The weekend where the top horses wore vests.

As quick as a flash we move closer towards the end of another season in the 1st team. As we do it begins to make you savour the moments on the pitch with friends, the movement of the ball as you dodge a player, the focus of your mind as you tackle the ball and the relaxing sound of the ball being hit, even more.

Since returning from the winter break we have had a somewhat ‘bity’ start to the second half of the season. Weather and clubs unable to field a team have been the main factors for this. Our first game was against Durham Uni. Once the final whistle blew we knew that we couldn’t control finishes in the top spot for that elusive league promotion. We all fought hard against a strong university team and performed under pressure. It was however the draw against Whitley Bay, that will in fact decide the future of the team for the season 2019/20.

The best place to deal with all these emotions is always back on the hockey pitch, so we were all keen to get playing against Alnwick on Saturday and the lovely Whitby on Sunday. Yes, we all wanted to smash the ball hard and yes, we all wanted to run off the cobwebs but most of all we all wanted to see each other and even give each other a hug!

We arrived in Alnwick ready to play a good team. A team that always brings it’s A-game when playing against us and Saturday was no exception. We stood off at the beginning of the match. This could be due to being frozen from the -5 degree temperature of the changing rooms. Newcastle used the first 15mins to get back into the swing of things after training was cancelled the previous Wednesday. We were on that bus again. After they stole a goal, as their attacker reacted to Fi’s tragic deflection towards her defending goal, NHC stepped up a gear and spent the next 20mins breaking down their defence and coming out with a goal to create 1-1. In the second half we chased them down moved the ball quicker and pressed them harder. The team effort across the pitch made a huge difference and as time went on, the goals went in! Julia was ordered by Brian to get 2 goals in 10mins and she succeeded. Rach was cool (in her vest), calm and collected at the back and provided fantastic pass and move hockey out from the back line. A great game played in good spirit. In keeping with our newest game tradition, a pass was made to Nicky in an attacking short which wasn’t completely perfect, which resulted in her throwing herself to the floor yet again. She doesn’t like to let a short corner attempt go without showing 100% effort. After a delightful teas we all ventured on various shopping trips in Morpeth.

Now Saturday was cold, Farrar worn a vest! But Sunday was much much colder, Claire still wore a vest!… and Claire also wore Hannah’s spare socks. Steph also wore Hannah’s second spare pair of socks. Apparently, Hannah stores all her socks in her kit bag in case Jamie steals them for football! (#jamiesfault!) You’d think that it was just going to be little wind chill until it started to rain and then snow/sleet for the majority of the second half. The only thing to brighten up the day was having all the legends of the club back on the pitch again! The legend of Mrs B was back with her whistle, and the lovely Carol Marshal was back making sure we all behaved ourselves.
As more and more rain and sleet fell on the pitch the ball got slower and slower. One hard pass up the wing in to space and Megan continued to run after it. Good job she did as it came to a complete stop as it hit a puddle near the side line. Chances continued to fall for us in front of goal and in the second half we began to take them. The final whistle blew to end the second game of the weekend. Before we could all run into the slightly warmer building, Whitby cheered as their season had come to an end. With three more league games left until the end of our season, we won’t be cheering due to the relief but we will be cheering in celebration. 210mins of hockey remaining. Make every minute count on and off the pitch. Celebrate each other’s success and be there to pick them back up if they decide to throw themselves on the floor.
As Charlie Mackesy once said “Everyone, and I mean everyone falls” said the horse. “But we help each other up!”