Match Reports 5 January 2008

  • First Team

    Fixture
    Maidstone, 5 January 08
    Result
    2 - 1 WIN ( C Back, I Fraser )
    Venue
    Report

    Sutton Valence kicked off their post Christmas games with a friendly against a strong Maidstone 2’s side who sit near the top of the Kent / Sussex regional league. Valence were quick to start and did not relent for the whole of the first half with Maidstone hardly getting into the Valence half. Maidstone were very grateful to their keeper who made terrific saves from Back and some Turnill short corners. The score at half time remained 0-0.

    The game became more stretched in the second half as players got tired after the Christmas festivities and Maidstone slowly began to come into the game. With Valence still managing to find the keepers pads instead of the back of the net, Maidstone were looking like nicking a goal against the run of play. The deadlock was broken when a short corner was stopped on the line by a defenders body and Chris Back coolly slotted away the resulting penalty stroke.

    Maidstone now stepped up the pace and equalised when Mark Rimmer stole in at the far post with defenders standing like statues to slot past the keeper. Valence were now up against it and chances were squandered at both ends before a great run from Valence’s Ali Carter resulted in a goal from Ian Fraser. This turned out to be the winning goal as Valence could not find a third and Maidstone struggled to penetrate the resolute Valence defence.

    A good performance from Valence but they will have to turn more of their chances into goals if they want to climb the table in the second half of the season.

    Team
    Burt, Worsfold, Willson, Pascoe, Johnson, Lampp, Back.C, Fraser, Angel, McVarish, Turnill, Carter

  • Third Team

    Fixture
    Kings Alleyns, 5 January 08
    Result
    1 - 1 DRAW ( M Ife )
    Venue
    Away
    Report

    A turn out to play a rescheduled match straight after the Christmas break saw both teams eager and desparately unfit, except that is for Chris Stille who was a man possessed in midfield. Both teams started well with some good movement and passing, although stick skills were sadly lacking apart from a very obviously good player in the Kings Alleyn team - you know who you are!

    Anyhow, with a couple of break out moves SV had the first short corner, and the bouncing ball practice shot was easily defended but still led soon after to SVs second. This one made the most of the practice and Max Ife cooly bounced the ball over one defender, under the keeper and over the stick of the last defender to dribble into the net. 1-0. SV would be happy to go home now. But with 50 minutes left to play it was full on defending. And soon after the restart KA had 5 shorts in a row to finally manage to get one home. They looked like they had just won!

    They would have scored more but for the MoM Rob Sharp, who had been watching many Jackie Chan movies, and emulated his moves and managed to scissor kick one shot high over the bar to the disbelief of the oppo.

    Rob Ife tried hard to upset the friendly nature of the game by talking himself into an invisible green card (nice trick mr umpire) which menat he was relegated to the nether regions of the attack force. SV had few other chances and came away happy from the sausage dinner with full stomaches and a great point. A good beginning for the New Year.

    rob sharp, rob ife, andy McV, Josh davies, Phil beech, will fuller, mark leader, ed lewell, alex Mcrea (back by popular demand) chris stille, andy devlin and max ife

    Team
    MoM
    Rob Sharp - and some!!

  • Ladies 1st Team

    Fixture
    Ashford, 5 January 08
    Result
    7 - 1 WIN ( Pares 5, Kish 2 )
    Venue
    Away
    Report

    With half the squad struck down with illness, Sutton Valence ladies took a depleted team of 10 players to their friendly at Ashford on Saturday.

    The Ashford team appeared less strong than the same side last season and Valence soon capitalised on this fact. Georgie Pares opened the scoring with a fantastic penalty corner strike. Throughout the game Valence dominated play. Defensively the team worked well and Anna Kish, Georgie Pares and Sarah Lacey played magnificently up front. Georgie Pares was on fire and put 4 more goals into the back of the net. Anna Kish added 2 more to this goalfest. Ashford did get a break and converted a penalty corrner, but this was too little to late and the scoreline ended 7-1 to the away side.

    Team
    Riona Evenden, Hannah Knott, Emily Bush, Emma Dickenson, Caroline Lawton, Emma Donkersley (c), Nicola Leggat, Anna Kish, Georgie Pares, Sarah Lacey

  • Sutton Russets

    Fixture
    Cobdown, 5 January 08
    Result
    3 – 5 LOSS ( L Talbot, M Turner, L Woollie)
    Venue
    Home
    Report

    First game back after the Christmas break was a friendly match against local rivals Cobdown. Russets started off with the upper hand as they were awarded several penalty corners. A scramble in the D lead to Laura Gregory slipping the ball across to Liz Talbot who slammed the ball home from a far corner strike. Not too long after this Cobdown equalised and then scored yet another to leave us 2-1 down at half time.

    Play was generally lethargic and although the Russets tried their best, too much Christmas cheer was evident from sloppy marking and too many basic errors. However, the home team battled on with Lotty Woollie making a superb cross to Margaret Turner to level the score. Cobdown regained the lead as their dynamic short corner routine left the defence with no chance. Russets continued to face a Cobdown onslaught with Player of the Match Agnes Pawlik making several spectacular clearances. Sophie Garner also had a great game out on the right wing. A lucky break in the midfield lead to a brilliant solo effort from Lotty Woollie, who stormed the length of pitch, dodged round the Cobdown defence with skilful ease and sliced the ball from the top D into the backboard to even the score once again.

    Unfortunately the Russets were unable to hold out in the last ten minutes of the game as Cobdown got two further goals past us through their very well rehearsed penalty corner routine. Although a loss, this was still a great start to the new year and certainly helped clear out a few cobwebs to prepare us for our first league game against Holcombe next week.

    Team
    Chloe Auger, Carol Turner, Claire Matthews, Amelia Shaw, Agnes Pawlik, Nicola Andrews, Emily Sullivan, Laura Gregory, Liz Talbot, Sophie Garner, Lotty Woollie, Margaret Turner
    MoM
    Agnes Pawlik

  • Veterans Team

    Fixture
    Blackheath, 5 January 08
    Result
    4 - 2 WIN ( C D'Cruz, R Evans, C Worsfold, S Bates )
    Venue
    Away
    Report

    What a difference a Christmas Holiday makes! Prior to Christmas Sutton Valence, playing with a full team, lost at home on astro to Blackheath 0 : 4. In this match, played on a rather bumpy grass pitch, with 10 men that did not include a keeper plus a loaned player in Chris D’Cruz, they beat Blackheath convincingly.

    Admittedly Chris D’Cruz was a quality player who not only contributed to the result by a lovely back-sticks goal in the first ten minutes, but who also harried Blackheath and laid off good ball to other Valence players that encouraged the best out of them. But Blackheath don’t buckle and they quickly got back on terms with a goal of their own, and then went ahead when Gray Smith-Laing lost his footing whilst clearing the ball, gifting Blackheath a shot on an open goal, in view of the lack of keeper. Other than this unfortunate occurrence the Sutton Valence defence played excellently, cutting out so many potentially dangerous sorties and getting the ball out to the midfield. Valence continued to press but were unable to convert any of the three short corners they gained. Then Richard Evans picked up a through ball and hit it like an exocet missile straight past the keeper to make it two all at half-time.

    At this stage Sutton Valence had the option to take over the Blackheath keeper and drop one of their players, or stay as they were. In view of the way the game was going they voted to stay as they were, and this paid dividends. Valence continued to attack meaningfully and on one such the ball bounced around the Blackheath dee, with Charles Worsfold pirouetting round trying to get his stick on it, which he eventually did, to put Valence back in the lead. Blackheath tried to shift up a gear, but missed one or two clear opportunities to get back into the game, and then started to fall out between themselves and with the umpires over some of the decisions.

    Sutton Valence finally put the result beyond Blackheath’s reach when Stuart Bates worked his way through the defence and deservedly added his name to the scorers.

    Whilst Sutton Valence wish their keeper, Dave Britton, a speedy recovery from the back injury that kept him out of this game, he might be just feeling a little insecure after this result!!

    Man of the Match: Andy Beavis, for consistently cutting out the Blackheath attacks down the right and his accurate feeding of the Sutton Valence midfield.

    Next week Sutton Valence Vets are due to play HSBC at home at 11.30 on the Prep School pitch.

    Team
    John Knight; Gray Smith-Laing; Phil Higgins; Andy Beavis; Steve Mole; Stuart Bates; Nick Willson; Paul Linaker; Charles Worsfold; Richard Evans; Chris D’Cruz.
    MoM
    Andy Beavis

  • U16 Boys

    Fixture
    Holcombe, 6 January 08
    Result
    5 - 1 WIN ( N Holmes 2, J Stanford 2, T Edwards )
    Venue
    Report

    Sutton's U16's travelled to Holcomb HC for their first match of 2008. Sutton, unbeaten for the first half of the season had to soak up a lot of pressure from Holcomb in the first 15 minutes as good passing by Holcomb and a lack of retaining possession by Sutton, saw most of the action around Sutton's D. However, Sutton's defence held strong and Holcomb lacked a killer forward. Sutton took a lead following a break away with James Stanford linking well with Sam Courtley and Tom Edwards. Holc's came back strong and continued to refuse to let Sutton have things their own way.

    The midfield with Max Ife, Nick Holmes, James Watkins and Chris Harrison always looked the stronger - but Holcs moved the ball around well and should have been rewarded had Suttons defence not remained strong. Sutton scored their second from a short corner with a nice hit from Nick Holmes.

    The second half saw Sutton retain most of the ball and keep the pressure on Holcs defence - Sutton were rewarded with a third goal and started to look dominant. An injury to Nick Holmes saw Holcs claim a goal as Sutton didn't pick up their markers and Holcs cleverly played a quick free hit to an unmarked player. Sutton responded well by reorganising themselves and two more goals were had. One of the best being a hit from Max Ife out from Sutton's 16 - straight to Jack Davies in Holc's 25 who passed the ball to Sam Courtley who's initial shot was saved by the keeper but swept into the net by James Stanford on the follow up. A consolation 5th goal was taken by Tom Edwards in the last minutes of the game.

    This was a solid performance by Sutton but credit was given to Holcs for a good performance and claiming the first goal against Sutton in the Kent League.

    Team
    Nick Holmes, James Stanford, Tom Edwards, Jack Davies, Max Ife (capt), Ben Gallafant, George Thomas, Dougie Muir, Sam Courtley, Phil Beech, Will Aldridge, Chris Harrison, James Watkins