U11 Hockey Season Report

The 2009 season was marked by a number of fiercely contested, and many very close, matches. Some of those contests went our way, some didn’t but the successes certainly outweighed the failures.

 

The season began with a very exciting match against Ardvreck at the Dunbar astro. For many of the boys it was the first time that they had experienced a full game on a full size Astroturf pitch – a daunting prospect indeed. This was a match of two halves: we were poor in the first half and solid in the second. During the first half I despaired for the season ahead, and during the second half I developed an admiration for the determination shown by many of the boys; this was to grow as the season progressed. Constantin showed himself to be very enthusiastic, if somewhat lacking in key skills.

 

The second match of the season was against Loretto, here at Belhaven, on grass. It was a frustrating match as the surface was very sticky and the game didn’t flow as well as it might. On a surface like this, technical weaknesses are highlighted and it soon became clear that the boys had a lot of work to do to improve their game. Defensively we were weak and the free hits were a concern. Fortunately the boys once again improved their game in the second half and this game too ended in a draw. Ollie kept us in the game with save after save and his goalkeeping skills were a great asset to the team.

 

Craigclowan was next on the menu and weaknesses in defence and free hits once again cost us. This was yet another match in which we started off very slowly. The only score in this match came in the dying seconds of the first half and meant that we lost the game 0 – 1. Certain players did start to show what they were capable of in the match and there were signs of the good to come. Jamie and Geordie in particular showed that they would become useful halves. Jamie as a tireless worker and determined tackler, and Geordie as a strong taker of free hits and someone with the ability to turn defence into offence.

 

Our run of home fixtures came to an end with a match against Riley House. We were totally dominant in this match, which allowed the boys the opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy the game. Enjoy it they did and the goals came thick and fast. The score line could have been even more flattering but for the fact that I took the opportunity to give a few extra boys a run. All in all, a very rewarding experience. The two strikers, Will and Hewie worked very well together in this match, both in attack, and in putting pressure on the opposition’s free hits. This turned out to be a very good partnership.

 

We played Fettes at Fettes and this fixture took the form of two, seven-a-side matches which were played concurrently. I was involved in reffing the ‘A’ team match so could only cast an occasional eye over the ‘B’ team match. It didn’t matter as they had everything well under control and frolicked home to a 5 – 1 victory. The ‘A’ team also played well and ran in three goals. Despite being a slightly different form of the game, this was the match where, against a strong opposition, the team first started to play as a team and to play some attractive, structured hockey. Kit came into his own in this match as a quick, useful winger, able to run around his marker. Charlie showed his determination here, refusing to let players get past him, and not flinching from hard tackles.

 

The Cargilfield fixture was played at Peffermill in Edinburgh – a super surface to play on. The boys rose to the occasion against a very skilful team and played their hearts out. This is the match of which I am most proud, as the boys refused to give up and showed a good knowledge of the game. One goal was all that separated the teams in this epic struggle. Angus, having swapped places with Tom a few matches back, eventually settled into his role as a centre half and was very effective both in attack and defence. His commitment and fitness served the team well and his pairing with Charlie was excellent.

 

So, it was to the final fixture of the year and for this we returned to Hallhill to play Loretto, determined to improve upon the messy draw at the start of the season, and so end on a high note. We did. Although the boys were a bit lax at times, it was clear from this match just how much the team had come on since the start of the season. The defence, a weakness at the start, was solid and composed. The four halves knew their roles and ran the game. The wings stayed wide and got the ball wide, the key to effective hockey and the strikers worked tirelessly to interfere with opposition hits and to get into threatening positions. Two goals were scored and both by Belhaven. It was a grand way to end the season. In this match the defensive issue was finally resolved. The two backs, Tom and Archie, were more assured and composed. Their hits were generally effective and their tackling steady.

 

Hockey is a sport of very specific skills and it is always interesting to watch as boys grow in ability and confidence as they get to grips with the demands of the sport. This year was no different in that respect but I have been impressed with the huge advances that some of the group have made this year. All the boys who didn’t have regular berths in the team responded well when their opportunities to play arose and I’m sure that some will go on to make more frequent appearances in matches in the future. As always, it was great fun working with the U11 boys and I do hope they enjoyed the season.