Chesterfield HC secured their Premier league status with a win over Saints on what proved to be a teeth grinding final weekend of the season.
Going into the final round of fixtures, Chesterfield were rock bottom of the Midlands Premier League, one place and 2 points behind local rivals Mansfield. Anything less than 3 points would have seen the Derbyshire side relegated. Chesterfield were relying on Khalsa to beat Mansfield and the Midlands sides in the English Hockey League to avoid relegation. A tense weekend was in store.
Given what was at stake, the start Chesterfield made to the final game was remarkable. Not only did the home side show far greater desire than the visitors, they also produced some excellent attacking play. Patrick Evans revelled in his new role on the right, tormenting the opposition defence in the early stages. After a period of sustained pressure the opening goal finally came. Evans collected the ball on the right hand side, took on three opposition defenders and finished with an excellent reverse stick shot. The goal was a moment of class that went unmatched from any outfield player during the game. The whistle for half time blew with Chesterfield on top of a demoralised Saints side.
The second half was a different story: the biggest threat Chesterfield posed was on the counter attack, rather than dictating matters as they had done in the first half. Some excellent forward play from Grant and Beardsley created an opening for rising star Fearn, but the youngster was unable to find the finish. Stephen ‘Boz’ Hubbard also posed a threat going forward, finally unleashing the raw power of his elastic hamstrings to get round the back of the Saints defence. Yet, as chances were missed, Chesterfield retreated into their own half. Saints began to find their feet and started to create good chances. Thankfully for Chesterfield, Matt Lloyd was more than a match for the opposition forwards, producing excellent saves on at least three separate occasions. Think Heurelho Gomes against Arsenal and times that by a hundred.
Tensions ran high in the latter stages of the game, with Saints receiving a yellow card and Chesterfield having two players sent of for petulant, avoidable offences. (Sorry, force of habit). The final ten minutes were no doubt awful to watch (probably even worse to play in) but the greens held on for a deserved win. Three points meant that Chesterfield now had a fighting chance of staying up, depending on what happened in the EHL on Sunday...
Bournville HC 3 – 2 Team Bath Buccaneers; University Of Birmingham 3 –0 Old Georgians
After a dramatic win on the saturday and some well earned booze, reality hit the Chesterfield players hard: we still needed two results to go our way in the EHL (Western Conference) on Sunday. If any Midlands sides in the EHL were relegated, it would also mean the end of Chesterfield’s stay in the Mids Prem.
In a nutshell: we needed Bournville and the University of Birmingham to win – meaning Old Georgians would finish in the relegation play off zone. Both games would take place at the same time. The stage was set for (another) nerve jangling day...
On a sunny but cool March afternoon, the author of this piece took the train to the university of Birmingham to watch Bournville (who had lost their previous five fixtures) take on Bath (already champions, 19 pts clear of second place). It seemed the best we could hope for was a Bournville victory in the relegation play offs, because there was no way on earth that both results would go for us. No way. No chance...
Within two minutes Bournville had the lead – a penalty corner converted by Australian Mark Crennan. 1-0. Fifteen minutes of atrocious hockey followed before Bath were awarded a penalty stroke. The goalkeeper fouled the Bath forward, stroke awarded, stroke scored. 1-1. More scrappy hockey followed, yet somehow Bournville created a chance which they seized. 2-1. 25 minutes in. Could they pull it off?
Cheers went up from the adjacent pitch as the University had just scored their second goal to make it 2-0. A third would follow before half time, putting them firmly in control of their match.
My attention turned back to the Bournville v Bath game, which was nicely petering out to half time. The midlands side went in leading 2-1. Half time enabled me to get my breathing under control and notice that I had already chewed through my fingernails. As results stood Chesterfield were safe. For now...
Five minutes into the second half disaster struck: Bath converted a penalty corner (what Josh Brocklehurst would term ‘a poxy defelection’ etc etc) and as results stood, the west midlands side were back in the relegation zone. For the next fifteen minutes Bournville managed to miss at least two 1v1s with the goalkeeper and one open net. Bath also missed a glorious chance. I was a gibbering wreck on the floor, desperately trying to find which way Mecca was. Finally, with little more that 5 minutes left, Bournville forward Rowland was put clean through on goal. He scored. I went nuts. The crowd went nuts. The longest 5 minutes of my life (well, just about) followed before umpire Twist blew for full time.
Bournville had won, the University of Birmingham also won. Chesterfield, unbelievably, were safe.
After the game and a much needed change of underwear, I strolled through the grounds of the University and fell onto a train home. With only 3 wins and 4 draws, Chesterfield had avoided relegation. Just.
Match report by Eric Harth
After meeting at a time that most players only thought existed in an evening ("I didn't realise there was a 9 in the morning as well", Boz) CHC set off towards Newcastle-under-Lyme and the home pitch of North Staffs. Having spent the last three weeks under the new fitness and training regime of Cluer, spirits were high, though heads were focused with the thoughts that they needed to take home three points to begin the climb from the relegation zone.
The game started in ernest and CHC were firing on all cylinders. From the crunching, yet solid, tackling of Brocklehurst, to the no stop shuttling of Beardsley and Battye the team didn't allow the home side a moments respite. Chances were created early on, with Evans and the midfield appearing, as if from nowhere, to intercept passes out of defence and feed them to McCormick and Bointon waiting in the D only to see the shot go wide by inches or get picked out by the keeper. The home side struggled to put together an effective attack only slipping through on one occasion and getting a tight angle shot off that went wide across the face of the goal.
Though CHC clearly had the upper hand but they were yet to make their mark on the score board. This looked like it was all about to change when an over-enthusiastic home defender took down Bointon as he raced through on goal. The player went down, the crowd gasped, the umpire pointed to the penalty spot. Battye stepped up to do the honours only to see his flick rebound from the keepers outstretched leg. Bloodied by unbowed, Chesterfield finished the half with renewed vigour but saw the scoreboard remain at 0-0.
Chesterfield knew the home team would come out swinging in the second half and play started well with crisp passing moves down the right through Brocklehurst, Grant and Fearn. North Staffs had clearly done some analysis during the break and identified front man Cowley as a player who needed to be stopped. With the centre options being shut down Chesterfield struggled to break the home defence in the same way as the first half. The home team counter attacked with renewed vigour. A short corner saw the home team go ahead thanks to a deflected shot. As the visitors began to try and attack higher up the pitch it stretched the defence allowing the home team a further goal on the breakaway. From there on out things looked bleak. With import centre back Lawler getting sent off the visitors had to quickly try and plug the hole in their defence. Alas it was all too little too late, the home team took a further goal against the weakened side to finish the game 3-0.
A must win game for both teams started off with Chesterfield running the show, dominating possession and passing the ball around well. A good attack resulted in a short corner in the first 5 minutes, Adam Bointon dragged out well and a clean strike found itself saved by the keeper only for Christian Battye to get to the rebound. BANG! CHETERFIELD 1 – 0.
A good start needed to continue, not helped by Josh Brocklehurst missing the first aerial of the game to put Mansfield centre forward Glenn Richardson through on goal, only a good save from Matty Lloyd saved his skin.
Another good patch from Chesterfield resulted in another great goal from one of the veterans, Dave McCormick. 2 – 0 CHESTERFIELD.
Obviously being the same old Chesterfield side we couldn’t make it easy; what should have been a ‘simple’ pass from the left hand side from Ed Lawler to the centre back turned into a disaster when his poxy little deception pass fell straight to Richardson who tucked it away nicely in the bottom right.
Chesterfield DIDN’T (that’s right) DIDN’T turn on each other for a change and continued to play the way they have been wanting to all season, a good run of play found Adam Bointon with his back against the goal needing to beat 3 men and the keeper. Bointon weaved, twisted and turned like a little ballet dancer in slow motion and with some great skill and a precise finish put Chesterfield 3-1 up.
With about 5 minutes to go before half time Lee Welsby put in a crunching tackle within the 25 which the umpire deemed worthy of a short corner. The shorty was dragged out and a Josh Brocklehurst like drag flick luckily went in between Matt Lloyd’s legs to make it 3 – 2 at half time.
A new team talk actually reminding us that we were winning was a nice change and a fired up Chesterfield side was ready to go.
A well matched second half stayed 3 – 2 for about 20 minutes with Chesterfield having a goal disallowed when Bointon was victim of what looked like a serious foul. The umpire, however, decided that Adam was guilty of a stick block and pointed Mansfield’s way.
A good defensive display with Beardsley and Battye working hard in the middle began to take its toll on a tiring Mansfield side.
Charlie Grant was running the show at right midfield, putting in some hard tackles and running at the defence mercilessly. Sixteen year old Mike Fearn and the rapid Chris Cowley were also a constant threat upfront.
The game looked to be petering out when Brocklehurst committed a petty foul and was rightly given his marching orders.
Once Chesterfield were restored to 11 men, a fourth goal seemed inevitable. A surging move from the forwards resulted in Battye breaking into the ‘D’, his deflected shot fell to the ageless John Beardsley who tucked the rebound away Gary Lineker style. A relieved side line was going crazy as they knew the 3 points were safe.
With the comfort of a two goal lead Chesterfield were able to move the ball around (much like the great Spurs side of 1987/88) and Mansfield couldn’t get close.
I’m sure a good few hangovers will have followed what was a well deserved first win of the year for Chesterfield.
Josh Brocklehurst
Chesterfield edged their way off the bottom of the Midlands Premier League with a vital win against fellow strugglers Melton.
In near perfect playing conditions for the time of year (i.e it wasn’t snowing) Chesterfield were able to take control of the game playing some (whisper it) possession hockey. The home side always looked threatening and it was no surprise when they took the lead, Beardsley converting a well worked (yes, you read that correctly) penalty corner routine. After more sustained pressure, a second goal followed: another penalty corner, another clean strike, another goal from the veteran Beardsley. At 2-0 Chesterfield looked comfortable and Matt Cluer even decided to have a wee nap 5 metres from his own goal. After taking a snooze, Cluer awoke to find Melton had made the game 2-1 and that his teammates were chasing him in a 28 Days Later style rampage. As punishment Cluer was rightly subjected to a nightmarish Masonic ritual in the changing room after the game. The exact location of Matt at time of writing is unknown but he was last seen running semi naked through the scrubland at the back of Brampton Manor with Matt Lloyd in close pursuit wielding a rusty axe.
More panic followed but Chesterfield made it to half time 2-1 up. In lieu of snuff and brandy, Chesterfield had to make do with a polite reminder from manager Jamie Cluer that the game still needed to be won.
The first 15 minutes of the second half once again saw the home side in control, even if the game was becoming fractured and ever so slightly tetchy. With the support of the home crowd, Chesterfield surged forward and won another penalty corner. A changed routine saw Ed Lawler step up to score his first goal for the club, beating the keeper with a sort of slap thingy from the top of the circle. If the first 15 minutes were good for the greens, then the next 20 were utterly desperate. Brocklehurst was sent off for a petulant ‘tackle’, the team lost their shape and much like the Outlaw Josey Wales, Chesterfield went maverick. Melton were able to secure a foothold in a game they were previously out of. Some good skill from the away side in midfield began to cause Chesterfield problems. All of a sudden, Chesterfield were exposed at the back, leaving the reliable Harth with no option but to foul the Melton forward on the line. Harth was sent off, the stroke was converted and Chesterfield were left clinging to a one goal lead. Yet, on a dimming Sunday afternoon Melton were unable to find the extra goal. Chesterfield hung onto a valuable 3 points and retired to Brampton Manor to watch another impotent Arsenal performance on the big screen. A good end to the day.
Christian Battye
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Chesterfield Hockey Club
St. Mary's School Community Sports Partnership
Newbold Road, Newbold,
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
S41 8AG
Tel: 077367922229
Email: enquiries
Chesterfield Hockey Club is a Men's and Junior Hockey CLub for the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire area, affiliated to Derbyshire Hockey Association, the Midlands Hockey Association and England Hockey
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