Results - 18 & 19 February

Our rearranged fixtures saw the Women's 1s notch up another win to put them 5 points clear at the top of the table!

WOMEN'S 1 won 5-1 at home to Northampton Saints 3

Goals: Charlotte Gregg (2), Harriet Humphrey (2) & Emily Williams

MEN'S 2 lost 4-5 away to Nuneaton 1

Goals: Jordan Allen, Ben Langdown, Josh Osborne & Ben Sleeman

MEN'S 3 lost 2-14 away to Stratford 4

Goals: Richard Goswell & James Parry

The Men’s 3s made the hour long drive to the home of Shakespeare’s birth - Stratford Upon Avon - where we came face to face with a strong Stratford team, with two subs and coming off the back of a recent win against the top of the league.

I would like say that we started the game strongly, but unfortunately we didn’t, and Stratford scored in the first five minutes having walked straight into the D from a free hit just outside and smashing the ball into the bottom corner. What then followed for the first half was something that resembled the great bard’s A Comedy of Errors with Stratford moving the ball around us at pace and pulling us out of shape to repeatedly allow their forwards easy tap-ins and unchallenged shots from the top of the D. The only highlight of the first-half from a Harborough perspective was watching Phil Dickinson fall over, having been put through one-on-one with the keeper by the pass-of-the-century from Will Feavyour. Although we did force their keeper to make a couple of good saves, the first half finished circa 8 goals to our none.

After a half-time team talk that was a muted attempt to echo Henry V at the siege of Harfleur in asking the boys to ‘imitate the action of the tiger, stiffen the sinews and conjure up the blood’ etc…playing a bit more compact, Harborough came out a little stronger. With a few positional tweaks and a bigger focus on doing the basics right, we found ourselves winning the second half after Richard Goswell scored from Phil Dickinson’s pass across the keeper, and a James Parry arrow from a well worked short corner. Unfortunately this only seemed to anger Stratford who like Titus Andronicus then sought a bloody revenge on Harborough and took it upon themselves to bang in another few goals to take them over the double-figure mark, plus a few more, to cap a well organised performance on their behalf. The final score a humbling 14-2. 

Their captain and both umpires were extremely complimentary of Harborough’s efforts of playing until the final whistle and our graciousness in defeat. On a positive note the showers were nice and hot and their club house opposite the RSC theatre was a delightful setup for post-match teas. After some good natured banter in the bar, the drive back gave some time for reflection, and I think Queen Margaret in Henry VI summed it up nicely: ‘Wise men never sit and wail their loss, but cheerily seek how to redress their harms’… 

Men’s 3s slip to 10th out of 11 teams in the league and it’s imperative we win our next few games to avoid relegation.

MEN'S 4 lost 1-3 at home to Warwick 5

Goal: Rob Davies

The draw that almost was. The excitement in the last minute of this match was the finest so far this season. With the score 1-2 to the opposition a penalty corner saw Rob Davies send a sure-fire shot in that was destined to find the backboard. Just as we thought ti was all over and the draw was secured, the ball pinged off the post and straight into the hands of the Warwick players who drove it down to the other end of the pitch to score just as the whistle was about to blow. What an ending, and so close.

MEN'S 1 lost 0-5 at home to Loughborough Students 4