MEN’S 1ST XI
Words: Dan Mees
Oppo: Old Williamsonian 2, Away
Final Score: W 4-3
Goalscorers: Oscar Percival, Dan Mees, Isaac Dilkes (2).
Twas the game before the Christmas break, Cliftonville Men’s 1s, fresh off a 9–1 demolition of Blackheath, travelled to Old Williamsonians looking to wrap up the year with another win and head into the festive period on a high.
The opening half, however, was far from the dominant displays Ville have produced so often this season. They did strike early, within five minutes a long ball found Ned, who squared to Oscar, and he calmly lifted the ball over the diving keeper. But the spark didn’t ignite. Old Wills grew into the game, equalised, and then punished Ville again from a short corner to take a 2–1 lead into the break.
The halftime team talk needed to turn things around get the team up for the second half. It seemed to have worked when worked when within a minute of the restart, Captain Mees had an effort denied after a sublime aerial from full-back Josh and neat play from Ned, with Oscar’s rebound also blocked. Ville looked alive again. Soon after, Isaac threaded a ball through to Mees, who rounded the keeper and slotted home to level the score. Confidence surged. Minutes later, Mees was fouled by the keeper while trying to beat him again, he had been watching R9 compilations this week, winning a penalty flick. Isaac stepped up and coolly converted to put Ville ahead for the first time.
The intensity was draining, and with cards shown, Cliftonville struggled to maintain their rhythm. Old Wills capitalised to make it 3–3. But Ville weren’t done. After a midfield battle, they forced a short corner, and Isaac delivered once more to restore the lead. With 15 minutes left, tired legs turned it into a bit of a hang on job, but Old Wills could not capitalise.
At the final whistle, Cliftonville had secured the points and, for the first time this season, top spot in the league. A winter wonderland indeed.
WOMEN’S 1ST XI
Words: Bella Sabin-Dawson
Oppo: Edenbridge 1, Home
Final Score: W 4-2
Goalscorers: Lena Sabin-Dawson, Jen Chapman, Vicky Bates (2)
On a cold & windy (but luckily no rain!) day Ville’s 1st XI hosted Edenbridge 1s.
With lots of supporters on the sideline, we were very grateful for their support.
After captain’s motivating talk, we went onto the pitch determined to get a win to finish off the first half of the season
Summary
– teamwork & communication was great, everyone in good spirits.
– throughout the game Edenbridge scored two skilful goals but we managed to keep on top with ville scoring 4 throughout the game.
– great game from everyone on the pitch
MEN’S 2ND XI
Words: James Perks
Oppo: Canterbury 7, Home
Final Score: W 5-1
Goalscorers: James Perks, Seb Cox, Simon Hooper, Jonathan Kay (2)
We had a local derby against Canterbury in our last outing before the Xmas break.
Ville had been accustomed to starting hard and fast and it had served us very well of late, today was no different. Less than 5 minutes into the game Perks won a short corner, which he converted to make it 1-0. Ten minutes later we went further ahead from another short corner routine. This time was slipped left by Perks to Seb who fired it into the far corner to make it 2-0.
Canterbury then began to grow into the game and the remainder of the half was fairly evenly contested but we went into the break 2-0.
Ville crucially managed to land the first blow in the 2nd half too. Fresh off the back of his two reverse stick goals the previous week, Simon scored an even better one this week nearly breaking the net. 3-0.
Canterbury managed to pull one back from a short corner to make it 3-1. An evenly contested 15 minutes or so spell played out before Ville managed to put the game to bed in the last 5 minutes.
The last 2 goals were pretty much identical. Jack picked the ball up on the right hand side, drove into the D and passed it to the far post to JK x 2. After winning DOD last week he was keen to make amends and duly slotted both goals home from a combined distance of 50cm to win the game 5-1. Two well worked goals to finish the game.
Almost a shame the break has come now as Ville have been on a very good run, winning their last 5 games, scoring 25 and only conceding 4 in the process.
WOMEN’S 2ND XI
Words: Cat Doherty
Oppo: Gravesend 2, Away
Final Score: L 3-1
Goalscorers: Hannah Perez
For the last game of 2025, we were off to Gravesend. Fresh off a win against Holcs, we were in high spirits, if low on regular team members. A last-minute injury caused a little panic to set in, but thankfully we ended up showing up with 12 players.
With a couple of players on the field out of their usual position, we started brightly, with a lot of end-to-end hockey. Then Gravesend slipped one in at the 10-minute mark. There were a couple of defensive faux-pas, and it was far from a clean goal, but 99.9% of umpires would have seen their player have contact with the ball with the foot.
Clearly disheartened (and a little bit ruffled) Ville pressed on, only to concede again 5 minutes later. Tempers were starting to fray and we knew this match was going to be more difficult than we originally hoped.
A little shuffle of positioning (Cat, who was playing LB, came off to allow Hannah P up front, and Kryssi dropped in to LB) was the best decision. Some great link-up play with Vicki, Chloe, & Tracy moved the ball into the path of Hannah P who blasted it past their keeper. 21 minutes, and it was 2-1 to the home team. The visitors had some hope restored.
Plenty of Ville pressure followed, but Gravesend was resilient (she writes, politely).
Half time, and the score remained 2-1. The team talk concentrated on our strengths, and some tactics. 0-0, we decided, and off we went.
Ville put together some great hockey in the second half, when we weren’t being obstructed or shoved, showing potential for more goals. Short corners were being won at both ends, with some epic saves by Elizabeth to keep theirs out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert ours either.
With tempers high, they finally put a short away. The first strike pinged upwards, struck Ineta, and an odd overhead hit put it past Elizabeth. We appealed for dangerous play, but the goal stood. Because of course it did.
The game finished 3-1 to the home side, and that’s about all I can say without losing my temper.
Player of the Match – Vicky Donnelly
MEN’S 3RD XI
Words: Andy & Noah Soames
Oppo: Gravesham & Wellcome Development
Final Score: W4-1
Goalscorers: Asa Foster-Troy, Aron Walker, Noah Soames (2)
Well, it was the last game before the Christmas break and it was Santa hats for Jude, Ollie and Kit in the shared colours. However, that was the end of the panto! As the sun shone on the leafy pitch, it was time to step into Christmas with a good result.
It wasn’t five minutes before Asa, right place, right time, had given Cliftonville the present they’d all asked for. Neither team was ready for the strike but the game had a welcome chalk, 1-0!
It wasn’t a pretty game and the Ville were playing a stodgy game that you might find more fit for a Christmas afternoon. Passes didn’t seem to find the right spot and it just didn’t seem to have the normal cohesion. After some high press from The Ville, a short corner was injected from Ollie to Aron. Aron launched a ball straight at the keeper who met the shot with a good save only to send it back to the captain who took another blast sending it into the back of the net for 2-0.
This was the cushion the visitors needed who set about trying to get their vibe back. Ville seemed to make it hard for themselves and started making the home team look dangerous on the break. Following a sketchy decision from the officials to let play continue the home side out overloaded and outflanked the Ville’s defensive three, slipping an opportunistic goal past the keeper to make it 2-1.
Into the break and Cliftonville could all see what was required. It was now a game of discipline and digging deep. Sometimes you have to agree where you are and grip it. Leading from the back, Jude, Andy and Ed set up a solid platform to push from. With a few better connections Ville kept pushing to advance their narrow lead. Hustling through the frustration Ville fought through, spending more and more time in the opposition’s half and hunting for the goal that would put this game to bed.
With a good link from defence to midfield Eliot caved his way though and slipped a pass direct to Noah who took a touch and shot at the keeper capitalising on his own rebound to make it 3-1. With that goal in the bank a series of passes unlocked another break. Andy to Kit to Archie to Ollie and the dribbler was off! Weaving his way to the back post doing all the hard work he threaded a peach through to Noah who was screaming for it on the ‘P-spot’, he nailed it, placing it into the back of the net, for his second to close the game out. This was game where hard work shone over talent which it does every time – Happy Christmas – Up The Ville!
