Basingstoke Ladies thirds turn in best performance of season

It was a well-deserved 7-0 win for the ladies 5s in their game against Portsmouth. The ladies 5s had the upper hand from the start of the whistle with fabulous inter-play from defence, midfield and forwards. By the end of the first half, Basingstoke were 2-0 up with goals from Toyah Jefferies and Sue Pett. In the second half, the 5s stepped up a gear with a solid defensive line, stopping Portsmouth from penetrating the D let alone winning any short corners. A well worked run from player of the match Ellie Youngs, down the right side of the pitch and then passing the ball into the top D, allowed Sue Pett to score her second goal, this was quickly followed by a flurry of goals in succession, two goals from Jenny Rust, a second goal from Toyah Jefferies following a penalty strike that was fed back into the D for Jefferies to tap in at the post. Lyn Wood sealed the victory with the seventh goal. There was no response from Portsmouth who were relieved to hear the final whistle. A great start to 2020 for the ladies 5s.

In their match against Fleet and Ewshot the ladies 6s found themselves on the back foot with an early lead from the opposition. Basingstoke responded with Jo Lockyer’s great strike for an equaliser. The 6s continued trying to maintain pressure on Fleet & Ewshot but found themselves continuously defending and shortly before half-time Fleet & Ewshot regaining their lead to put them 2-1 up. Basingstoke bounced back with Jo Lockyer scoring her second goal from a breakaway run, levelling the score at 2-2. In the dying minutes of the game Fleet & Ewshot found a way through the 6s defence to take the win. Despite an exceptional game from Basingstoke’s goalkeeper, player of the match Eleanor Roberts, the game concluded with a 3-2 win to Fleet & Ewshot.

It was a challenging game for the ladies 4s, who lost 5-2 in their match against Waterside. With the opposition scoring two goals in the space of five minutes in the early stages of the first half. The 4s stepped up attempting to fight back with player of the match Amy Sambell making a determined run from the midfield, finding Meg Payne in the D who easily slotted the ball into the back of the net. In the second half, the 4s were rewarded with their second goal, following an impressive run down the wing from Milly Raybould who passed the ball to Ulrike Meier, with Meier crossing the ball past the goalie for Payne to tap the ball into goal. Waterside came back fighting, determined to win, scoring three further goals, with no response from Basingstoke. A hard game for the start of 2020, but onwards to the next game for the ladies 4s.

The under 16 boys won 9-3 in their match against Yateley this week. Having only ten players did not put the Basingstoke team off their pace. Billy Michael found the back of the net three minutes into the game, with Joseph Baron scoring Basingstoke’s second shortly after. Lucas Chambers scored Basingstoke's third goal from an individual run from mid-field and the fourth came from Tomas Bonser. Play in the second half was hampered by injury reducing Basingstoke to nine players but the boys still managed an impressive further five goals from Bonser and Chambers, from a combination of short corners and skilful play. The final goal tally was Tomas Bonser five, Lucas Chambers two goals, with Billy Michael and Joseph Baron each scoring a goal.

In other games this week, the men’s 5s lost 5-3 against Aldershot, and the men's 1s lost 3-6 against Surbiton. The men's 3s won 3-2 against New Forest, and the men's 2s lost 1-0 against Hamble. The ladies 2s won 1-0 against Romsey and the men’s 4s lost 3-1 against Southampton. In their first friendly of 2020, the Ladies 1s lost 4-1 against Trojans

With presence on the National Hockey stage, Basingstoke Hockey Club continue to seek sponsors, with new and exciting options; if you are interested in becoming a supporter, please contact projectpitch@Basingstoke-hockey.com.