Decisive victory for Bedford Hockey Club ladies, men play out a thrilling draw

By Jean Fitch
Action from the men's firsts' clash.Action from the men's firsts' clash.
Action from the men's firsts' clash.

There was a great display of skill at Bedford Hockey Club to mark the #watchyour1s campaign - aimed at promoting grass-roots hockey.

Fabulous entertainment was provided by both the ladies’ and men’s squads across the weekend to delight the gathered crowds.

Even with a game in hand, after last week’s postponed match, the ladies’ firsts still sit third in the table following a decisive 3-1 victory over Loughborough Students.

They will be travelling away to Cannock on Saturday, looking to continue with their winning streak and hoping to knock St Albans off second spot.

Meanwhile, England Hockey’s match roundup, reporting on the Conference Midlands games, wrote of the men’s firsts’ match: “Bedford and Khalsa Leamington contested the most entertaining game of the weekend as they drew 4-4.”

Bedford had fallen 2-0 down in the first half of the match when, within a thrilling five-minute spell, the Bedford team turned the score line around to 3-2 up, with goals from Appleton, Martin and Whitehall.

The lead was short-lived, however, with Khalsa pulling level again four minutes later from a penalty flick.

The final quarter saw chances at both ends to take the match, but it was Khalsa who went into the lead once more with a 60th-minute goal.

With the clock ticking down, it looked like Khalsa would walk away the victors from the hotly contested spectacle when Bedford were awarded a penalty corner in the dying seconds, the conversion by Whitehall clinching the draw.

In other matches, the ladies’ seconds had a busy weekend, travelling away to St Albans on Saturday and hosting Brentwood on Sunday.

The team didn’t let their heads go down after losing 5-2 to St Albans, picking themselves up to take a 2-1 victory against Brentwood the following day.

The ladies’ thirds beat Shefford & Sandy 1-0 and the fourths left Saffron Walden with a 5-1 The fifths won 4-2 at Hertford and the sixths drew 1-1 with St Albans Boadiceas.

The men’s seconds drew 3-3 with Havering, the fourths won 4-1 against Luton Town and the fourths drew 3-3 at Potters Bar.

The fifths drew 1-1 at home to Luton Town and the sixths lost 8-0 to Southgate Adelaide.

The men’s vets drew 1-1 at Welwyn Garden City.

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