Girls' Hockey and Boys' Rugby match reports for games against Fettes
Match Reports for Girls' Hockey and Boys' Rugby against Fettes college
Wednesday, 19th November 2025
Girls' Hockey
1st Team
Opponents: Fettes Time: 2.30pm
Date: Wednesday, 19th November Venue: Hallhill
The 1st girls hosted Fettes at a rather chilly Hallhill today. I say, ‘rather chilly’ but it was absolutely freezing for players, coaches and spectators alike.
With the girls struggling to ‘warm up’ before the game, I had my suspicions that we might not get off to the best start but urged the girls to start the game with high energy levels. With Emily missing, it was also an opportunity for some of the girls to have a go at different positions and to step up and make an impact.
Fettes started with the ball and for the first quarter, we were... awful. No structure, no clear thinking, no use of space and no linking of plays – perhaps we should blame the cold? There was one positive in the first ten minutes and that was a well taken goal by Anastasia who pounced on a loose ball in the circle and slotted it past the ‘keeper.
A wee chat at the break produced a transformation (or perhaps the girls had just thawed out?) and the second quarter saw some of our best hockey of the season. Iris and Bella switched the ball across the back and then linked up with the wide mids – Anastasia & Clemmie – who then surged up the wings. Bee made an immediate impact, leading brilliantly into space from free hits and in open play and forcing the defence to make tough decisions and eventually her work paid off as she slotted one home to double our tally. To be honest, we could have had four or five in the quarter were it not for the outstanding efforts of the Fettes ‘keeper who threw herself around tenaciously, making save after save.
Belhaven continued to dominate in the third quarter and again had numerous shots at goal with Maggie’s being the only one that slipped past the ‘keeper. Molly was slotted into the left mid position and worked hard, covering a lot of ground. And so we went into the final quarter three goals up.
Hmm. With a healthy lead and the match drawing to a close, the girls relaxed a bit and allowed Fettes to break into the circle and claw one back with just a minute to go. Belhaven took the hit-off and, not thinking tactically, took the ball into contact and lost it, allowing Fettes to surge into the circle once again and with the clock ticking over into full time, Fettes flicked the ball towards the goal and past Beatrix. Fortunately it was also just past the left upright and so the match ended with Belhaven one goal up.
In summary: a good, exciting game with some outstanding play where some of the girls stepped up and made the most of their chance to play new roles. Well done.
Final Score:
Belhaven Hill 3 - 1 Fettes
Player of the Match: Clemmie – carried well, used the wide channel effectively and got into some very good attacking positions.
2nd Team
Wednesday 19th November
On a bitterly cold afternoon, the 2nd Girls’ welcomed Fettes for their home fixture. Due to the freezing conditions, the teams agreed to play 8-a-side while keeping the usual four-quarter structure. Imogen led the team as goalkeeper and captain, setting a strong example from the back.
The match began brightly for the home side, with Rose striking early in the first quarter to give the team a well-earned lead. In the second quarter, Meme extended the advantage with a confident finish, keeping momentum firmly on our side.
The third quarter showcased some of the best attacking play of the afternoon. Meme added her second goal of the match, and Sophia contributed two well-taken goals to push the team further ahead.
In the final quarter, Rose scored again to round off a strong individual performance. Fettes, however, fought back well, scoring two late goals to narrow the gap before the final whistle.
Player of the Match was awarded to Meme for her excellent attacking play and two goals, while captain Imogen impressed throughout with several outstanding saves that kept the team comfortably ahead.
A determined and composed performance all round — a fantastic result in challenging conditions.
Final Score: Belhaven 6 – Fettes 2
U11b Team
Belhaven 6 – Fettes 1
The girls headed into Edinburgh this week for their match against Fettes. Braving the bitter cold, they warmed up and, having chosen ends, were ready to start. Lexy captained the team and played in goal for the first time today and due to some great defending from Grace and Petra didn’t see much action in goal for the first quarter. Grace C was great in attack moving onto the ball at every opportunity. It was lovely to see Mary and Heidi keep to the wings and play the ball wide, and this helped us greatly getting the ball into our attacking circle. There were lots of opportunities to score with Mary first on the list, followed by Heidi and then Grace.
As we started the second quarter, Delphine switched in to play mid field and supported the attack well, passing the ball out wide. Lexy had a little bit of goal saving to do this quarter, clearing the ball wide and Petra moved forward at times to help play in mid field.
The third quarter saw the team work together well and support each other keeping to positions. Mary scored again at the start of the quarter from a great pass from Grace. Amalia played well in attack and was really trying hard to score a goal, each time just hitting wide of the goal. A slight switch off in our defence saw Lexy face a one on one with the Fettes attack and the ball crept into the goal. The Belhaven team fought back and soon had possession once again with Mary in the circle ready to score.
The final quarter was evenly played with both teams having shots on goal, and both keepers making great saves.
The girls set out to do three things in this match; play wide, stop and control the ball before passing and be hungry for the ball. The entire team did all three of these today and the difference in their play today from the previous match was a delight to see. They played as a team, communicating with other, looking up and making every pass count. Well done today girls.
Player of the match as voted by Fettes – Grace C
U11A Team
Yesterday the girls and I made our way to Fettes for one of the last matches of the term. Fair to say, it was absolutely freezing, so the girls did a fantastic job. After a little malfunction with Dulcie's kicker, a replacement was found and the match was underway.
The girls started off really strong, this is something I have been saying to the girls all season: start strong, be hungry for the ball and make sure every pass makes a difference. Normally in these reports I am giving some sort of critique or feedback but I honestly, hand on heart, have only good things to say. I finally felt like it all clicked on Wednesday and all the training and hard work paid off. The girls' positioning was fantastic, passing was accurate, shooting was strong.
As it was absolutely freezing, I was also really impressed with the girls attitudes towards the game and their determination! Enough about me gloating; now to the ins and outs. Holly, Eliza, Cleo and Annie were nonstop the whole game, Coco was as usual, super busy in the mids. Our defence of Flora and Flora. Dulcie was as usual strong though not super busy!
Our goal scorers for the day were Holly with 2, Eliza, Coco and Annie! Bringing us to a 5-0 win.
Well done to all! Onwards to the the last match next week!
U9 Team
Hockey Report – U9 vs Fettes
19 November
Despite the extremely bitter weather on Wednesday afternoon, our U9 girls returned from their trip to Fettes triumphant.
They played three games of eight minutes each. Fettes scored the first goal very quickly, and our girls had to raise their standard of play to match their opponents. They defended well, with Madelaine stopping and clearing the ball away from the goal superbly. The girls put their passing skills into practice and moved the ball up to the 'D' by working effectively as a team.
Ottilie found space throughout the match and was consistently in the right place to receive or intercept passes between opposition players. Eliza and Iris were both rewarded with goals for their determination, while Tessa scored three by positioning herself well and making the most of the opportunities presented to her.
Although 5–3 was an excellent result for the team, we did miss some opportunities right in front of goal that needed stronger pushes to convert.
Keep up the hard work, girls!
Boys' Rugby
1st Team
Wow it was cold today! The bitter wind blowing from the North Sea numbed the toes and cooled the hands creating a testing environment for rugby. Nonetheless, Fettes turned up for our long-awaited return to our home pitch.
The match started well for Belhaven who attacked with intensity with Wilbur kicking into space and sending Xander through to score Belhaven's first try. Fettes came back with some strong running of their own to level the scores after ten minutes. Geordie made a big impact with his next powerful run going in for Belhaven to retake the lead. Xander went in to stretch Belhaven’s lead further with a typical scything run.
Half time: Belhaven 21 – 7 Fettes
Fettes came back into contention straight away scoring within minutes of the restart to come back within one score. Belhaven applied pressure though and with some strong carries down the middle Juan battered his way through under the posts for the next score. Geordie looked to have secured a Belhaven victory beating multiple defenders to score his second and Belhaven’s fifth, but Fettes were not finished. Two well worked tries saw Fettes reach back to within one score of Belhaven in the final minutes. However, the home team held on to secure a close but well-earned victory.
Final score: Belhaven 35 – 28 Fettes
Coach’s thoughts:
The conditions undoubtedly played a role today. The cold affected handling and decision making alike. However, both teams will be disappointed they didn’t make more of opportunities. Individual tackling is no doubt a work-on for Belhaven in general but in contrast this game saw Belhaven’s forwards come to the fore and make a bigger impact. Overall, a confidence building win but with more to come from the team.
2nd Team
Final Score: Belhaven 56 – 40 Fettes
On a freezing afternoon, with a bitter North Sea wind sweeping relentlessly across the pitch, Belhaven’s Under 13 Second Team delivered a remarkably spirited performance to overcome a determined Fettes side in a high-scoring thriller.
Despite the challenging conditions, Belhaven started with energy and intent. Their attacking play was sharp, and the boys showed real resilience throughout. Tommy set the tone early on, powering through the defence to claim the first of his two tries. Soon after, Gaston and Alexander followed suit, both putting in outstanding shifts and each finishing the game with two tries apiece. Their pace and determination were crucial to Belhaven’s momentum.
Finley added a well-taken try of his own, showing great awareness near the line, while Toby crossed for another, capping off a strong team move. With some excellent conversions from Alexander, Belhaven steadily built their lead, though Fettes stayed in contention with some fine attacking rugby of their own.
A special mention must go to Hugo, who made his debut for the school today. He showed real courage and commitment in difficult conditions—an excellent first outing that promises much more to come.
As the wind cut across the pitch, the team spirit shone even brighter. Every player played their part, lifting each other with words of encouragement and working tirelessly in support. Defence and discipline were tested throughout, but Belhaven held firm when it mattered most to secure a memorable 56–40 win.
A fantastic performance all round—brave, skilful, and full of heart. Well done, boys!
U11A Team
Fettes 9 – 17 Belhaven
With illness sweeping through the Fettes camp, the maroon and brown were sadly reduced to only five A team players for the fixture. Perhaps it was the illness, perhaps the bitter cold, or equally likely the fear of facing the mighty Belhaven U11s.
With reduced numbers in the Fettes camp, we brought a few more Belhaven players up to the A team and gave Fettes three Belhaven boys, rotated every 5 minutes. Dougal, Noah and James all got their first run out for the A team.
The Belhaven boys undoubtably bolstered the Fettes team, with
Lochie O even crossing the line for Fettes. Fettes had some big boys who proved difficult to tackle in the cold. However, ultimately the Belhaven attack was the stronger, with some lovely darting runs and good link up play ensuring a convincing win.
Tries – James, Fede, Lochie R, Woody (2), Brixton (3), Archie (3), Finlay (3), Monty (3) Lochie O (–1)
Man of the Match – Archie
