| 3rd October
1998 Southport Fleetwood Hesketh 2 -Wilmslow
0
From your Crewe
correspondent
A return to winning ways for
the boys from the Floral Hall town. A mixture of youth and experience combined
reasonably well to produce a team performance which gave hope for the future
but also left room for mprovement.
The game was quite even in the
middle of the field. However some excellent harrying work from J.Cowley and
I.Rogers and some sterling sweeping from S.Blackburn meant that the Southport
goalmouth was declared a
Wilmslow-free-zone.
Two goals, one from N.Dixon and
one from S.Brennan secured the win. Barry Fellows was very unlucky not to add a
third with a superb reverse stick attempt rebounding the wrong way from the far
post.
Here endeth the first
lesson.
|
|
24 October 1998
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh 2 -
Rossendale 4
On one of the worst days the
world has ever seen Southport produced a game to bring hope to remaining
matches of the season. Some excellent passing moves and good team play made for
a noteworthy team performance despite the
conditions.
Lashing rain and howling winds
made playing hockey extremely difficult but both teams produced a good
performance in an exciting game. Southport scored first. Simon ????
deflecting a powerful free-hit into the Rossendale goal in the first half. For
ten minutes after this Rossendale were deflated and Southport had the upper
hand. However some loose play meant that Southport could never sustain any
attacks, and this proved to be a major problem throughout the game.
As Rossendale slowly clawed their way back into the game they began to press
the Southport goal, and despite some resolute defending from Simon Blackburn,
Giles Lawson, Michael Spencer and Stuart Peel superior ball control and fitness
resulted in three goals being scored before Southport replied through
Neil Dixon. Rossendale put the result beyond doubt with a final goal twoards
the end of the game.
|
| |
|
|
|
31st October
1998
Bramhall 4 - Southport Fleetwood
Hesketh 1
The match did not start well for
Southport with an excellent short corner from Bramahll resulting in a very
early goal. This was followed by three more goals in quick succession -
Southport being found waiting for the umpires whistle on more than one
occasion. The only response from Southport in the first half being a well taken
goal: starting from Simon Blackburn in mid-field playing a pin-point pass to
Joss Wilson on the right wing who then fired in a cross which was met by a
diving Steve Brennan who rifled the ball into the Bramhall net.
The second half was a totally
different occasion (it is, after all, a game of two halves). A stern half-time
lecture from captain Michael Spencer resulted in excellent performances from
Southport: all eleven players acting as a team and denying Bramhall the time
and space to construct even a single worthwhile attack on goal.
More performances like the second
half and Southport will provide stiff opposition to all teams in their current
division.
|
|
7th November
1998
Manchester Indians 10 - Southport
Fleetwood Hesketh 0
The highlight of this game for
Southport was when the final whistle blew.
Must do better.
|
| |
|
|
|
14th November
1998
Woodley 3 - Southport Fleetwood
Hesketh 0
A grim time was endured by
Southport amongst the grimy red-brick houses and wind-swept West Yorkshire
moors of Oldham. The twelve players never gelled as a team and Woodley (who had
not won a point before this game) easily took
advantage of the situation. There
is little else to be said as there was nothing memorable about the
performance.
Southport have a mountain to
climb. |
|
28th November
1998
Mossley Hill 3 - Southport
Fleetwood Hesketh 0
29th November
1998
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh 0 -
Liverpool Hope Univ. 3
Two matches in two days! Southport
proved their stamina by playing the better of their two games in the latter
match.
In both matches Southport proved
too flimsy to resist the opposition.
Lack of a consistant side;
injuries; and the lack of commitment from some of the senior players has meant
that a settled side has been difficult to produce. This is clearly showing in
the play and the results.
Despite the three goals scored
against them in each game the new defensive structure seems to be improving the
resilience of Southport and the younger members of the team are gaining in
confidence and willingness.
Jim Dixon (umpire extraordinaire)
has stated that the latter match was the best that he has witnessed Southport
II play all season.
Whether this is the start of
something big or the peal before the trough remains to be seen.
|
| |
|
|
|
5th December
1998
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh 0 -
Liverpool University 2
Once again Southport played well
without being able to take any points from the game.
Good team play by all players
failed to show the deserved goals, probably because of a lack of fire-power in
the attack.
Two late goals from Liverppol
University doomed Southport to another defeat, though there is some doubt about
the first goal after a Liverpool player played the ball whilst sitting in the
'D'.
Southport can only keep playing as
they are and surely the points will start to come.
|
|
12th December
1998
Wilmslow 0 - Southport Fleetwood
Hesketh 1
Finally! A victory for
Southport.
The first half was noticably run
by Southport with chances galore but a singular lack of conversion to goals.
New addition Joel Farbon proved to be a real asset on the left wing, providing
some welcome stability in that area. Steve Brennan was a revelation at left
half-back, proving a defensive rock. Ian Rodgers and Michael Spencer provided
some welcome steel to the mid-field and Simon Blackburn proved a constant
danger to the Wilmslow defence. Giles Lawson provided some excellent marking
and tackling at right-back
.
The second half was almost a
repeat of previous weeks with the confidence draining out of Southport as the
match progressed as Wilmslow become more adventurous and controlled in their
attacking play. Fortunately in the middle of the second half a ball played out
from defence by Graham Spencer found Neil Dixon who played the ball on for Joel
Farbon to calmly slot home under the Wilmslow keeper.
After this Wilmslow moved very
much onto the attack but Southport proved resilient in defence until the final
whistle allowed them to celebrate their first victory for quite some
time.
|
| |
|
|
|
19th December
1998
Whitehaven 1 - Southport F.H.
0
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh do
Braithwaite!
After a pleasant journey to
Braithwaite (I was not in the 'farting and
swearing mini-bus so cannot
comment on what happened there) we stopped in our hotel for a lunch of soup and
sandwiches. After lunch we then progressed to Cleator Moor for one of the most
important games of this season: in the demotion dog-fight this was the one we
had to win.
The match itself was played in a
fair spirit with both teams playing well with few scoring chances. The arrival
of a team of experienced cheer-leaders did little to improve the number of goal
opportunities - the reported swearing and cursing of the dancer from Ormskirk
being somewhat distasteful to the other members of the troupe.
In the end it was the indecision
of the back three that lost the game for S.F.H. A sixteen-yard free-hit was not
taken quickly enough and the decision was reversed to give Whitehaven a quick
strike into the 'D' where one of their players directed the ball away from John
Mitchell and into the nets. S.F.H. had little reserves with which to
reply and ended the game a dissapointing and undeserved goal
down.
On a lighter note the evening stay
in Braithwaite was enjoyed by all members of the club (plus guests). Thanks to
Mark Wilson for organizing it and Michael and Giles for
driving. |
|
30th Jan 1999
Rossendale 8 -
Southport F.H. 1
On a hot summer's night, would you
offer your throat to the wolf with thered rose?
Then again, on a wet winter's
afternoon, would you be willing to play for us against Rossendale?
Anybody?
Like lambs to the slaughter,
S.F.H. made the journey over to Burnley to play one of their toughest remaining
fixtures of this sad season.
Depleted by injury, skiiing
holiday and call-ups to the first XI (who didn't think to let anyone from the
second team know!!!!), S.F.H. made a poor start conceding a soft goal within
the first ten minutes.
Further Rossendale goals followed
quickly, and tempers within the S.F.H. ranks began to fray.
However, good performances from
the ever-reliable Simon 'prairie dog' Blackburn, Steve 'goose' Brennan and
special guest star Stephen Ticehurstkept the half-time score to an almost
respectable 3-0 reverse.
The depressing pattern of wave
after wave of Rossendale attack continuedfrom the restart, but good work by
Barry 'the cat' Fellowes and a general never-say-die attitude brought an
unexpected penalty flick in favour of S.F.H. Cool as a cucumber, Simon
Blackburn carressed the ball with pin-point acuracy into the lower corner of
the Rossendale goal. 3-1 !!!
Could there be hope amongst the
foothills of the Penines after all?
No, no and again no.
Undeterred, Rossendale continued
with their game plan of 'total domination' and proceeded to score a further
five goals, thanks to some excellent quick play and, it must be said, one or
two 'contraversial' umpiring decisions (oops) from the inexperienced individual
who was only doing the umpiring to help out, honest. Alas, the game was spoilt
by the unsporting attititude of
a few of the Rossendale players,
and the final five minutes resembled a brawl in a back-street pub. Sticks were
used for purposes which they were definitely not designed for, and the final
whistle, instead of being a signal for celebrations and commiserations, brought
about total silence from all 22 players.
With two extremely difficult
fixtures in the next two weeks, it is hoped
that the spirit that once bound
the S.F.H. team into a mean and hungry hockey goblin will return
quickly. |
| |
|
|
|
20th Feb 1999
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh 1
v Wilmslow 0
It was the crunch match of the
season.
Southport had to win to have a
chance of avoiding demotion.
From the start Southport made
effective use of the wings, with Joss Wilson providing some excellect crosses
from the right. Sweeping play put Wilmslow under pressure from the start, a
welcome change for Southport.
The defence were strenghtened by
the unexpected but welcome return of John Cowley, and a semi-fit Michael
Spencer bolstered the mid-field when playing. However, Wilmslow had a
good attacking line-up and good passing moves down both wings made sure that
the result was never certain until the umpire blew the final
whistle.
Despite the threat posed by the
Wilmslow attack inspirational keeping form John Mitchell proved equal to
anything. This confidence in the defence allowed a more attacking approach from
Southport which culminated in a goal from Neil Dixon, and several near misses
at both posts.
A good result, lets make sure we
have more of them before the end of the season. |
|
27th Feb 1999
Wrexham 4 v Southport Fleetwood
Hesketh 0
On a day of variable weather
the climate was matched by the play of Southport Hesketh.
A first half of good play, passing
and playing as a team, backed-up by some excellent goalkeeping by John
Mitchell. One unlucky goal was scored after the ball had bounced off a
Southport stick.
A good, constructive talk at half
time by Neil Dixon. The start second half was greeted by a severe
hail-stone storm blowing into
the faces of the Southport
players. Its difficult to say whether this
affected their performance but the
second half was as ragged as the first half was together. A huge gap opened up
in the left-hand side of defence with no-one available to plug-it. Wrexham
poured in through the gap with the inevitable result: three more goals to
Wrexham.
Still: They are Welsh, and they
know they are! |
| |
|
|
|
6th March
1999
Southport Fleetwood Hesketh
2 v Mossley Hill 1
Revenge of the Killer
Simons
-------------------------------------------
A game Southport had to win to
retain any reasonable hope of another season in the same division started badly
with a disputed goal from Mossley Hill.
Southport did not help themselves
by waiting for the whistle whilst watching the ball roll into the goals. The
whistle did blow, but only to signal a goal, and the match restarted with
Southport requiring two goals: a feat last managed beyond living
memory.
The return of Michael Spencer and
Simon Patterson lent some much needed stealth and awareness to attack and the
addition of Mark Wilson to John Cowley and Graham Spencer in defense created a
veritable wall of steel. In fact the whole team played in the way they have
been promising (but failing to deliver) all season with excellent passing moves
and tackling as soon as the ball is in possession of opposition, rather than on
the Southport 25 yds line.
The improved play paid-off with
Simon P. scoring a goal in the first half
that meant half-time saw the teams
evenly poised with all to play for.
The second half was more of the
same. Mossley were restricted to a few stray shots at goal (ably handled by
John Mitchell) and another goal - this time from Simon B. - resulted in the
best win for Southport in quite some time.
All the best to Simon Pattinson
and Andy Smith fro whom they were willing to break theri bones for
us. |
|
13th March 1999
Liverpool University
8 v Southport Fleetwood Hesketh
0
Eight-nil.
Eight-bloody-nil.
The match reporter is now
boycotting any further reports until a result
presents itself that is worth
reporting.
Southport were beaten by a
fitter and better team.
G.Spencer disgraceed himself
and received a green card for his trouble.
|
| |
|
|
| 20th March 1999
Glaxo
3 v Southport Fleetwood
Hesketh 0
On a day when winning were
everything, Southport proved inadequate in the face of the task. That is not
too say that they lay belly-up on the floor and aksed Glaxo to scratch their
tummy, just that they could not raise their game enough when push came to
shove.
Southport proved, however, that
they have the potential to be a good side. They are just lacking a couple of
players in vital areas - most noticably in the area of scoring goals. The team
itself functions as a unit and produced some good moves throughtout the game.
Joss Wilson coming closest as he just failed to connect with an excellent ball
struck accross the face of the goalmouth.
Glaxo deserved their victory
with three well taken goals (though the first may be viewed as extremely darn
spawny in some quarters).
A collection is now being taken
to buy Giles some boots which will allow him to stay on his feet and also to
purchase a scalds bridle for Graham Spencer.
A Merry Easter to all my
readers.
(from your very own Crewe
correspondent)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
