Highs and Lows for Bedford Hockey Club

There was a fair degree of success across Bedford Hockey Club’s fourteen adult squads at the weekend, with just a few disappointments.

The Men’s First XI built on last weekend’s victory with a 3-1 away win over Saffron Walden, goals coming from Charlie Blythman, Alex Drummond and Richard Evans, Saffron Walden getting their consolation goal in the final minute of the match.

It was a 1-1 draw for the Men’s Second XI, Bedford’s Rhys Badman opening the scoring 10 minutes into their match and the score remaining 1-0 right up to the 67th minute, thanks to some great defensive play from Bedford, before their Upminster opposition clinched the leveller.

There was a 4-2 loss for the Men’s Third XI, away to St Albans, but a close fought 4-3 win for the Fourth XI, over Rickmansworth, all 4 of Bedford’s goals coming from the stick of Mark Ramage.

There were losses for both the Men’s Fifth and Seventh XIs, the Fives 3-0 away to St Albans and the Sevens 3-1 to Welwyn Garden City.

The Men’s Sixth XI, meanwhile, secured a 4-0 away win over St Albans, two goals from Sandeep Sira, one by Jeremy Woodrow and the fourth from Gary Hickman.

The top end of the Ladies’ side both had tough away fixtures, the First XI, in their opening league match of the season, suffered a devastating 5-0 loss away to Harleston Magpies. They will hope for a boost from a home crowd next Saturday, when they host the University of Nottingham, who suffered a loss to Cambridge University this weekend.

The Ladies’ Second XI returned from Saffron Walden, with youngster, Tilly Sheldon, having scored Bedford’s only goal, in a 4-1 loss.

There was greater success for the club’s five other women’s squads.

It was a 5-0 win for the Ladies’ Third XI over St Albans, a brace apiece for Emma Burak and Natalia Norford Reynolds and the fifth goal from Harri Kinnear.

A single goal by Alice Brady-White on the 51st minute proved sufficient to bring the win over Stevenage’s Second XI, for Bedford’s Fours. Whilst goals from Jasmine Moon and Charlotte Goodson gave the Fives a 2-1 victory away to Stevenage’s Third XI.

The Sixth XI returned from Welwyn Garden City triumphant, having beaten their opponents with a 4-0 win, Leah Foley opening the scoring just 8 minutes into the match, followed by two from Taryn da Silva, before Leah clinched her second with 4 minutes of the match to play.

Finally, the Ladies’ Seventh XI Development Squad, a very youthful team, were happy to hold a strong, and more senior, Stevenage’s Fifth XI, to a goalless draw.