Hockey and Rugby Match Reports 6th November

Belhaven Match Reports

Games against St. Mary's, Melrose and Fettes 7s Tournament
Wednesday, 6th November 2024

Girls' Hockey

1st Team at Fettes 7s Tournament

The 1st girls headed off to Fettes today for their annual, eight-a-side tournament. This is always a good day as it allows us to play a number of schools who are not on our usual circuit. With two groups of seven teams, we were guaranteed at least six, twelve minute games with the top two teams in each group progressing to knockout stages.

1st Game ESMS - a new opposition for us. It was a finely balanced game with both teams have a good number of scoring opportunities and play swinging from side to side. I was pleased with how the girls played, throwing themselves into it right from the start. The extra player meant that they were playing a slightly different structure for the first time and that took them a bit of time to get used to. In the end, it came down to very small margins and one moment of weakness meant that it was ESMS who scored the first, and only, goal of the game.

2nd Game Heriots - though the girls raised their game a bit, making the improvements that I had asked of them, it was another very close, even game and again, it was the opposition who managed to get one ball across the goal line to edge the win.

3rd Game Fettes - further improvements were made here. There was very little to separate the teams. Fettes scored first, early on but I was delighted with how the girls responded – their heads didn’t drop and they continued to work hard and play positive hockey. Eloise was indefatigable in the midfield and linked up well with Thomo and Wendles. I asked the girls to press high and they did so, exerting pressure on the Fettes defenders and eventually this paid off when Mags slotted one past their ‘keeper to level things up and that was how it stayed.

4th Game St. Mary's - today was the third time we played St. Mary’s this season; thus far we’d won one and drawn one but today it was the turn of St. Mary’s to take the win. Maggie, Isla & Flo, all did a fab job up front, getting into some good areas and putting lots of pressure on STM’s defensive line but couldn’t, initially, quite finish it off. Bee and Emily flipped between LWB and LM very well, working hard both in attack and defence. St. Mary’s scored and then protected their lead well but then in the final seconds of the game, the ‘never-give-up' attitude of the girls paid off and a good drive down the right flank by Eloise and Wendles saw the ball fired into the D where Izla waited - it was oh, so close, but she couldn’t quite find the back of the net and so the game ended.

5th Game Dollar - were the in-form team in the group and it became apparent why as they threw girls into the attack and scored a few goals. I was delighted (but really not surprised as by now I know what these girls are like) that the girls never gave up and there was some consolation when a beautifully worked short corner was slotted into the back of the goal.

Final Game Craigclowan. The girls were tired but roused themselves for this game, once again. Wendles was fantastic on the right flank in this game and that is mostly where our forays into the opposition D came from but all the girls contributed and played very positive hockey. There were a couple of sublime plays where the ball was switched from one side to the other and we were rewarded with two goals – one each for Mags and Isla with Flo just missing out when she came on. It was a fine way to end the day and a very well deserved win.

Overall, a fantastic day of hockey where the girls showed brilliant spirit, worked hard, played some lovely hockey and made improvements – what's not to like? (Okay, maybe poor Ottilie’s broken finger, but apart from that...)

Final Scores:
Belhaven Hill 0 - 1 ESMS
Belhaven Hill 0 - 1 Heriots
Belhaven Hill  1 - 1 Fettes
Belhaven Hill 0 - 1 St. Mary’s
Belhaven Hill 0 - 3 Dollar
Belhaven Hill 2 - 1 Craigclowan

Mr T

2nd Team

The 2nd team took on a tough St. Mary’s side at Hallhill. Playing 6-a-side on a large pitch meant there was plenty of space, but also a lot of running. Both teams played well in the first half, though we tended to go through the middle a bit too much. St Mary’s used the wings effectively a few times and managed to go up 4-0 by halftime. Bella, Iris, and Lourdes worked hard in attack but couldn’t quite breakthrough for a shot.

In the second half, we picked up the pace and played with more freedom. India and Molly were strong in midfield, and our defence — with Adriana, Clara, and Leonine — put in some good tackles. Beatrix made some great saves, but St Mary’s kept pressing, and the final whistle blew with a 7-0 scoreline.

The team showed plenty of effort and determination, and most importantly played with a smile on their faces!

Final Score:  Belhaven Hill 0 – 7 St. Mary’s
Player of the Match: Iris – awarded by the St. Mary’s girls.

U9 Team

Belhaven 6 - 1 St. Mary's

With such a long time since our last match, the girls have been training hard and working on improving their skills.  There was added excitement with this being their first away fixture- early lunch and a coach trip!

We arrived at Tweedbank ready to go. Just playing 6 aside meant there was no substitution and the girls had the experience of playing their positions for a full match.  Lexi won the toss today and chose to start with the ball. The team quickly moved along the pitch, adapting to the narrower playing area well and spacing out for the ball. Holly and Jemima worked well in attack with great support from Lexi to get the ball forward and into the shooting area and Holly was the first to score a goal.  Great excitement all round as we started play again and tried had to keep possession on the ball. Annabel made some super stops in defence, and played the ball forwards to our attack. Cleo was quick to pick up the ball and pass it forwards to Lexi for an amazing run and shot on goal.

In the second half, the girls were asked to space out more and not crowd each other to make use of the ball that our defence were going to pass forwards. A good run from the St Mary’s attack caught us off guard and they scored their first goal. Not to be caught out again, Flora ensured she tracked every ball coming towards her and cleared the area. Another great run from Holly saw a third goal for the team and some more ‘hi-fives’.

After a quick half time talk and instructions for the defence we started the next quarter. Flora was instructed to hit the ball harder when clearing the defence area and what an improvement. The ball moved up the pitch to where Jemima was able to continue driving the ball forwards. There was some good tackling from the St Mary’s team to try and take possession of the ball but Lexi was there again to scoop up the ball and score.  Annabel and Flora worked well as a team throughout this quarter as St Mary’s were really keen to try to score. Another amazing hit from Flora saw the ball up towards Cleo and with an aim at goal, but unfortunately her shot was just wide of the goal. The girls defended the free hit well and Holly scored just before the end of the quarter.

As we started the final quarter the girls were looking exhausted and I am not surprised! They had played so well and were still giving everything 100%. A final goal for the team and a second victory for the term.

What a great match girls. You all played with enthusiasm and determination even when you started to get tired. If you lost possession, you were quick to regain it. Your knowledge of the game has improved greatly and you tried really hard to space out and not tackle each other.

Three stars today:

• You listened well to coaching tips during the match and acted upon them
• You are beginning to space out on the pitch and look for your players
• Star of the match, as voted for by St Mary’s, was Lexi

U11B Team

Our U11B team faced a tough match against St. Mary’s, ending with a 5-0 loss. While the first half was challenging, with our defence under constant pressure, the team rallied remarkably in the second half after some constructive criticism and team reflection! They demonstrated resilience and began to gel as a team, showing a noticeable improvement in teamwork and communication.

Special mention goes to our captain, Rose, who led by example throughout the game. Her determination and strong leadership on the field earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match award from the St. Mary's captain. Despite the score, the team’s second-half efforts highlight a promising foundation to build on for future games.

Great work, everyone—keep it up!

U11A Team

Belhaven's under-11 girls' hockey team travelled to Tweedbank for a challenging away match against St Mary’s. Despite the 6-0 score line in favour of St Mary's, Belhaven showed determination, resilience, and a promising spirit throughout the game.

First Half Highlights
Captain Isobel led the team as Belhaven won the toss and Meme started with the ball. The game began on a fairly even note, with Belhaven working hard to hold off the opposition. St Mary’s managed to score twice in the first half, but Chloe, Belhaven’s goalkeeper, stood out with some tremendous saves that kept the scoreline respectable. Her efforts were so impressive that even the St. Mary’s coach gave her a special mention at the end of the match.

Second Half Action
As the game progressed, Belhaven’s players found their rhythm. Holly, named Player of the Match by St Mary's, showcased her skill and tenacity. The second half saw four more goals from St. Mary’s, but Belhaven continued to defend with determination. One particularly thrilling moment occurred when Chloe made a fantastic save, even falling over in the process, but quickly got back on her feet to make a series of additional stops.

Skills and Development
Belhaven focused on marking the opposition and improving their passing, as these were key skills the team had been practising. Since this was their first match in a while, the girls started off a bit slow, but they gradually warmed up and began working more fluidly together. Their increasing awareness of areas to improve - such as keeping heads up to spot teammates and making quicker passes - shows real growth and understanding of the game.

Reflections
Overall, the team demonstrated strong teamwork, and it was encouraging to see them notice ways to enhance their play. In the future, focusing on field awareness and passing accuracy will help them build on this performance. Despite the result, the girls’ positive attitude and willingness to learn made this match a valuable experience.

Final Score: St Mary’s 6 – Belhaven 0

U11C Team

Belhaven’s Under-11C team travelled to St. Mary’s for an away match, with the final score ending at 5-1 to St Mary’s. It was a challenging first half, as St. Mary’s managed to score all five of their goals before the break. However, Belhaven came back in the second half with renewed determination, and Laia managed to put one in the net to secure a well-deserved goal for the team.

Laia’s efforts were matched by strong performances from Cecily, who was voted player of the match by the opposition, and from captain Flora who held a strong position in the centre. A special mention goes to Annie and Coren for stepping up from the Under-9s and giving it their all in the Under-11C game.

There were some nerves at the start, but the girls showed real resilience and got stuck in from the start. Throughout the game, they worked on their positioning, and by the second half, their spacing on the field had noticeably improved. At half-time, the team discussed focusing on passing to teammates, and this really showed in the second half as they built up their play more effectively.

Overall, it was a tough match, but the girls played with determination and learned a lot along the way. Well done to everyone for their hard work on the pitch!

Final Score: St. Mary’s 5 – Belhaven 1

Boys' Rugby

1st Team

Following a brief focus on sevens rugby over the last few weeks, this fixture saw Belhaven return to a 13-a-side home game. The weather was again fine, so fine in fact that our daffodil bulbs are coming up in the garden again. Was the rugby to be as good? Well, with two teams willing to play running rugby the hopes were high.

For the first ten minutes of this fixture St Marys were outstanding. Belhaven were unable to get a foothold in the game as St. Mary's racked up three great tries to put a huge amount of pressure on Belhaven. St. Mary's were playing an excellent brand of off-load rugby with great defence included. Belhaven needed to gain some traction, and it took a huge team effort to send Hector in for Belhaven’s opening score. Belhaven continued to gain confidence and possession which paid off as their hard work eventually yielded another try just on the stroke of half time.

Halftime score: Belhaven 12 – 21 St. Mary's

Structure was the word of the day and some strong running from the likes of Hector, Harry, Hamish, and Arthur got Belhaven on the front foot and resulted in a succession of tries taking Belhaven away and clear of St Marys moving up to 33 points and a seemingly clear gap of 12 points with five minutes remaining. St Marys were not ready to quit there though and came back with a converted try to move within five points with seconds remaining. Despite some frantic defence, Belhaven held out and the game ended with a narrow victory in a match that really could have gone either way.

Final score: Belhaven 33 – 28 St. Mary's

Coach’s thoughts:
There is a lot to say. Belhaven were unable to match the energy and commitment levels of St Marys in the first half. Presented with this ‘crisis’, a 21 point deficit in 10 minutes, Belhaven needed to come up with a solution, which they did. What can never be questioned is our players determination and refusal to quit. That was important today as panic could have crept in but didn’t. they reverted to our normal game plan, with phases controlled in a less frantic way. The outcome of this ‘crisis’ was to score 33 unanswered points.

Taking control of games from the beginning is something we need to work on. A big positive today was the continued development of the from 2 group of Tristan, Will, Fergus, Juan, Juan, Geordie, and Wilbur most of whom had their best game yet in a Belhaven shirt. With the IAPS tournament just a week away it will be exciting to see these sets of players combine next week with players from Loretto in an attempt to defend the Thistles crown. At the same time, with a fixture against Longridge Towers, there will be another opportunity for more players to show what they can do in the Belhaven shirt.

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 Player of the match: Hector

U11B Team

Pulsating thriller ends in narrow victory for Belhaven.

This was a real humdinger of a match as the lead swung back and forth between the two sides numerous times. In the first half Belhaven went 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 up, finally coming out after twenty minutes leading by 10 tries to 8. That is not to say necessarily that we had been particularly good; solid, yes, but we had been guilty of losing our shape and not committing fully in the tackle.

In the second half both teams upped their games but also tired in the last ten minutes which led to some exciting, end-to-end play complete with last-ditch tackles and, finally, good offloads and passing out to the wings.

Some notable performances came from Alexander who ran quickly and hard throughout, penetrating a static home defence, from Innes who doggedly strode forward and Oak who, in conjunction with Alexander and Innes made good ground going forward but then offloaded at the correct times to bring those boys into play. Woody made a tremendous tackle at the death to deny St. Mary’s a share of the spoils, setting up an attack from which we scored the decisive try and Sandy played with intelligence and vigour.

Well done to all, especially Bertie, who bravely took a stud to the eye but made light of a potentially shaky experience.

Man of the Match: Alexander for his cutting runs, and developing an understanding of when to pass in the second half.
Scorers: Alexander (9), Toby (3), Innes (3), Woody (1), Finlay (1), Sandy (1).

Final score:  St. Mary’s U11b 16 - 18 Belhaven U11b.

U11A Team

St Mary’s 11 – 10 Belhaven

Having already played and lost to St. Mary’s this year at the Loretto 7s, we knew it was going to be a tough game.

The journey south on the winding roads gave the boys time to chat away to each other about important topics on their mind, such as which vegetable they preferred. It was a long journey for Mr White and Mr Curry.

After a quick stretch of the legs, the boys took to the pitch and started brightly. With Xander, Monty and Patrick each bagging tries early on in the game, Belhaven took an unexpected lead of 3-1. St. Mary’s were clearly not expecting as competitive a game, but came back fighting. They scored 7 unanswered tries, with Belhaven heads dropping as we went into the break 8 - 3 down.

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St. Mary’s had rucked particularly well in the first half, turning many Belhaven attacks over and securing their own ball time after time. This was the area of the game that Belhaven needed to improve in the second half and the boys did not disappoint. Fred made numerous steals, and passing the ball wide provided opportunities for Alfonso and Archie on the wings. Ben worked tirelessly throughout, with strong runs and tackles. The Belhaven boys played as a collective and managed to win the second half 7-3.

The score line at the end proved a fair one as I think St. Mary’s probably edged it. However, it should certainly give the boys confidence. Had we played another 5 minutes, would we have won? Possibly. It will certainly be a great match again on Saturday at the Cargilfield 7s.

Tries –Monty (2), Alfonso (2), Patrick (2), Xander (4)
Man of the Match – Monty