Saturday March 1st, 2008

CAMBS Div 1

Saffron Walden Ladies (2) vs Market Deeping Ladies 1st XI (3)

After several weeks without a match Deeping ladies faced a tough challenge in Cambridge Div One against their old Nemesis Saffron Walden. Deeping weren’t thinking about the fact that they had already won the championship. They wanted to clinch it in style with a win.
The match started well with Sarah Smith scoring the first goal from a ball played in the air. Janet Eagle-Smith increased the lead with an excellent sweep from the left before Saffron Walden gave Deeping’s defence some work to do with some quick breaks into the “D”, but failed to find the target.
Deeping saw some good passing skills between Eagle-Smith and their deserved player of the match Ellie Allam create several shots on goal. Finally the ball took a rebound off the keeper and Kirsten Hackett who was playing out of her normal position put the third goal away.
In a 3 - 0 lead at half time Deeping nonetheless found the second half tougher as Walden changed their formation and scored two goals in fairly quick succession.  Defenders Beth Askham and Rachel Gale in her first match with the Deeping first team didn’t get the benefit of the decisions from the two home umpires and this made it difficult for them to clear the ball to the midfield.
When they did break out an excellent shot across the goal line by Amy Gwilliam almost extended Deeping’s lead.
It was no mean achievement to beat Saffron Walden away from home and the relief at the final whistle was enormous. With the championship soundly won, Deeping confirmed their place at the top of the league and with their squad of supporters celebrated in style with a well deserved bottle of champagne.

CAMBS Div 2

Market Deeping Ladies 2nd XI (1) vs St Neot's Ladies 4th XI (0)

As Deeping’s newest hockey team, the ladies 2nds are ideally placed to break their own records but they must be pretty happy with this season’s results as they home in on their best ever final position in Cambridge Div Two and will also contest the Div Two league cup final.
After a decent win last week, Market Deeping came to this game feeling positive. They attacked from the first whistle and soaked up any pressure at the back with ease. Debbie Wilding was unlucky from some early chances before the first of many short corners. Throughout the game Deeping didn’t make enough of these, the exception being the first and only goal of the game, smashed home off the keeper’s pads by Jo Addison in the tenth minute.
Throughout the rest of the game Deeping showed some great teamwork in defence, from player of the match Jo Wardle, with the help of Debbie Bowen, Catherine Flitton and Hannah Windsor.
Organised Deeping got bodies in front of St Neot’s when they attacked, and double teamed in the tackle, which was more than enough to dispossess them. Deeping’s keeper rarely touched the ball. 
Flitton and Bowen fed the midfield and every time they broke they looked dangerous, and it was pity that a badly bruised finger limited Sophie Goodrum a little down Deeping’s left flank.
A cameo from the injured Anya Mckenzie near the end reminded St Neot’s how dangerous she could be as she drew two great saves from the keeper. Hard-working skipper Nicky Buckby improved through the game with Erin Carmody fast and dangerous down the wing pouncing on every loose ball.
Deeping kept possession for most of the game and never looked like conceding their lead.

EAST 3NW

March Town 2nd XI (1) vs Market Deeping 1st XI (8)

For once Deeping went some way towards satisfying their perfectionist skipper Richard Woods, with what he called “a fairly solid performance”.
The first half saw Deeping totally dominant and apparently scoring goals at will. Goals from Paul Tancred (2), Henry Winfield-Chislett, James Sharpe and Ali Rowledge (2) made it 6-0 at half time.
The first half had seen some of the best hockey Deeping had played all season. Sadly the second half saw some of the worst. Deeping looked like a different side as overconfidence took over.
March scored halfway through the second half before Pete Jeffery and Andy Brassington got two goals late on.
Ely looked the likeliest team to catch Deeping, with a game in hand, but they lost to second placed Cambridge University 3rd, and even with the gap now at seven points and with a hugely better goal difference it looks like the improving and unusually strong University team will be Deeping's main threat.
It’s in their hands now with four games to go and despite some upcoming player absences it may be that Deeping, who need just six points, now only need to play simple winning hockey to see them through the season as champions.

Div 4NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI (2) vs Wisbech 3rd XI (4)

Deeping were slightly understrength for this NW4 fixture but there was no excuse for a poor first half performance which gave them a mountain to climb.
As has happened too often lately, Deeping dominated the opening five minutes of this match, but after a few good passing moves, rather than step up the tempo and press home their advantage, Deeping seemed to drop down the gears, while Wisbech grew in confidence after weathering the initial storm.
Lacking the right ball speed in the pass and too often dwelling on the ball and getting caught in possession, Deeping conceded a soft goal to a short corner against the run of play, Josh Peggs’ shot hit straight into the middle of the goal.
Defensively Deeping then went to sleep when given advantage in the 25 and Wisbech grabbed a second when a scramble in the D left Robin Johnson to lift the rebound over a grounded ‘keeper. Johnson scored his second soon after as Deeping were caught napping on the break.
Deeping took the game to Wisbech in the second half. Phil Arnold went close with a spectacular reverse stick shot while Russ Seaton must still be wondering how he didn’t score. Wisbech ‘keeper James Dod was in great form and resumed where he had left off in the first half, denying the Deeping front line with a succession of top drawer saves.
Having reverted to a three man back line, Deeping were pressuring much higher up the pitch and Nick Maxey pulled one back for the home side to make it 1-3, Deeping really looked like a comeback was on the cards, but they were caught on the break once more after four successive penalty corners were defended by Wisbech, and Aaron Cobb scored to restore the now insurmountable three goal cushion.
Deeping continued to press as Wisbech sat back to defend their lead, and were rewarded with a second goal when Paul Byrne swept home the rebound from a short corner. Despite attacking in numbers and a short corner count completely in their favour, Deeping just could not convert their chances.

EAST Div 5NW

Bourne 3rd XI (7) vs Market Deeping 3rd XI (0)

The wind blew and Bourne blew Deeping away. It’s incomprehensible how a Bourne team of this strength and skills isn’t topping Div 5NW as they were far and away the best team Deeping have encountered all season.
Understrength Deeping were three down in about ten minutes, while still playing some of their best hockey of the season but foundering again and again on the top of the Bourne D.
Both team’s hearts went out to Deeping keeper Steve Chambers who made multiple superb saves on numerous occasions only to see his defenders fail to clear and the ball eventually find the net.
Deeping continued to play really well in midfield moving and passing excellently, and they restored some pride in the second half as they held Bourne to a late flurry of goals.
Magnus Windsor worked hard at right half and never gave the ball away, while Will Winfield-Chislett soaked up pressure at left back with his one-handed tackling technique. In midfield the ageless Graham Barnes kept running with his son Anthony in his last game of the season, and Matt Brown both putting themselves about to good effect.
Deeping will still fancy their chances of beating mid-table rivals Cambridge South next week.