University of Warwick Mens Hockey Club

 Both Warwick University 1s and 2s returned home victorious after completing tricky away wins at the hands of Loughborough 3s and Nottingham 4s respectively.

Tom Morton continued to stake his claim for the golden stick award with a fine hatrick which was supported by Jonny Bond’s double and a Mark Bridger effort. Robert Logan, playing his last BUCS away game, was awarded with the MOM award for an incredibly solid performance at the heart of defence. A fine 6-0 victory ensured that Warwick will finish ahead of their opposition in the league.

Elsewhere, Warwick Uni 2s, playing in the Midlands Cup, set up a mouth watering quarter final tie against Coventry 1s, after overcoming an efficient Nottingham 4s side. Harry Wilson grabbed both the goals in what proved to be a more difficult tie than expected. Sahir Shamshad made a string of excellent saves, keeping another clean sheet in the process while Gary Lam’s tireless work upfront saw him voted as the 2s MOM.

On Monday (24th January), we will be having our annual club photo. Be there!

We are starting at 3:15pm in Cryfield Pavilion (by the football pitches past Cryfield halls) so please get there about 10mins before. We’ll start with a whole club photo with our social shirts and ties (if you don’t have them just come along, we’ll have some spare) with smartish trousers. After that we’ll have team pictures so bring all your home hockey kit (Blue shirt, white shorts, blue socks).

Thanks very much and see you tomorrow, Senna.

P.S. Well done to all teams for the results yesterday and massive massive apologies to the 4s about this morning!!!

At the end of the Michaelmas term the magnificent men ventured with the ladies club to Liverpool in what proved to be a successful domestic tour. After an eventful trip up north the two clubs enjoyed three excellent nights out, a day out to the local laser quest whilst enjoying the general joys the former capital of culture has to offer. A fixture had been arranged against a Liverpool University Select X1 but rumours about the sheer class and calibre of Warwick spread rapidly around the city and thus only three members of the opposition team were brave enough to show off. This however failed to spoil a tremendous and unbeaten trip which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

Olly Tonks leads the charge for UWMHC 3s

Rob Ellis’ first half strike proved to be the difference as UWMHC 3s edged out their respective 4th team in a rather tense affair. The tackles were crunching and the work rate immaculate however both sides failed to demonstrate their true passing and finishing capabilities throughout the seventy minutes. Little goalmouth action was observed in the first period yet the game came to life early on in the second half as the 4s went in search of an equaliser. John Mottram looked lively through the middle, darting through the 3s defence on a number of occasions yet Jack Kelly’s men held strong at the back. At the other end, Olly Tonks forced a fine stick save from Ben Boss, diving superbly to his right to block a shot which look destined for the bottom corner. Minutes from the end, Ben Lochener had a chance to double the lead but his short corner strike drifted agonizingly wide of the post. Nevertheless the 3s held on strong thus extending their unbeaten run in the league to five games.

Elsewhere in the club, Warwick 1s took an early lead against Loughborough 2s through Jake Rubin but a small squad size soon took its toll as the opposition fought back, taking the game 4-2. Tom Morton netted his eleventh goal of the season, a rather impressive feat considering they’ve all come from midfield. Finally, Tom Lambert’s 2nd X1 played out a 2-2 draw away at Oxford Brookes 2s. Despite going down to an early goal, Gary Lam’s deflection (thus ending his long barren run in front of goal) and Lambert’s penalty flick gave UWMHC the incentive. But a late strike from Brookes ensured that both teams left with a point apiece.

UWMHC & UWLHC demonstrated that their expertise lie not only on the hockey field but also on stage as the Talent Show & Quiz Night raised £360 for charity. The range of talent was vast with guitars, harmonicas, violins, ballet and excellent vocals all featuring on the evening’s program. Both clubs would like to thank all those who supported the event, in particular those who performed or contributed to the raffle. The money raised will be shared between three excellent and extremely worthwhile causes – Right to Play, Kenilworth Helping Hands and The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign.

Ben Tyers and Pete Gow belting out their version of ‘A Whole New World’  to the flocks of admiring fans

‘Up for the Cup’ – the 2s march on into the third round

The 2nd X1 booked their place in the third round of the BUCS Midlands Cup after overcoming Lincoln 1s 2-1 in what proved to a rather more difficult away day than expected. Welcoming back a trio of previously unavailable players, Tom Lambert’s side travelled north with high expectations as they took on a side positioned a tier below the 2s. Nevertheless, Lincoln had conceded just one goal this season at BUCS level going into this fixture and demonstrated their abilities from the outset, eventually taking the lead midway through the first half.  Warwick were awoken from their slumber and were forced to rally -Will Epsom’s invaluable equaliser minutes before the first half whistle gave Warwick the incentive they needed going into the second period. Skipper Lambert’s decisive strike saw the 2s take the lead for the first time early in the second half and a stern performance from the backline in the closing periods of play ensured jubilant scenes as the final whistle blew. Warwick will now take on Nottingham 4s in the third round.

The 3rd and 4th X1 cup campaigns however came to an abrupt end at the hands of Leicester 1s and Lincoln 3s. Jack Kelly’s side fought bravely but were eventually undone by an extremely well organized Leicester side while Carl Pugh’s 4th team were left to rue missed chances as they lost 1-0 to Lincoln despite controlling extensive periods of the game. In the only BUCS league fixture, Warwick 1s went down 4-2 to Birmingham 2s but will take spirit from an excellent second half display.

The 4th X1’s assault on the top of the East Midland Premiership continued in fine fashion as they overcame lowly Belper 6s on Saturday 4-0. Carl Pugh’s rampant side were forced into a number of changes after a number of club players were forced to withdraw earlier in the week due to injury or home commitments. Nevertheless, Harry Banarjee, Tom Zhang and Tom Griffiths produced commanding displays on their debuts for UWMHC. Short corner specialist James Thompson opened the 4s account in the opening ten minutes however Belper produced a bold response and began to assert pressure on the Warwick goal. Yet their resilience was undone soon after the half time break as forwards Paddy O’Brien and Adam Carlile both struck for the 4s. The win was sealed off with a second short corner goal courtesy of James Thompson who was later awarded the man of the match award for his superb display throughout. The 4th X1 now sit in third place, six points adrift of those all-important top two positions. With a game in hand and a rapidly improving side, who would bet against Carl’s side forcing themselves into promotion contention?

Elsewhere, the 1st X1 will feel hard done by as they let a three-goal advantage slip against Nottingham 1s with both teams sharing a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Strikers Alex Evans, Jake Rubin and Mark Bridger all netted as Tom Morton’s team looked good value for money at 3-0 midway through the second half. The 1s dominated proceedings in the middle of the park for long periods of the game however a rejuvenated Nottingham team fought back well and netted their equaliser with a matter of seconds on the clock. Meanwhile, Warwick’s 2nd and 3rd X1s both had days to forget as they went down 5-0 and 7-1 respectively in fixtures they would have looked to have picked up points. Onwards and upwards!

Lady luck failed to fortune the brave as both the 3s and 4s conceded late goals in their respective fixtures but nevertheless earned a point a piece in their endeavours. The results leave Jack Kelly and Carl Pugh’s sides sitting on four points in what looks to be one of the tightest leagues in the BUCS Midlands Conference this season.

An early defensive error put Staffordshire in command however strikes from Jack Kelly and Andrew Boag soon after the break turned the 3rd X1’s game on its head. Meanwhile, Vitaly Vavinsky typified all that is good about the 3s at the moment with an inspired display in the middle of the park. Nevertheless a goal deep into added time from the home side ensured a point for the hosts as the match finished 2-2. In similar circumstance, Joseph Mabe’s first goal for UWMHC sent the 4th X1 on their way but as the final whistle neared, a goalmouth scramble led to an unfortunate equaliser for the visitors in what proved to be the last hit of the game. Final score – Warwick 4s 1-1 Leicester 2s.

The 1st X1 came up against stiff opposition in Nottingham 1s with a late arrival and a shortened warm-up not helping the cause. Even man of the match Alan Wilson at the heart of the defence couldn’t prevent a heavy loss. Tom Morton’s team will need to recoup ahead of a critical game next week against Loughborough 3s.

Greg Bond leads out the defensive troops as they defend a short corner against Loughborough 2s

A tenacious performance from Warwick’s 1st XI saw them come within touching distance of a result against Loughborough 2s however two slick short corners from the opposition deep into the second half left Tom Morton’s men empty handed in a 4-2 defeat. Nevertheless improvements are evident and the finishing far more clinical than previous weeks. Alex Evans and Sam Middleton scored for the 1s while Alan Wilson produced another superb performance at the heart of the defence.

Elsewhere, Warwick 2s and 3s moved safely into the 2nd round of the Midlands BUCS Cup after overcoming Northampton 1s and Coventry 3s respectively. The 2s were pushed to the limit but eventually ran in 3-2 winners thanks to Will Epsom’s brace which eventually won him the man of the match award. The 3s meanwhile were far more comfortable in their 14-0 demolition of Coventry with Olly Tonks notching five goals in the process.

 Warwick Uni 2s moved to the summit of the Midlands 1 league following a six point weekend which saw them overcome Olton & West Warwick on Saturday and Rugby & East Warwick the following day. Particularly impressive was the victory over league leaders Olton. Despite trailing to an early goal, strikes from front men Aiman Shanks and Glenn Humphries humbled a side which hadn’t lost since January of this year. The backline was formidable throughout, in particular Alex Mitchell whose resilience earned him the man of the match award. Elsewhere in the club, lady luck went against the Warwick 1s who will feel disappointed to leave their double-header weekend empty handed. The side however can take comfort from the fact that goals are starting to flow with particular mention to Tom Morton who claimed a brace against league new boys Coventry City & Uni on Saturday. The games were extremely close with one goal in both matches the difference. Despite being on the wrong end of a 4-0 score line, Warwick 3s produced an encouraging second half display against Stourport with Will Epsom constantly showing his class and threat up front. Finally, Carl Push’s 4^th team picked up their first three points of the season with a resounding 3-1 victory over Rugby & East Warick 4s. The side had John Mottram to thank who completed the clubs first hatrick of the season. The fact that he was a goal keeper prior to this game makes the feat even more impressive!