Canterbury Hockey Club - News

2007-11-25 v Cannock (L)

Admin Team — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v Cannock, (Home), 25/11/07.

Lost 2 – 3

A poor quality affair equitably swung the way of the visitors and left Canterbury languishing 4 points adrift at the foot of the table.

The first period produced only a solitary score. A goalmouth scramble saw Matt Harper apply the final touch to give the home side the lead at the interval. However, this strike purely served to mask what had been a lacklustre encounter between two sides both apparently struggling to get out of second gear.

Cannock lacked their usual edge and their unexpected recent defeats suggest that this hasn't been the first time this season that it has been absent. While Canterbury repeatedly made basic errors, Cannock failed to capitalise and spurned chance after chance in front of goal. The visitors weren't wholly to blame for their blank score-sheet, as Canterbury 'keeper Adrian Kimber continued his recent form in making two or three exceptional saves that were the icing on top of a solid all round performance.

Cannock’s equaliser arrived in the 42^nd minute when Michael Johnson put away a rebound at a penalty corner.Almost instantly the visitors found themselves in the lead as Gareth Andrew beat Kimber in open play and Cannock had finally appeared to have found their goal-scoring touch.

Canterbury, who had improved as the match went on, were thrown a life-line in the 58^th minute when Chris Bassano-Harper made the score 2-2, but Simon Ramsden finally produced at a penalty corner, to leave the home side trailing once more.

This time there was to be no way back for Canterbury and Cannock took the three points.Although Canterbury will feel they could have snatched a draw, Cannock would justifiably have felt aggrieved not to have left with the spoils.

Canterbury’s final game before the Christmas break sees them travel to Havant next week.

Squad: Barratt, Bassano-Harper, Butcher, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Goninon, Hare S, Harper, Hudson, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R.

2007-11-18 v Reading (L)

Admin Team — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v Reading, (Away), 18/11/07.

Lost 0 – 3

A brave effort could not prevent Canterbury sliding to a 3-0 defeat to league leaders Reading.

With the home side having achieved victory on all of their previous outings this season, Canterbury knew that they would need to be at their very best to take anything from the game.For 67 minutes the visitors staunchly held their opposition, largely thanks to a strong performance in goal by Adrian Kimber, but were unable to convert any of the chances they created.Two late goals by the home side finally removed any hopes Canterbury had of snatching a point and preserved Reading’s impressive record.

Aware that their chances would be few, Canterbury failed to convert all that they did produce.A brace of penalty corners, missed opportunities at the back post and a breakdown in communication accounted for the visitors openings.However, with Kimber in fine form it wasn’t until Austin Smith’s two penalty corner efforts in the last three minutes adding to Warren D’Souza’s 20^th minute strike that the result was decided.

A swift sweeping move by the home side presented D’Souza with the chance to tap into an empty net but Canterbury were able to regroup and produced their best chance of the game which ended in Simon Hare and Chris Bassano-Harper both attempting to shoot and ultimately denying each other any connection with the ball.

Reading posed a constant threat and were able to control dealings for the majority of the game.Their best efforts were either wasted or found Kimber equal to the task.The tension rose towards the end of the game as Canterbury created half chances, but the home side sealed the win they deserved late on in the proceedings.

Bowdon’s defeat of Hampstead leaves Canterbury bottom of the pile once more, but helps to keep Hampstead in the relegation battle.Next week sees Canterbury take on Cannock at Polo Farm in the now seemingly habitual President’s Day game.

Squad: Barratt, Bassano-Harper, Butcher, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Hare S, Harper, Hayward, Hudson, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R.

2008 Easter Festival details

Admin Team — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

CANTERBURY HOCKEY FESTIVAL 2008

At Polo Farm Sports Club

21-24 March 2008

After last year’s huge success, we would like to invite you to enter for Easter 2008 – and join us for some great hockey plus lots of fun and entertainment.

What’s on

For men - 10 Plate & 6 Cup Teams
For women - 16 Cup Teams
For mixed - 10 Cup Teams
5/6 Matches per team from Friday to Monday.

(For the uninitiated, cup events are the more serious hockey options)

Venue
We’ve got some great facilities:

2 water based astros, 1 sand-based and 1 grass pitch - at Polo Farm
Plus 2 additional astro pitches near by, with free transport to and from matches
Camping available on site
Plenty of loos and parking
Clubhouse, marquees, bar and showers
Sports kit and leisure wear on sale
Historic Canterbury - 5 mins drive.
Paddle in the sea - Herne Bay 10 miles.

Refreshments

Snakebite will be on tap, as usual, in the beer tent.
Hot food can be purchased throughout the weekend with hot bacon rolls for breakfast to help ease the hangovers.

Free entertainments

As always good hockey will be balanced with FREE entertainment every night in our large heated marquee.
Friday and Saturday evenings Live Music to warm up for the Sunday afternoon karaoke, followed by the Sunday night DISCO!!

How to enter

We are operating on a “First Come First Served Basis” enquiries have already started, so an early response is essential to avoid disappointment.
Please complete the attached entry form (1 per team) and either email a copy to sibs@polofarm.org or return to the address on the entry form. Once we have received your deposit, we will send confirmation.

Entry fees – same as last year

The entry fee remains the same for the 4th year in a row, at £300 for a team of up to 13 players.
Each additional player is £15 per head - this includes entry to all of the evening entertainment.
Camping costs £30 per head (please book in advance to guarantee space for your tents at the ground)

Paying your deposit

Deadline 14 Jan 2008 – Last date for paying your deposit of £150. But, early deposit of entry forms and payment will secure your place. Last year we had to turn down some late applicants.
This year, you can pay your deposit online via Worldpay on our deposit payment page
Deposits - As in the past, deposits are non-refundable - unless we are already over-subscribed.

Paying your balance

Deadline 18 Feb 2008 - The full balance must be paid by 18th February 2008 – including the cost of camping (if applicable)
When paying by cheques please make them payable to Polo Farm Sports Club.

We look forward to seeing you at the ‘Festival of Fun’!

Booking Form Easter 2008 (pdf 25k)

Admin Team — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

booking form

2007-11-11 v Beeston (L)

Admin Team — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Canterbury Men’s 1st XI

v Beeston, (Away), 11/11/07 - Lost 4 - 5

Canterbury conspired to throw away three points allowing Beeston to complete a late comeback and win a close match at Highfields.

Goals in the last 10 minutes from Adam Dixon and then a winner by Chris Seddon were enough for the home side to steal victory as Cantebury failed to close out the game.

Things started brightly for the visitors, who were 2-0 within 11 minutes courtesy of goals from Matt Harper and Chris Bassano-Harper.However, as has happened too often already this season, Canterbury allowed their opposition to pull a goal back within minutes of scoring themselves.On this occasion it was Mohammed Nadeem who was allowed an all too easy path to goal and his reverse stick shot left Adrian Kimber little chance in the Canterbury goal.

The remainder of the first period saw the two sides grind out chances and vie for territory, but neither side could budge the score line.

The second half came to life even more quickly than the first, with Jess Dowsing’s neat chip over Tom Skinner in the Beeston goal restoring his side’s 2-goal cushion.Again weak defending cost Canterbury as David Griffiths was allowed to slide in and convert a seemingly innocuous cross, but Matt Harper replied almost immediately with a cool finish to put his side 4-2 up.

Needing a period of consolidation to take a grip of the game, Canterbury committed the cardinal sin of once more allowing Beeston an instant route back into the match.Increasingly frustrating for the Kent side was that it was dissent shown by Rob Pryce which caused the umpire to upgrade a free hit to the penalty corner that Dixon converted.

When Simon Hare’s shot struck the bar and Rob Pryce missed the far post by a whisker it could be argued that the portent for what was to happen had been shown.

7 minutes remained when Dixon levelled the scores and then heart-breakingly for the visitors Seddon converted with 4 minutes remaining to give Beeston the lead for the first and most important time in the game.

Canterbury’s misery was sealed when Pryce saw an almost identical shot to his earlier miss the same post by the same margin and the Kent side had to make the long journey home with nothing to show for their endeavour.

Squad: Barratt, Bassano-Harper, Butcher, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Hare S, Harper, Hudson, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R.

2007-11-03 v bowden (L)

Admin Team — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v Bowdon, (Home), 3/11/07.

Won2 - 0

Canterbury’s first points of the season elevated them from the foot of the table and disseminated a feeling of relief through the squad and spectators alike.

In an even match which saw neither side take many risks, Canterbury held their nerve to score twice late in the game and seal an important victory.

Anything other than a draw in the game would see the Kent side either six points adrift of Bowdon at the foot of the table or move them level on points but with the potential to go above their rivals by virtue of a superior goal difference.

The game saw few chances for either side, notably so in the first period.Canterbury’s best chances came at penalty corners, however Chris Bassano-Harper failed to hit the target with his effort and Brian Garcia was unlucky when the ball was scrambled off the line by a defender following his shot.Bowdon could have led at the break had it not been for a fine diving stick save by Adrian Kimber, the big ‘keeper dropping athletically low to his right.

Having looked solid and not conceded, at half-time Canterbury realised that the game was up for grabs.The second half followed a similar pattern to that of the first until Rob Pryce was enigmatically sent off, much to the bemusement of those present.Concern gripped many that as in previous weeks Canterbury would not react well to this adversity, but despite a nervy few minutes the home side did not allow Bowdon to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

With the game approaching its final ten minutes, Matt Harper perspicaciously opted not to shoot when the opportunity presented itself and took his time in slotting the ball past the Bowdon ‘keeper.Knowing that the onus was now on the visitors to find an equaliser, Canterbury became compact in defence and weathered the next five minutes, consolidating their lead.Then with four minutes remaining a Canterbury counter-attack resulted in the acquitted Pryce tangling with ‘keeper and defender in the Bowdon ‘D’ before the ball broke kindly to Andrew Dunn who had the easy task of firing into an open goal.

Just needing to see out the final few minutes to record their first win of the season it was fitting that Canterbury’s two stand out players, Brian Garcia and Ed Butcher, should control the ball, running the clock down for a significant portion of this period.

Squad: Barratt, Bassano-Harper, Butcher, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Garcia, Hare S, Harper, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R, Richford.

2007-10-14 v E Grinstead (L)

Admin Team — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v East Grinstead, (Home), 13/10/07 - Lost 2 - 6

Canterbury’s second home fixture of the weekend ended in defeat as East Grinstead struck hardest when and where it mattered.

Still searching for their first points of the year and looking to bounce back after the previous days disappointment, Canterbury knew that their perpetual indoor rivals would pose an equally strong test in the alfresco version of the game.It was to be the case.

Disorganisation at a D-edge free hit saw Scott Ashdown presented with a free shot after 5 minutes with which he made no mistake.Then, in the 17^th minute Mark Justice was the beneficiary of an East Grinstead overload in the Canterbury defence and his shot found the goal after Adrian Kimber could only half-stop the effort.Gallingly, this came during a period of numerical advantage for the home side after Darren Cheeseman had thrown away his stick and man-handled Darryl Cassidy in an earlier altercation.Cheeseman was arguably lucky to escape with only a temporary exclusion for the act.

Goals aside, there was little to choose between the two sides in the first period, but with results decided on what happens in the D’s, East Grinstead were the team in charge.

Canterbury’s response after half-time was exactly what was required if they were to give themselves any chance.Controlled and measured, they were rewarded within 5 minutes when Christian Pryce scored his second of the weekend at a penalty corner.

With the home side in the ascendency the next critical event knocked them not only down, but as it transpired, totally out.

A foul on a Canterbury defender was ignored by the umpire who then compounded the home side’s misery by awarding a penalty stroke after what appeared a clean tackle by the goal scorer Pryce.Richard Payne converted the stroke to leave Canterbury 3-1 down, a deficit from which they never recovered.Danny Hall confirmed the result with two goals in as many minutes to render Matt Harper’s 61^st minute strike a consolation effort.Hall then completed a 15 minute hat-trick in the 67^th minute and inflicted upon Canterbury their heaviest margin of defeat this season.

An objective onlooker would concur that for long patches Canterbury were equal to their guests, if not better.However, they would also agree that where it counted, East Grinstead were on another level to that of their hosts and rightly left with the spoils.

Next week Canterbury must regroup to take on the improving Loughborough Students before facing Cambridge City in the National Cup on Sunday.

Squad: Bassano-Harper, Cassidy, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Garcia, Hare S, Harper, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R, Richford, Stevens.

2007-10-13 v Havant (L)

Admin Team — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v Havant, (Home), 13/10/07 Lost 5 - 8

High-scoring Havant inflicted defeat on a struggling Canterbury at Polo Farm on Saturday.The home side conceded 8 times following the previous week’s tight defensive performance and must wonder why they can’t achieve the levels of consistency and performance that they know they are capable of.

In a first half that yielded 8 goals, both sides enjoyed the lead.It was the visitors who were the first to hold the advantage, Ben Alberry converting from the penalty spot after the ball had struck a defenders leg en route to goal.

Within 5 minutes the score line favoured with Canterbury, with Chris Bassano-Harper and Brian Garcia both netting for the home side.This lead was to be short lived as poor defending allowed Thornton Mcdade an unopposed reverse-stick shot and then Egyptian international Ahmed Ezz Mohamed fired his side infront.

Parity was temporarily restored courtesy of Matt Harper’s deflection, but ex-Great Britain penalty corner specialist Calum Giles gave his side a two goal cushion going into half time with two well placed flicks.

To achieve a positive result from the game, Canterbury need to halt the flow of goals and the second half started brightly.However, 3 goals within 15 minutes of the restart, a brace of corner strikes from Giles and an unstoppable half volley from Mohamed, left the home side with too much to do.

Disenchantment was more than obvious in some of the Canterbury players and Christian Pryce spent time suspended from the game for dissent.Mohamed also spent some time with the Delegate for a bad tackle, but by this stage the game was over.

Pryce’s strike in the 54^th minute proved to be little more than a consolation for his side and Canterbury were left to ponder a heavy defeat, inflicted by a side that once again were hungrier for victory and more clinical on the day.

Frustratingly, Canterbury dominated for periods of the game but find themselves still searching for the missing ingredient that can turn these periods into critical, match winning situations.

Squad: Bassano-Harper, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Garcia, Hare S, Harper, Hayward, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R, Richford, Stevens.

2007-10-20 v Loughborough Students (L)

Admin Team — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Canterbury Men’s 1s v Loughborough Students - Lost 2 - 6

Canterbury slumped to their second successive 6-2 defeat and suffered the ignominy of representing the foot of the table as Bowdon collected their first points of the year.

Following Leigh Barratt’s effort, only a single score separated the sides with 15 minutes remaining, but the Students punished their guests errors at this most crucial of stages to romp home in emphatic style.

An even first half which saw few chances and a consolidated defensive effort from Canterbury came alive in the 30^th minute when Loughborough old boy Rob Pryce produced a stunning goal with his first shot of the season. A half-time lead seemed inevitable for the visitors, but with seconds of the first period remaining they naively conceded a penalty corner which Richard Smith converted to take his side level.

The second half saw the match assume a completely different complexion to that of the first.Unable to find any fluency in their play, Canterbury were pegged back by the Students who grasped control. They deservedly went ahead in the 45^th minute and then doubled their lead in the 52^nd, with goals from James Osborn and Robert Smith.

Canterbury halved their deficit when with the ‘keeper out of the frame Barratt rolled the ball in to an open net, but then fell apart in the final 15 minutes allowing Chris Gregg, Richard Smith and Dave Beckett to contribute to Loughborough’s tally.

Canterbury paid the price for an inability to compete for the full period and now sit at the foot of the table, still searching for their first points after 6 games.

The Kent side now have a week off before taking on Bowdon, placed directly above them in the league, in a fortnight’s time at Polo Farm.

Squad: Barratt, Bassano-Harper, Cowling, Dowsing, Dunn, Farrer, Hare S, Harper, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R, Richford, Stevens, Wild.

2007-10-07 - v surbition (L)

Admin Team — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

v Surbiton, (Away), 07/08/07.

Lost 0 - 1

An evenly balanced affair tilted the way of the form side on a sunny afternoon in South-West London. James Mulcair’s 46^th minute goal was all that separated the two sides on the day, but left them very much poles apart in the league table by the end.

With two wins from their opening two fixtures, Surbiton came into the match with momentum. The best chances of the first period fell to the home side, but wasteful finishing and the good form of Ben Cowling in the Canterbury goal let the visitors off the hook. However, it proved to be the case that Canterbury would return the favour in kind later on in the match.

Canterbury had been weakened on the morning of the fixture by the late withdrawal of recently engaged Jess Dowsing, who had scored in both games the previous weekend. Coach Darryl Cassidy took his place in the squad, but he was in no state of mind to play following the defeat of the All Blacks to the French the day before.

Without their international crop, Surbiton appeared an efficient and hard-working unit, well marshalled by player-coach Karl Stagno. His opposite number on the day, Brian Garcia, added a semblance of control to the Canterbury midfield and was well supported by Stewart Keir and Rob Pryce on either side. However, Canterbury’s first half attacking forays were snuffed out by the well drilled home defence.

Despite the home sides chances, the first period brought no goals and at the break it would have been Canterbury who were the happier with that statistic. However, any feeling the visitors may have had that a change in their fortunes was about to arrive was dealt a hammer blow when Mulcair rolled the ball into the net. Cowling’s initial save saw the ball lodge somewhere in his protective kit, only for it to subsequently squirm out and land at Mulcair’s feet for the simplest of tap ins.

The remaining 25 minutes saw Canterbury enjoy their best spell of the game, winning penalty corners and creating chances. The pressure created never came to fruition though and an inability to produce anything meaningful in the D cost the visitors any hope of an equaliser. As the final whistle went, Canterbury were left to rue another missed opportunity.

Next weekend sees Canterbury host Havant and East Grinstead in what promises to be an exciting and crucial weekend in their season.

Squad: Bassano-Harper, Cassidy, Cowling, Dunn, Farrar, Garcia, Hare S, Harper, Hayward, Keir, Kimber, Pedersen, Pryce C, Pryce R, Richford, Stevens.