REPORT ON THE TOUR TO WALES 2010

On a walk in Penmachno, after the matches     After beating the North Wales Champions

We chose the weekend after Club Day this year for our matches against Colwyn Bay and Neston. This year Lilly, Grace, Zak, Jacob, Haider, Alex, Kai, Isaac  and Usamah stayed  in the cottage with Jim, Jonathan and Zach.  Cheevan,  Pradeep and their parents lived it up in a hotel in Llandudno while Paul, Karen and Noah stayed at Ty Coch, a riding school in Penmachno. I fully expected Karen and Paul to arrive at the cottage for breakfast on horseback with Noah riding pillion.

   This year we were joined by Neston, - a very powerful club in the National Hockey League. With Colwyn Bay Boys having just become champions of North Wales we were well prepared for a thrashing. But read on.

 Saturday’s matches

Our short corner routine was put to the test as we scored twice with Jacob and Haider demonstrating. The first goal was simplicity itself. Haider put the ball to Jacob who passed back to Haider and he scored at the near post. The second was even more decisive. Haider to Jacob – thud it clunked into the backboard. Two nil to us.

Our next opponents were Colwyn Bay girls. We used all our girls and Noah for this. Which we only won 1-0.  It was another short corner with the deadly combination. Haider to Jacob, goalkeeper saved, but it was Noah who swept it in off the pads.

Owen came into the picture against Neston. He scored both goals in our 2-0 win. Alex, on the right wing passed him a beauty into the D. Owen knows what to do with those.

Neston’s B team capitulated losing  5-2. with two more goals from Owen with Alex Jacob and Jeevan one each.  

The first goal in the second half was a masterpiece. Owen pushed back to Haider, then on the right to Jacob, back to Owen, by now in the D and guess what – a goal in 25 seconds from the push. So Saturday was our most successful day ever with four wins out of four having scored eleven goals and conceded two.

     Everybody played well. Lilly and Grace on the left, Kai and Isaac playing in the midfield, Owen and Pradeep up front, Usamah and Cheevan playing a staunch defensive role. Zak, in goal on Saturday played like a Trojan.  It truly was a team effort.

On Sunday

The following day Colwyn Bay put out a strong team. After all they were the North Wales Champions. We held them to a 0-0 draw and followed this with a 2-0 win against the girls We said our farewells to our hosts Colwyn Bay Hockey Club and the Chagger family who were making their own way back next day.  We headed for a picnic on the Great Orme, a whizz down the Horse-shoe Pass and home.  We all agreed it was the best ever results and all due to a team effort and training.  Alan and Tricia couldn’t come with us this time but their enthusiasm and commitment at training paid off, and Jonathan’s half-time talks were the icing on the cake. We have a great team - Yardley HC is very lucky.

                                                                                                                              J.S.