Match Report 3rd DECEMBER 2005
South Shields (6) v Marton Furness IV (2) - Away
South Shields Mens Hockey club’s topsy turvy season continued on Saturday as they notched their first league victory on the road with a 6-2 victory over Marton Furness, this result coming a week after relinquishing their unbeaten home record.
Shields were up for this game after a disappointing second half against Norton and were quick to find their stride with Peter Sowden providing useful link play between the midfield and the strikers. A smart passing move between Sowden, and Jordan Walker released Lee Jacobson to score from close range. The visitors settled the better as Phil Jordan and Mal Bloodworth began to boss the midfield. Their holding roles allowed Alan Walker and Graeme Kell to provide good wide attacking options. Patient play around the opponent’s goal was rewarded when Jordan Walker was played in to fire in low past the goalkeeper. Swift passing and clever movement enabled Shields to create many more chances only to be foiled by the goalkeeper. Lee Jacobson was unlucky to unleash a thunderous shot which the goalkeeper saved with his chest-pads and saw the ball roll out for a long corner. When the corner play broke down the ball was played back in to Peter Sowden who let rip with a booming shot which hit the cross bar and left the frame of the goal reverberating for minutes afterwards.
In a rare attack Furness scored from a John Culshaw short corner, but Shields were soon back on the offensive and Lee Jacobson, in space, fired in another screaming shot which the goalkeeper got a hand too, only to have his glove cannoned from his hand and off the pitch together with the ball. Persistence was rewarded when the same player was able to place a shot into the corner of the goal to send Shield in 3-1 up at half time.
Marton attacked in numbers early in the second half but the visitors defence stood firm and even instigated a counter-attacking move which released Jordan Walker who deftly rounded the oncoming keeper for his second of the game. South Shields relaxed and played the open, flowing hockey they are capable of and attacked at will. The total family influence on the game was complete when first “Pops” Alan Walker found himself in space and able to place the ball wide of the on-coming keeper and then son Jordan rounded off a fine hat-trick through his sheer pace and determination, slotting in from an acute angle. Marton were able to score a consolation late in the second half when one of their youngsters was able to lob the stranded goalkeeper David Gough.
Match Report 26th NOVEMBER 2005
South Shields (2) v Norton III (3) - Home
No report available.
Match Report 19th NOVEMBER 2005
South Shields (0) v Billingham I (3) - Away
No report available.
Match Report 12th NOVEMBER 2005
South Shields (3) v Redcar I (3) - Home
South Shields Hockey Club maintained their unbeaten home record with a hard fought 3-3 draw against an experienced Redcar side.
A number of personnel changes from the previous weeks’ defeat at Richmond made for a nervous start and the home team took a while to settle, but in time honoured fashion they were able to create an opening down the left flank and allow talisman Jordan Walker the space to fire in from close range. Redcar’s swift counter-attacking illustrated they are no back number and they were rewarded when a cross was deflected into the path of their striker who scooped the ball into the top of the net.
The home team seemed to heed this warning and put together a string of good passing moves and a particularly outstanding move saw Peter Goddard and Lee Jacobson combine and deliver an accurate cross for Graeme Kell to deceive the defence with a tickle at the front post to see the home team go in 2-1 up at half-time.
A harshly awarded short corner gave the visitors an opportunity to equalise within seconds of the restart. Goalkeeper Andy Furlong was unlucky to see an excellent save return to the striker who drilled home from ten yards. The game then opened out as both teams sought to secure the three points and whilst defending stoutly Neil Powell was adjudged to have thrown his stick towards an attacker to prevent a goal scoring opportunity and the visitors scored from the resulting penalty to give them the lead for the first time in the game.
The Shields midfield had to dig deep to create any kind of quality service to the strikers with Alan Walker and Mark Wheater being particularly productive. It took a typical jinking run from Lee Jacobson to create an opportunity for an equaliser as he hit a fierce shot across the visiting goalkeeper into the far corner for a much deserved share of the points.
Match Report 5th NOVEMBER 2005
South Shields (0) v Richmond III (4) - Away
Obviously that bad that no one could write a report.
Match Report 29th OCTOBER 2005
South Shields (11) v Marton Furness III (2) - Home
We’ve all heard of the “gamekeeper turned poacher” fable, but for the Joe Mooney (Steamboat) sponsored South Shields Hockey Club it was a case of “goalkeeper turned poacher” as Andy Furlong hit four goals in an emphatic 11-2 victory over a youthful Marton Furness side. Last weeks goalkeeper was this weeks goal hero, showing accomplished finishing skills and scoring from a varied angles and using a whole repertoire of stick work.
Lee Jacobson opened the scoring for South Shields with another signature mazy run blistering shot and Peter Sowdon added a second from a penalty corner. The visitors threatened early with back to back penalty corners causing a few anxious moments but as the home team midfield grew in confidence it became inevitable that Shields would dominate proceedings.
The steel and strength of Mal Bloodworth combined with energetic box to box play from Neil Powell allowed the forwards to see a lot of the ball in the attacking third of the pitch. Wide men Alan Walker and Peter Goddard also added an extra dimension to the home team play and it was Goddard who jinxed past two defenders to fire in a cross which Andy Furlong duly dispatched for his opener. Another two short range shots from Andy Furlong completed his first half hat trick and a second for Lee Jacobson and one from Graeme Kell effectively sealed the fate of the hapless opponents with the home team being 7-0 up at half time.
Peter Sowden and Graeme Kell scored second half goals to grab a brace each before Marton pulled one back with shot which deceived keeper David Gough with the ball squeezing in between pad and post.
Match Report 22nd OCTOBER 2005
South Shields (2) v Stockton III (3) - Away
South Shields Hockey Club journeyed south once again down the A19 only to end up
loosing 3-2 to Stockton III.
Shields found it difficult to get into any rhythm early on and spent the early
part of the game defending deeply. The inevitable happened when Stockton went
one up after twenty minutes. This seemed to be the shake-up the visitors needed
and, playing with more fluency, began to take the game to their hosts. An
equaliser came through a swift break from Lee Jacobson who was able to pinpoint
Graeme Kell inside the shooting area and he made no mistake from eight yards to
go in level at half-time.
South Shields struggled to take command and Stockton pressure created a string
of short corners faced by Andy Furlong - the third goalkeeper in as many weeks.
Stockton were able to convert one penalty corner put the home team 2-1 up, and
then a driving run through three players saw their “star man” shoot his team
into a 3-1 lead. South Shields responded yet again and their persistence saw
some nervy defending around the home goal.
The injured Mark Wheater was able to reduce the arrears when he slammed home
form close range at a short corner, and this was seen as a window of opportunity
to push to get something out of the game. The home umpire incensed the visitors
in failing to play an obvious advantage as Graeme Kell was about to unleash a
shot at the home goal.
Lone defender Kev Irving tried valiantly to keep his team in the game and was
unlucky to be “sin binned” late on in the game for what the umpire deemed to be
a deliberate foul.
Match Report 15th OCTOBER 2005
South Shields (2) v Jesmond Parish Church I (1) - Home
South Shields Men's Hockey club notched their second league victory of the season with a 2-1 home victory over Jesmond Parish Church HC.
After a slightly nervous start Shields settled better when Neil Powell and Mal Bloodworth began to boss the midfield. Their holding roles allowed Alan Walker to combine with Lee Jacobson who saw his effort helped over the line by Jordan Walker. Jesmond threatened briefly with swift counter attacks and it took a fine one-handed save from keeper Ian Peel to preserve their clean sheet at half time.
The home team dominated in the second half without converting their advantage into goals. It was only after a succession of spurned chances at penalty corners that Peter Sowden was able to shoot home and give Shields the score line their good play had deserved. Jesmond refused to accept defeat however, and it took a nimble goal-line clearance from Kev Irving to maintain the advantage, though late in the second half the visitors did reduce the arrears when they scored from a short corner play. A few nervous minutes ensued but clever play by Jacobson in the Shields attack helped run down the clock and retain an unbeaten home record.
South Shields Hockey Club would like to thank Joe Mooney of The Steamboat for his continued sponsorship and support.
Match Report 8th OCTOBER 2005
South Shields (2) v Darlington I (7) - Away
South Shields Hockey Club suffered their first reverse of the season when they went down 7-2 to a resurgent Darlington side. Shields went into the game without regular full backs and were forced to play midfield anchorman Mal Bloodworth and last weeks two goal hero Graeme Kell out of position.
The slower synthetic surface took Shields a while to adapt to and the swift, slick passing of the Darlington midfield soon saw them in the ascendancy and taking an early 3-0 lead. This was a wake-up call for the visitors who hit back when Alan Walker played in Lee Jacobson who glided past three defenders before slotting home. Another good passing move saw the same player have an attempt cleared off the line by a defender. Darlington replied swiftly though to go in 4-1 up at half-time despite the heroic efforts of Ian Peel at the heart of the Shields defence.
Shields started strongly in the second half but sustained attacks were thwarted by the in-form Darlington goalkeeper who denied Jacobson, Jordan Walker and Peter Sowden in successive attacks. Darlington were able to use rolling substitutes to maintain the pressure on the beleaguered Shields defence and add three further muddling scores. Lee Jacobson slammed home from close range after Sowdon’s initial penalty corner attempt had been saved.
Match Report 1st OCTOBER 2005
South Shields (5) v Durham City III (2) - Home
South Shields Hockey Club came into this game with confidence high after their 5-1 pre season victory at Tynemouth and a 4-4 draw with recently relegated Billingham and duly opened their League account at the first attempt by defeating Durham III 5-2.
Shields started their new league season brightly and took an early lead when good wing play between Graeme Kell and Jordan Walker put in Andy Furlong who fired in his fourth goal in two games. Shields went further ahead when Mark Wheater took control of a broken down penalty corner play and fired in from close range.
Durham’s counter attacking play was rewarded after 25 minutes when they broke quickly to score but the home team exerted ever more pressure towards the end of the first half and Peter Sowden was comfortably able to convert a penalty corner to go in 3-1 up at half-time.
In the second half, South Shields responded well to the urgings of newly appointed team manager Kevin Irving with Lee Jacobson and Jordan Walker instrumental in driving their attacking play forward towards the Durham goal. In a good spell of bright, sharp passing, Graeme Kell was released down the right flank and unleashed a fierce shot which a helpless Durham defender was only able to parry into his own net. Kell was on hand to slot home from close range five minutes later to put the game beyond their shell-shocked opponents who were able to steal a second consolation goal when the home defence were unable to clear late on in the game.
The result depended much on the quality of the play from the Shields midfield where holding players Phil Jordan and Neil Powell were outstanding.
Match Report 24th SEPTEMBER 2005
South Shields (4) v Billingham (4) - Away
Awaiting the various offerings from budding match reporters.
Match Report 17th SEPTEMBER 2005
South Shields (5) v Tynemouth (1) - Away
It seems SSHC won the first friendly of the season, but as usual a lack of interest from those involved means no report submitted.
This page was last edited on 08-Dec-2005