Results - 19 October

Our results from Saturday, with a few more wins for our teams!

Men's 1 won 8-1 at home to Leicester 2

Goals: Owen Arthur, Alex Hammant, Sam Johnson, Josh Osborne (2), Luke van Diepen & James Webster (2)

Player of the Match: Owen Arthur

Market Harborough Men’s 1s stepped onto the pitch brimming with confidence as they had 14, yes 14, players to call upon in their match against Leicester 2s. A bench 3 deep was a luxury which has previously occurred very rarely and the team were confident they could utilise this embarrassment of riches to good effect.

Harborough set off at a blistering pace, firmly encamped in Leicester’s half. Leicester were content to drop deep and protect the D with Harborough guilty of forcing the play in their eagerness to score (and not be substituted).

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Harborough to score their first goal of the game. A well worked short corner was dispatched with aplomb by Josh, who is starting to make himself king of the short corner castle. Mark will need to get the trebuchets out if he is going to unseat him, or alternatively, it may be that a second castle needs to be built to ensure that both big hitters have a place to bed down at the top of the D. Of course, all this is only possible because of the slick injection and trap routine.

The team kept their foot on the gas and managed to score three more before half time. Another for Josh came through an incisive move through the centre with he and Owen exchanging some flowing passes. There was also a goal at the backpost from a ghosting Sam and to the consternation of all present, a drag flick from James. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that I had no idea that James could drag flick and I probably would have named at least 5 others before him in a list of those I thought “might give it a bash”, but to his credit he found the bottom corner. It seems we now have an embarrassment of riches at the set piece.

At half time the team cautioned themselves against complacency and set the target of another 4 goals in the second half. James rumbled up from centre back again to score his second. He is now well in the lead in the “battle of the goalscoring defenders”. The game started to get more bitty and Leicester were able to wiggle through and score what would only be a consolation. Alex then managed to restore the Harborough dominance by using his shoulders to meander in and score at the near post. Owen finished off an excellent move that started with a brilliant, angled pass from Mike across the D. Finally, Luke was able to reach the aforementioned 4 goal target with the home side coming out 8-1 winners.

Having 14 players was a rare treat and everyone managed to hold their discipline in a game in which standards could have dropped. Special mention to Ads and Jack who made several excellently timed tackles in defence, they and Jake put their bodies on the line, even when the team were 6 and 7 goals to the good. This, more than anything, demonstrates the great culture evident within the club. Let us hope that we can capitalise on the new availability windfall and take a similarly sized squad to future matches.

Men's 2 lost 2-6 away to Northampton Saints 4

Goal: Matt Jackson & Ben Langdown

Player of the Match: Jax Roberts

Men's 3 won 4-2 at home to Solihull Blossomfield 2

Goals: Noel Burton (2), Rob Davies & Daniel Perry

Player of the Match: Daniel Perry

Women's 1 won 4-1 at home to Warwick 2

Goals: Kayleigh Creighton, Hattie Hammond (2) & Ellie Hand

Player of the Match: Niamh Burton

Women's 2 lost 0-8 away to Leicester City 4

Player of the Match: Mia Kirke

#HarboroughHockey 💚🖤💚🖤