canterbury, who lie in 5th place, next Saturday at Sonning Lane.

Saturday 13th February 2010

6 Nations Rugby

2:00 – Wales v Scotland
4:30 – France v Ireland

Sonning Lane
10:30 – Reprobates (Ladies 2a) v Ladies 2
12:00 – Men’s 2 v East Grinstead 2
1:30 – Renegades v Richmond Lions
3:00 – Refills v Teddington Saplings
4:30 – Rustlers v Walton & Weybridge Vets

Reading Uni
10:30 – Ladies 4 v Milton Keynes 2a
12:00 – Ladies 1a v Havant 1
1:30 – Rebels (Ladies 3a) v West Witney 2
3:00 – Men’s 2a v East Grinstead 3

Sunday 14th February 2010

6 Nations Rugby

2:30 – Italy v England

Sonning Lane
12:30 – Girls U16 v Amersham & Chalfont U16 (Girls Plate)
2:30 – Men’s 1 v Beeston 1

Looking forward to seeing you all in the bar )

RHC NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2010

Hockey Coaching Camp 5 takes place during the Easter Holidays (14-16 April) and is booking now for both Boys and Girls aged 10 to 16.

£32.50 each day or £85 for all 3 days.

Book via Jo Newman on thenewmans37@btinternet.com

Leicester opened the match with a confidence befitting their league position and got onto the scoreboard after just 12 minutes, with Chloe Rogers’ trademark flick hitting the roof of the net from a penalty corner. Leicester kept their foot on the pedal and Katie Long capitalised in the 23^rd minute, finding the net after a break by the Leicester forwards.

Despite the two goal deficit, Reading looked upbeat as they returned to the locker room at half time. An unfortunate lapse in concentration just 2 minutes into the second half did not do Reading any favours, as Katie Long scored her second of the day, deflecting a cross from Chloe Rogers.

At 3-0 down, Reading began to play the type of controlled flowing hockey that characterised their first half of the season, matching Leicester’s pace and energy, and proving why they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Reading’s reward came in the 13^th minute of the second half, with Alex Danson’s lethal stick skills and sharp shooting too much for the Leicester defence to handle.

The intensity of the game began to show, with cards being shown to both teams. An unfortunate defensive error led to Leicester’s final goal of the day, an open play effort from Beckie Herbert.

Though catching Leicester is unlikely, the Reading girls still have a lot to play for this season and having proved they can compete with Leicester, Reading can take a lot of confidence into their bid to take the second qualifying place for European competition for next season.

Squad: Clare Appleton, Laura Bartlett, Vicky Bryant (captain), Alex Danson, Maz Downer, Joey Ellis, Sarah Ellis, Josie Inverdale, Claire Kerr, Emily McGuire, Becky Odlin, Laura Puddle, Helen Richardson, Alex Smith, Emma Thomas, Kate Walsh.