LOAN SCHEME DRAW

The latest draws were held on 24th September 2005 at the Club. The lucky winners, with numbers 16 and 19 as drawn by Caroline Chipperfield and Helen Johnston respectively and witnessed by Warren Scott were Sean and Val Cremin. Thanks again for the continued support of all the Loan Scheme members.

LOST

Lost on Saturday at Newlands - Gryphon composite stick, silver with blue/black taping near the base. No idea what model it is although it is easy to identify as it has an overwhelming tendancy to top the ball when hitting ;o). If by any chance anyone picked it up or knows where it is, please could they contact me (daveemery@f2s.com). Thanks!

Thank you to the following that umpired for us last weekend:

FLAMES FINISH SEASON

Chalfont Park Flames brought back the softball club's third trophy of the season when they finished as runner up in the Division 3 League Cup, held between 16 teams from the Windsor and London Leagues.

Following a warm-up friendly against an A-grade littered Thames Valley team during which the highlight had to be Sara Daughtrey toasting a loud-mouth American left fielder for a triple base hit, the team met the very strong BT Rookies in the final who had at least one player who was on their way out to the States this week to represent GB in the World Cup.

In a game of two halves, after four innings, the Flames had failed to score but had played great defensive softball and had kept the Rookies to just five runs. All changed from the fifth, when runs began to flow on both teams. Simon Beedell and David Crossman both hit runs home on triples and Sara Daughtrey also came up big again. Unfortunately the Rookies scored at a quicker rate and ran out 13-7 winners. A great performance however by the Flames again demonstrating how much the team has improved throughout this season.

A&C Men's 1 XI began their league campaign with a hard fought win over Aylesbury. Having missed out on promotion last year due to a draw in the first game of the season, this year there were stern words about not losing the match.

The first half began with some good play by the midfield to hold the ball after an aerial from the push back. Play began to be spread around with both teams taking some good attacking opportunities but making nothing of them. Then the controversy started..After good play around the 25 the ball was put into the D and after coming off the keeper, Crossman put the ball against the back board. The Aylesbury players began to protest that there had been a foot earlier in the play. The umpires consulted and though neither one had actually seen a foot they thought they had better disallow the goal just in case. Donkey of the match moment came when during the half Yoxall went to receive the ball and it went straight under his stick! Good tackling back from Wardman and Crossman saw off the danger from this blunder. Then came the thing that no one in the team wanted. Aylesbury took a PC and with a straight strike it came off Paine in goal and into the net. 1-0. A&C then scored again but this was again turned over because the umpire felt that the ball had been lifted dangerously (a whole 2cm off the ground!) There was then more controversy when later in the half Chiles was sent off for remarking on an umpiring decision "that was f***ing rubbish!" Off went Chiles into the corner for 5 minutes. Then came the relief of half time.

In the second half A&C again began strongly but crucially could not get that last touch in on the ball to send it goalwards. Aylesbury were still moving the ball well but they could not get a shot on goal from open play due to good defending from van Duyvenbode, van Eestren and Wardman. Then came a good attacking chance with Scott running straight into the D and then being taken out by one of the Aylesbury defenders. PC for A&C. Having been waiting for a chance throughout the first half and not being allowed, this time Yoxall was allowed to drag flick the ball. Result was a ball which hit the back of the net on the left side. 1-1 and A&C were looking for another. More good defending found Aylesbury getting annoyed and their anger was shown when the umpire yellow carded one of their substitutes which meant one of the on pitch players had to leave the pitch. More good attacking found Scott running into the D on his own with the keeper coming out to meet him. The ball went into the keepers pads and whilst Scott held the keeper down (non intentional I hasten to add!) Chiles (having been allowed back on at this point) came and calmly slotted the ball past 3 Aylesbury players to the bottom left corner. 2-1 with 13 minutes to go. Aylesbury then went for all out attack because they also did not wish to lose the game due to beating us heavily last year. A&C defended well but Martin was sent off for a stick tackle which could easily have been blown earlier for an equally bad tackle. Final whistle went with A&C coming out as 2-1 winners. Chiles took the Man of the Match on the wishes of the opposition who just did not want Crossman to get it. Donkey was Yoxall for missing the ball and stopping to think about it whilst play continued.

MoM: Darryl Chiles
DoM: Chris Yoxall

Team: Paine, van Eestren, Yoxall, van Duyvenbode, Wardman, Wolfenden, Jack, Martin, Chiles, Crossman, Archer, Scott, Carruthers.

This game was going to give us a real marker for the rest of the 05/06 season. The game started positively with a fair percentage of the game being played within Aylesbury's half. Positive runs from Tom Powell and wider runs from Neil Turner and Andy Watts led to Aylesbury sitting back in their 25, with their clearances being cleared up by the midfield or defence. It came down to a lack of invention, frantic defending from Aylesbury and the final ball that eluded AC an early goal. Aylesbury were slowly edging back into the game with spells of quick counter-attack hockey and catching AC with quick solo runs from the midfield.

'Against the run of play' - Their goal came on a counter-attack, which broke down their right and ended up in a bobbling near post shot that Keoghan Litchfield was unlucky to not save. The turn around came straight away from the push back just before the end of the 1st half. The fast paced passing with good off the ball running stretching the Aylesbury defence gave Phil (who the **** is Phil, Russell?, Neil (team mate and editor)) the opportunity to cross into the 'D', so Nick Wilson simply sweeped into the goal from the back post.

The second half. Both teams had their opportunities with short corners, which were well defended till they nipped with a change of routine that caught the defence in the cold 2-1. There were opportunities at both ends with some good defensive work by Jamie Lamborn and Craig Ottaway to deny Aylesbury furthering their lead. Tony Hewston was unlucky at the other end with the attack shorts but it proved a frustrating day for the forward players. Some changes helped keep Aylesbury thinking and AC work rate high and it was only inevitable that AC got the equalising goal. It came from one of Peter Westaway's trademark darting runs from defence, which proved pivotal as he slipped home the equaliser from the top of the 'D' with a well taken shot. There were more opportunities, which weren't taken in the dying minutes of the game, but ended 2-2.

RESULT: 2-2

MOM: Tom Powell

Early mornings obviously don't suit the 4's, after two 8.30am meets in a row, they have now conceded 5, almost twice the number of league goals they did in the whole of last season!

Given the early hour we started quite brightly and dominated for the first 10 minutes. However as the half went on, Henley got into their stride and attacked with increasing purpose, the defence struggling to contain their fiddly centre forward. About halfway through the first half came the first of Henley's 100 short corners, the defence, which must surely have the highest average age in the club, was warned twice for breaking early of all things! It was from one of these many shorts that Henley had their first real chance at goal, a slip from the receiver, followed by a fierce shot stopped brilliantly on the line by Sue Butler; unfortunately it was ballet style with her feet! Penalty flick conceded and fantastically stopped by Woody in goal, low to her left, almost doing the splits to reach it. Henley also had a goal disallowed late on in the half.

So we reached halftime at 0-0, pretty good considering, and we felt even better after a team talk which included compliments on our youth, grace and athleticism from the oppo.

Unfortunately, the second half was not as pretty as the team and we defended for almost the entire half, well, when various members of the team weren't picking themselves up off the floor after forceful tackles from the larger members of the Henley squad that is.

Many, many more defensive short corners ensued, and from one, another flick was conceded, by Kitty diving full length behind Woody to save the goal with her legs (for the 2nd week in a row). Unfortunately the striker got more power behind this one and it just sneaked in. 1-0.

The second goal came from a deflected dodgy free hit just outside the "D" after the umpire deemed an A&C player to have freakishly lifted the ball into her own arm, but I'm not bitter!

A&C clung on to keep it at just the two owing to some great, if at times desperate defending from the entire team, especially Woody, flinging herself about like a mad woman. Well done to the team for making it off the pitch in one piece, particularly Sue Butler who had a ball smacked straight into her shoulder that rebounded onto her head! You're dead hard!

Thanks to Charlotte for stepping in at the last minute to give us a full squad, to Paul for umpiring and to Jacqui Smith for supporting us.

TESCOS VOUCHERS

If you shop in Tesco or buy your petrol there, please save the green sports for schools and clubs vouchers that they offer you. We have registered the junior section of our club with Tesco and the more vouchers we collect, the more free kit we can get for our growing (100+) junior section.

Please pass on any vouchers that you have to any committee member or put in the collection box that is on the bar at the club.

We currently have 50 vouchers and are looking to get to 1200 so that we can get a junior goalkeeping helmet.