MAIDSTONE HOCKEY CLUB REPORTS
a) Sunday 2nd October 2011
Ladies 1s
Home v Harleston Magpies 1s
Score:  W 1 -0 (Hannah Durston)
Maidstone Earn First Win of the Season
Maidstone oozed confidence on their home pitch with plenty of supporters soaking up the atmosphere & sunshine on October’s

hottest day on record as they started strongly, creating chances from the off.  Throughout the game the ladies worked hard

for each other & made the most of the fresh legs on the bench to share the workload on such a hot day.
Half time arrived with neither team able to break the deadlock, but Maidstone knew that if they kept creating chances and

worked hard, they would get their reward.  They continued to control the game in the second half, and after 52 minutes

Hannah Durston was in place to pounce on a goalkeeper rebound, slotting home without error.
With last week’s defeat firmly behind them, the home team continuing threatening to double their lead.  Magpies kept them

out however, and attempted to level the scores themselves.  Maidstone’s defence soaked up any attacks that came their way

and Maidstone took away a well-earned 3 points, attributable to the hard work put in by every member of the team.
b) Saturday 1st October 2011
Ladies’ 2s

Away v  Kings Alleyn 1s
Score:  W 2-1 (Claire Daniels 2)
Last Gasp Win
Maidstone found themselves behind after Kings Alleyn converted on the break. The score was levelled before half time when

Claire Daniels self-passed from the sideline, dinked past two defenders and powered the ball home. Not letting the heat and

clattering Kings’ sticks get the better of them, Maidstone finally grabbed the winner in the last minute when MOM Daniels

slotted home her second.
Ladies’ 3s
Home v Burnt Ash 2s
Score:  D 5-5 (Gemma Blacker [2], Maddy Jarvis [3] )
Keeperless Again
For the second home match of the season Maidstone were without a keeper, but once again the girls showed good spirit to get

a result.  Burnt Ash took a 2-0 lead before a good move down the right with Helen Brown finding Gemma Blacker to pull one

goal back.  Maddy Jarvis made it two from a penalty corner, only for Burnt Ash to retake the lead with the last touch of

the half.  Burnt Ash extended the lead before Maddy Jarvis deflected a Wendy Carter strike from a penalty corner, only for

Burnt Ash to restore their two goal advantage to 3-5.  Maidstone dug deeper and kept fighting for every loose ball and

their player advantage on pitch soon began to tell in the heat as Maidstone kept pushing and pushing with Sarah Day,

Harriet Day and Meg Hussey working the keeper.  The defence worked well moving the ball out and finally found  Sarah Day

who calmly drew the keeper out to slip a pass for Gemma Blacker to safely put away into an empty goal.  Another penalty

corner saw a slip from Sarah Day to Maddy Jarvis to complete her hat trick.  Maidstone pushed for the winner and had a

penalty corner in the last minute.  Some frantic play by Burnt Ash denied Maidstone the winner.  This week saw two debuts

for Annys Fearon and Meg Husey; both fitted into the team well. The team played as a good unit as shown by the player of

the match being split between five players; Rosie Drake, Maddy Jarvis, Meg Husey, Gemma Blacker and Harriet Day.
Ladies’ 4s
Home v Burnt Ash 3s
Score:  L 0-1
Tough Luck
Although having main control of the game and some excellent hockey played,  with numerous attempts on goal, Maidstone

Ladies failed to score.  Final score being  0-1.
Player of the match Christine Dark.

Men’s 1s

Home v West Hampstead
Score:  D 1-1 (Nick Leatherbarrow)

Leatherbarrow secures point in the October heat

Maidstone 1st XI got their Southern Premier Division 2 campaign off to a mixed start as they took on West Hampstead in the

unseasonal heat.

Maidstone started the brighter and showed good composure on the ball as they fell right in to their natural passing game.

West Hampstead looked off the pace and Maidstone enjoyed plenty of attacking possession but the final penetrative ball was

lacking and they were unable to manufacture any decent chances. Full backs Iain Brine and Nick Leatherbarrow continued to

marshal the defence well, feeding through some good ball and it only looked like a matter of time before Maidstone broke

the deadlock. However despite some balls flashing across the West Hampstead D Maidstone were unable to deflect into the net

and it was West Hampstead that won the first short corner of the game. Though this came to nothing they enjoyed further

short corners and forced Maidstone into some scrambled defence. Maidstone’s one answering corner in the first half flashed

passed the post but with no-one able to put a stick on it the half ended scoreless. The home side went into the change of

ends the better team and confident of securing the win.

Despite the heat both teams started off the second half with admirable intensity and continued to play good hockey and

delight the large partisan crowd. Maidstone rotated their players well and their superior fitness started to tell as they

created the clearer chances.  The best opportunity fell to Chris Brinn who superbly collected a lofted pass from the right

and cooly rounded the keeper only to shoot narrowly wide as he was subjected to just enough pressure from behind. The game

then turned as a West Hampstead player made three poor challenges in a row and was rewarded with 5 minutes in the sin bin.

Unfortunately the extra space this afforded was seized upon by the away side who were able to switch the ball at pace

across the pitch, cut into the D from their left and get a shot away. Maidstone keeper Darren Marchant was up to the

challenge but it was a West Hampstead player who reacted first to the rebound and somehow his miss-hit shot found its way

into the goal. Maidstone showed their newfound maturity as they kept their heads up and continued moving the ball nicely,

just looking for someone to provide the finish. Skipper Nick Leatherbarrow was only too keen to provide this as he calmly

slotted home a well worked short corner. As the relentless heat showed no sign of abating Maidstone pressed on for the

victory and finally delivered one of their trademark counter attacks. The ball was shifted smoothly up the pitch with Tim

Chapman playing in Jeremy Swaffer who had done well to find space in the D. However the West Hampstead keeper came from

nowhere to make a fantastic save and earn his team a draw. Maidstone were left ruing missed opportunities but otherwise

happy with their performance.

Maidstone next play away at Purley on 8th October as they aim for their first win of the season.

Men’s 3s

Home v Sevenoaks 3s
Score:  L 2-11 (Jack Slattery, Richard Chilcott)

Poor Start

Maidstone began their league campaign very poorly.  In blistering heat the home side failed to settle and Sevenoaks were

able to capitalize on the disorganization in their opposition to take a 5 goal advantage to the second half.  Some

restructuring at half time saw Maidstone manage to get a foothold in the game early in the second half.  Centre Forward

Matt Evans received a the ball  on the edge of the area, he drew the advancing keeper before deftly flicking the ball to

his right with a disguised reverse stick, the advancing Jack Slattery was able to coolly slot the ball into the open goal.

The possibility of a monumental fight back was short lived and soon Sevenoaks regained control and were able to double

their first half total, Maidstone added a second on the final whistle with a well struck short corner strike from Richard

Chilcott, but it was too little too late and Maidstone were left to lick their wounds in preparation for the next fixture.

Men’s 4s

Away v Folkestone 4s
Score:  L 1-5 (Mark Biddulph)

Poor First Half

On a very hot October day the two sides met on one of Folkestone’s brand new astro pitches.
Maidstone played some good hockey but they struggled to get the measure of the home side
and ended the first half 0-4 down.
After a rousing team talk at half time Maidstone rallied back and soon had a goal when
Mark Biddolph converted home from a short corner. The rest of the game saw good pressure
from Maidstone and much better man to man marking which denied Folkestone as much time
on the ball.
Folkestone however scored again just before the end of the game but the visitors had had
a much improved  second half  and will need to build on that good spell for the next game.
Despite the score line some excellent saves from Steve Slade in goal and a good
Performance (MoM)  from Robert Clarkson too.

Men’s 5s

Away v Sutton Valence
Score:  W 5-1 (Graham Clarkson, Zach Stiff, Kirit Parmer, David Thompson, Simon Wood)

Great Local Win

Maidstone 5ths started their league season with a 5v1 win against Sutton Valence. Maidstone started slowly and it was

against the run of play that Graham Clarkson slotted home on the first meaningful attack by the home side. A well worked

short corner allowed Zach Stiff to score his first senior goal with a well taken reverse stick shot. With Jamie Graham

again giving a man of the match performance, Maidstone’s defence gave very few scoring opportunities, and a third well

taken goal by Kirit Parmer sealed the game. Sutton Valence did pull one back early in the second half, despite some fine

keeping by Matt Emery. This only spurred Maidstone into attack again, and David Thompson scored his first of the season

from a rebounded shot by Kirit Parmar. A fine lob shot from the edge of the circle by Simon Wood finished a very good team

performance.

Men’s Vets

Away v Old Bordenians 6s
Score:  W 2-0 (Jim Mendoza, Nigel Swaffer)

Impressive Opening League Win

A goal early in each half gave Maidstone Vet’s an impressive opening league win. It was a solid team performance where the

defensive was tested for long periods at a time, and where midfield and attack were efficient when they had the ball.

Following a short corner Jim Mendoza was on hand to slot home Maidstone’s first. Although several further opportunities

were made it was not until just after the re-start when a magnificent solo run from half way by Sam Boyns gave Nigel

Swaffer the chance he was not going to miss. Further stout defending ensured a very positive end result.