JHC Gobis have overtaken OV Convicts at the top of Division I and are now favourites to win the Jersey Men’s Hockey Association championship.
Although Gobis are just a point ahead of Convicts, they have the advantage of having played a game fewer - and this year the OVs don’t have the same goal-difference advantage which was what won them the Division I title last season.Victoria College 1sts 1, JHC Gobis 14: Gobis were quickly into their stride against a College side missing Richard White, who has been their outstanding player so far this season.Stuart Ramskill opened the scoring with a low drive and soon doubled his tally with a carbon-copy strike from the top of the D.
This early setback seemed to disrupt College and their play became desperate and too often they surrendered possession cheaply.Gobis, on the other hand, were passing the ball around the pitch with excellent link-up play throughout the team which let to lots of chances, but College goalkeeper Alex Pett was in excellent form, making two great saves from Simon Watling’s short corner flicks.But in the second half VC1 were truly overrun as Gobis turned possession to goals.
Two strikes from Ed Lewis and a goal apiece for Mark Wain, Jon Ireson and David Hall resigned College to defeat.Alasdair Hall also cemented his position as the league’s top scorer by adding a further five goals to his tally - and there was even an unlikely goal for Gobis’ captain, James Wetherall, who chose the occasion to reveal his hitherto well-hidden flicking abilities.
Victoria College earned a slight consolation for their efforts when they converted a short corner at the end of the game.Gobis now have four league fixtures left to play, two against OV Convicts and one against club-mates JHC Thornbacks, with the final fixture of the season against Convicts - although they hope to wrap up the league title before that game.Evolution OV Convicts 10, JHC Ormers 2: This encounter was played in good spirit and saw Convicts keep alive their slim hopes of retaining the men’s Division I title.Unfortunately, however, it ended with two players in hospital, with Ormers’ Andy Godden suffering from a crack on the head from the ball, and Convicts’ James O’Gara injuring a hand in a fall, then discovering at A & E after the game that he had broken two bones, which probably means that his hockey season is finished.Convicts controlled long periods against a weakened Ormers side, and a double hat-trick from Mark Dicker formed the backbone of the Convicts’ victory, with Robin Le Quesne (two) and Jon Cartmell scoring further goals from close range.The multi-talented Rich Finch added a further goal from the penalty spot late in the second half as a pre-cursor to his match-winning four tries in Sunday’s rugby inter-insular.At the other end of the pitch, Chris Curtis created the occasional chance for the Ormers and was rewarded with a consolation goal in either half.OV Victims 3, JHC Thornbacks 3: With just ten OVs deciding to turn up and Thornbacks fielding substitutes due to injury, there was everything to play for and virtually nothing to lose in this encounter.
In time-honoured fashion the OVs started poorly.
The defence gave the ball away too often on OV free hits and Thornbacks capitalised with three goals in the first 20 minutes.OV ‘keeper Andy Brown was fortunate not to be sent off after the first goal after he threw his stick at the Thornbacks’ captain after letting in a soft goal by David Hall - and when two further soft goals were conceded in quick succession, by Hall again and Conrad Evans, a few OVs probably wished the umpire had sent him off.
Evans’ goal, however, served to bring the OVs to their senses and they dominated the rest of the game with slick passing and good movement and tackling.Ross Collins and Damian Evans were rock-like in the OV midfield, thwarting Thornbacks attacks and setting up a goal each for Paul Wilkinson and Mike James.Thornbacks’ frustration increased, culminating in their captain being carded and sin-binned for ten minutes and, down to ten men, Thornbacks midfield had to defend.James then scored his second after a run from one end of the pitch to the other which finished with a blistering shot into the top right-hand corner to make the score 3-3.
Victims dominated the final few minutes of the game, but no further goals were scored.Jersey Women’s Hockey Association 3, OV Veterans 0: Both teams were missing regular players but it was the ladies who got off to the better start.
Early in the game Chrissie Hefford opened the scoring with a clinical finish from the top of the D after a good slip pass from Sarah Kerley.
Vets rallied but at this stage never looked like scoring in open play, despite good efforts by Colin Graham and Nick Cawley.Mark Fullerton tested the speed of the JWHA down their defensive left and won several short corners, but the men did not convert.With Shelagh Herbert controlling the midfield, the Vets struggled to get into any rhythm and they trailed by that one goal at the break.The ladies decided to overload on their attacking left in the second half and the tactic paid dividends with two further goals: the first from Sarah Kerley who nudged a Lisa Phillips shot across the line and the second when Jamey Herbert drove in from the top of the circle, beating three players and committing the ‘keeper as she flicked into the net.The Vets, motivated especially by Mike Tait and Mick Millar, never gave up and continued to counter-attack, with Jenny Pryke in the ladies goal being forced to save on several occasions, and produced an outstanding - and very brave - save from a point-blank shot from Fullerton.This was a good win for the ladies, as the double-header gives them three points in the league and three in the Minor Cup.Hautlieu HC 9, JHC Lions 1: Despite already having won Division II, Hautlieu are determined to finish their last few games in style, and the scoring opened after just a few minutes with two goals from Nathan Maguire.Luke Maguire opened his tally with a shot under pressure and good passing from the Hautlieu attack set up Jon Ireson to score an easy goal.
Just before half-time Nathan Maguire got his hat-trick and Luke his second, putting HHC 6-0 up at the break.Lions looked much more structured in the second half, despite still being a man down, and they made promising runs, one of which resulted in a questionable penalty flick, which was converted by Chris Curtis.
Hautlieu picked up their game and they, too, were awarded a penalty flick, which Luke Maguire converted for his hat-trick.
Before the final whistle he scored two more to take his total to five and the team’s to nine.Hautlieu HC are sponsored by the Bank of Scotland InternationalVC Colts 2, Crusaders 9: Without their regular goalkeeper, Gary d’Avoine, returning from injury, volunteered to stand in for Crusaders in a match which was played throughout at a hectic pace.Colts had a tough time as they frantically tried to keep the older, more experienced team at bay, at the same time coping with the biting north-easterly wind in their faces.Paul Le Bihan was the first to score for Crusaders and further goals came from Tim Kearsey from a short corner and two from Simon Garton.
Colts ‘keeper Chris Nurse played a blinder, and with the help of his gallant defenders did well to keep the score down to just 4-0 at the interval.In the second half the youngsters came back into the game, cheered on by parents and OV hockey players on the sidelines, with the players forcing play into their opponents’ half to test d’Avoine.Colts were rewarded with a well-executed short-corner from which William Golder scored, followed by a well-taken goal by Tom Millar and they showed great skills and never stopped running.However, the Crusaders’ forwards were served with many through-balls, and Garton scored a second-half hat-trick, Le Bihan got his second of the match and Sam Boléat scored his first for the club to bring the final score to 9-2.
Article posted on 27th February, 2004 - 12.00am
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