Saturday March 25th 2006

East Div 3NW

Horncastle 1st XI (1) v Market Deeping 1st XI (4)

Deeping’s 1st XI have had another great season. In fact they have only lost three times since October 2004, but in a strong 3NW league, they wait to see if one of the occasional quirks of the league system might see their third place be enough for promotion.

Deeping made the long journey to Horncastle, hoping to end the season on a high and took several current second team players for a debut. Golden oldie Stuart Dacre made his return to 1st team action after 11 years. Deeping started brightly and forced the Horncastle keeper into several good
saves early on. Eventually Deeping scored with a well-taken goal from the ever youthful Paul Tancred. Horncastle then equalised against the run of play with a unlucky deflection off the defender’s stick over the keepers’ outstretched foot. Deeping instantly responded – Simon Wilmot reacting first to score from a well-worked short corner.

Two more goals came in the second half from Tancred and Chris Mann, the later being worthy of any hockey league. Phil Tokens coped with the step up and at last Ali Rowledge was back in form – all of which bodes well for next season’s hockey when some of the younger players will be a year older and wiser and maybe even fitter.

East Div 5NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI (2) v Peterborough 4th XI (5)

Champions elect Town played nailed on runners-up Deeping in 5NW and once again Deeping were left to curse their luck as the result showed an inflated margin between the two teams. Up until the last the ten minutes the game was close, and keeper Ray Isaacs can feel particularly hard done by after his decent performance was spoilt by some excellent Town finishing. The Market Deeping team showed a number of changes from the team which secured promotion at Horncastle a week earlier and despite the game not having any bearing on league positions it was a generally nervy performance.
 Deeping had a couple of first team regulars in the side, but they struggled to gel into the second team system. Despite this Deeping steamed into Town for the first 10 minutes, but only managed one on-target shot which was well-saved. Town then took the lead in the first half when, following a mix up in defence. the Town forward slotted home past a stranded Ray Isaacs in goal.

The second half started well for Deeping with an equaliser scored early in the half by the teams principal goal provider, Steve Waters, for his 37th of the season.  As with many of his goals it was a first time sweep shot from a goal played hard into the penalty area. Shortly after halftime, Deeping lost Magnus Windsor to a cut head, and with Pete Smith on the bench with cracked ribs, Graham Barnes faced his first full half of 2006. His midfield passing opened up the game a little and Muddy Waters got his 37th and last of the season. Smith came on briefly but got a bash on the ribs and with the bench temporarily looking like a casualty ward, Barnes couldn’t take a breather. Perhaps that’s why the Deeping legs seemed to go, and fast forward movement caught them at the back to make it 4-1 including an almost saved penalty flick. Barnes then took a cheeky pass from son Anthony to nick one back - but a fine solo effort completed the town scoring with last hit of the match.

Deeping will now begin to plan for Division 4NW next season.

East Div 7NW

Cambridge South 3rd XI (1) v Market Deeping 3rd XI (3)

Promoted Deeping only needed a point for the 7NW championship and they clinched it in style with a performance that showed the best - and briefly the worst - of their season. Deeping’s youngsters were back and totally unphased by any pressure they were outstanding. Tommo Allam, Jack Seaton and Tom Richardson were all at their absolute best. Deeping dominated the first half with the full backs – the excellent Simon Taylor, Tom Richardson in his best game of the season, and Andy Brown - hardly in action. Despite this they but had only a perfect Kevin Richardson short corner strike to show for it. South packed their defence and tried to hit a solo centre forward.

The first ten minutes of the second half then saw Deeping at their worst. They lost shape and South pushed up. South hit the post, then produced several sharp saves and kicks out of the excellent stand-in keeper Steve Allam. Then a daft midfield error let them attack again and a mazy solo run and a mishit by the South centre-forward led to an equaliser. Deeping then switched on as if a new team had arrived. Nick Maxey went rampaging down the right, with support from skipper Ben Walden and Kevin Baker. A cross cum shot bobbled in front of the keeper and Tom Allam’s viper like close range jab got the ball over his kicker into the net. It was all Deeping from then on, playing their best hockey of the season, as they pinned Cambridge into their own D. Suddenly the South keeper was peppered with shots, including Walden’s deflection that smashed into his face mask. It was fitting that Deeping’s hardest-working player all season, Kevin Baker, scored to put the game beyond doubt.

The lads and dads promotion squad has regularly included: Adi White, Tommo and Steve Allam, Tom and Kevin Richardson, Jack and Russ Seaton, Ben Walden, Steve Windsor, Andy Brown, Simon Taylor, Kevin Baker, Matt Brown, Phil Arnold, Nick Maxey, Ed Saunders, Andrew Gregson and Paul Van Den Bent