Mixed results for Cliftonville Hockey Club

Men’s 2^nd XI Match

Report by James Perks

Five decent performances on the bounce and after a last minute defeat to league leaders last week, Ville were hoping to continue their good form. So we travelled to Gillingham not realising we were actually going to be up against 13.

A very bright first 10 minutes could have seen Ville 3 up, unfortunately Perks was denied by the crossbar and then moments later by the post. However it wasn’t long before we did take the lead with Perks playing it into Sidders who pinged the ball across the face of the goal to Simon to make it 1 nil Ville.

Instead of pushing on after the good start we seemed to take our foot off the gas.

Anchorians levelled it up. Shortly after this from another penalty corner, their umpire who was standing 2 yards away, apparently didn’t see the most obvious back stick and awarded the goal.

Thankfully their other umpire (and every supporter watching and player playing) did see it and probably thought that despite his best efforts to help his team win maybe that would be a bit too blatant.

So eventually he did overturn the decision, not quickly enough though as our skipper was incensed and talked himself into a 5 minute breather.

Anchorians did make it 2-1 with 3 minutes to go. A short corner was awarded as the final whistle went and from the resulting penalty corner Anchorians made it 3 – 1.

Cliftonville Man of the match – Will stepped up from the 3s and didn’t look out of place at all. He didn’t stop running all game and was a threat throughout, if he did lose the ball he would sprint back to make sure he regained possession. Well done.

To sum it up, they weren’t great and we were worse.

An early home game next week against Folkestone and hopefully a return to winning ways. #uptheville

Women’s 2^nd XI Match

Team report

After a six-week break over Christmas, the Women’s 2s returned to action with some concerns about fitness. However, the team turned up with an impressive lineup and a determined mindset, ready to take on Bromley & Beckenham at home.

The opposition brought a few skilful youngsters who initially posed a threat, but Ville quickly found their rhythm. Hannah opened the scoring with a well-taken goal, setting the tone for the match. Shortly after, Ville capitalized on a short corner opportunity to extend their lead to 2-0, showcasing excellent teamwork and precision.

Toni came tantalizingly close to adding to the tally with an incredible near miss, but luck wasn’t on her side this time. Bromley & Beckenham managed to pull one back through one of their talented youngsters, narrowing the scoreline to 2-1. Despite the pressure, Ville held their ground with determination and composure, maintaining their lead until the final whistle.

A fantastic team effort and a solid win for Ville Women’s 2s to kick off 2025! Congratulations to everyone involved—here’s to more success in the matches ahead!

Next week, we’re away to Gravesend.

Results