Match Reports: Loretto 7s & IAPS tournaments;
Dunbar & Ardvreck fixtures
5th October – 11th October
Loretto 7s Tournament
U11A Girls' Hockey
Last weekend the girls took part in the 7s tournament at Loretto. We were playing 5 other teams in 12-minute matches. The girls had a good warm-up and a crash course in running penalties which were introduced instead of short corners and which, I think, at U11 age give the girls a much better opportunity to score.
Our first match was against St Mary's, who were a really strong side to play first. In the first game, the girls had their spacing and playing wide so unfortunately, we lost that game 2-0. This gave the girls the wake-up call they needed going into the second match.
Next up we played Aysgarth who are, again, quite a strong side. They played much better though – their spacing improved immensely and they were finally playing some really good hockey. Eliza scored a fantastic goal but that was unfortunately not enough as they scored 2!
We next played the hosts Loretto and, after a quick snack and juice break, the girls were ready! They played superbly in this match, Holly scoring 2 goals and Cleo scoring 1. We won the game 3-0 and deserved the victory.
We played Cargilfield next – despite putting up a good fight we lost the game 4-0.
Lastly, in the round robin, we played Cundall Manor. The girls couldn't have played better – their passing was on point, they were hungry for that ball and it paid off –they won that match 2-0.
We then had the opportunity to face St Mary's again in a playoff for 3rd or 4th! Since we had lost to St Mary's earlier in the day, the girls really wanted to win. They played so well as a team and showed some brilliant skills. After the 12 minutes was finished, it was still 0-0. We then went to penalty shoot out which was ever so exciting and ever so stressful for the coach! I picked 5 players to go one on one with the opposing goalie and St Mary's did the same. Lucky for the girls, but not so lucky for my central nervous system, it was still all even after the penalty. This meant we went into sudden death. Our girls put up quite a fight but just lost in the last few moments. So proud of how they played and how resilient they were all day.
They finished up 4th overall and Holly was awarded player of the tournament by the officials. I gave out my own player of the tournament to someone who I thought improved every game and that person was Cleo Langton. Well done to all the girls for a super day out and thank you for coming on your weekend out. A last, big thank you to parents for your continued support!
Miss Dyer
U11A Boys' Rugby
With the tournament this year being held on a weekend out, it was impressive to see the commitment by pupils and parents alike to be at Loretto, smiles on faces at 9.15am, with many travelling a good few hours to be there.
Upon reviewing the program, it was clear that it was going to be a challenging day. We had been placed into arguably the more difficult half of the draw and with many games back-to-back there would be little chance of respite between the games.
We started the tournament against St Mary’s. Mr White spent much of the match moving cones to make the pitch a sensible size, and to ensure that restarts took place roughly on the half-way line. As is often the case St Mary’s proved to be a well organised outfit scoring 7 tries to 1 in the first half. The second half was a different story however and Belhaven scored 4 tries to St Mary’s 3. The final result was 10-5 to St Mary’s, but the match after the half term break against the two teams will certainly be interesting.
The second game was against a strong Cargilfield team. Belhaven's defense was disjointed for much of the game and Cargi gained a comfortable victory with 10 tries to 1.
Musselburgh Rugby Club were next up. Considering that Musselburgh had beaten Cargilfield, I assumed it was going to be a difficult match. However, mindset is incredibly powerful. The boys went into this match with more confidence not knowing the team and whilst it ended in a third defeat, 8 tries to 5 was a fair result and the boys took confidence in their performances.
The fourth and final match of the day was against Aysgarth who the U12s had beaten the week before at Barnard Castle. Aysgarth had also lost each of their three matches coming into this game, so it was going to be interesting. It was an incredibly even contest with some good rugby played by both teams. Belhaven worked some wonderful tries, but ultimately a lack of organisation in defense and some missed tackles cost them, losing the game 9 tries to 7.
Despite the losses, there were some wonderful individual performances. Monty & Archie lead the attacking lines well, with Bertie & Andrew providing strong powerful runs. Quick feet from Brixton & Ruaridh opened up defense, with Woody and Sandy using their pace out wide. I was particularly impressed with Lochie’s numerous ball steals and Finlay’s all-round general play.
That said, communication is key and talking to one another more is absolutely paramount if the defense is to improve – 37 tries conceded in 4 games is simply too much! Communication will help considerably with that.
Tries – Andrew, Ruaridh, Brixton (2), Woody (3), Finlay (3), Monty (8)
Mr White
IAPS Hockey Tournament at Glenalmond
U11A Girls' Hockey
On Wednesday, the U11A girls took part in the IAPS hockey tournament held up at Glenalmond. We played all the teams at the tournament, which included: Fettes, Ardvreck, Cargilfield, Loretto, St Mary’s and Casterton. The girls were really excited to play and I was really excited about arriving and seeing a coffee van right outside the astro... as were the parents supporting, I'm sure!
The girls had a relaxed warm-up followed by a crash course in short corners and they were ready for a day of brilliant hockey! Up first, was a match against Fettes. We had not yet played them this season, so everyone was a bit nervous and excited for the challenge. The games were 12-minute games one way, so we didn’t have long to make our mark! Luckily Cleo scored an amazing goal early on! It was such a shame to lose Cleo later in the tournament to injury. Hopefully it won't be long before she’s back on the pitch. With that fantastic goal in our pocket, we won the game and the girls were ready and rearing for the next one!
Next up, we were playing Ardvreck. The girls played so well in this game and really improved on their spacing and focused on accuracy in their passing. There were a few short corners as well which they had never done, and they did these so well! Holly scored 2 brilliant goals this game, so we had 2 wins under our belt, it was all getting very exciting.
We next faced Cargi, which is always a good game. The girls fought hard but unfortunately not hard enough as they won 2-0.
After some lunch and another coffee for me, the girls were then playing Loretto. I want to mention how well Petra did all day but particularly in this match, she really impressed me. It isn't easy being a goalie, but Petra does it with such determination and positivity and it's wonderful to see. Flora F was our wonderful goal scorer of this match, and it did so well! We won 1-0.
We had two matches left, one against St Mary’s and one against Casterton. St Mary's were a strong side and despite our girls' best efforts and some brilliant hockey, they took the win 1-0. Even though they were exhausted the girls pushed through – tensions were high going into this last game as we were tied in 3rd place with Ardvreck and our girls needed to win to gain a medal position.
Casterton started out strong but the girls were so hungry for the ball. It was back and forth for what felt like forever, but then, Annie F got the ball. She swerved through the opposition with ease and placed that ball perfectly into the backboard. It was almost in slow-motion! We heard the eruption of cheers from our support system. We had about a minute left on the clock, so we weren't in the clear but Annie worked her magic again and secured us another goal in the last moments. A bronze medal it was but with all the whooping and cheering you would think that we had won a gold at the Olympic games!
The prize-giving went well and they all had beaming smiles across their faces; it was well deserved. Thank you to all the parents who came and supported and fed me coffee all day. Thank you to Katie Gale for driving us and umpiring every match so well. But most importantly, thank you to the girls for your continued enthusiasm and dedication. Can’t wait to do it all again soon!
1st Girls' Hockey
Hot on the heels of a successful Loretto tournament, playing some excellent hockey and finishing as silver medallists, the 1st girls headed north to Glenalmond for the annual IAPS Regional Qualifiers; the winner of this tournament qualifying for the National Finals held later in the term, in England.
With two groups, Belhaven found themselves in the ‘group of death’ with four good teams out of the five in the group. First up were Fettes and although Belhaven dominated much of the possession and territory, we struggled to convert that into goals and in the end, it was a well taken penalty corner that saw Maggie slot one home off the keeper’s pads. I was highly impressed with how the girls started the tournament, their style of play and determination – it set a high standard for all to match.
Our second game was against Mowden, and again, Belhaven dominated much of the play but again, it was just one converted short corner that was the end difference in scores. I enjoyed watching Bee get into some excellent positions high up the pitch and seeing Clemmie receive and pass on the ball in the wide right channel.
Strathallan were next and again the ambition of the Belhaven squad shone through with the ball being switched from side to side and every effort being made to use the full width of the pitch. Emily’s steal from behind is turning into an art form and she used it to good effect this match while Maggie’s strong carrying was another impressive element of our game. The match also ended in a 1 – 0 win. It was also fab to be able to alternate goalies throughout the day and see both Beatrix and Imogen playing with confidence.
The final group match was against Sedbergh and they really stepped up and played their best hockey of the day in this match while we were just a little bit sloppy. We got a number of opportunities to score, including a PC in the final seconds but just couldn’t quite manage to get any of them into the net thus losing our first match of the day.
In the end, that result had no real impact as we still topped the group – no mean feat – and that put us against Carglfield (second in their group) in the semi-final. Belhaven dominated this match, playing some outstanding hockey with Anastasia showing boundless energy on the left side, Bella making important tackles at the back and Molly sticking to her player like a limpet in defence. Once again, Belhaven had numerous chances to score, including a number of one-on-ones with the ‘keeper but some brilliant saves kept us out and, guttingly, it was Cargi who got the goals.
This meant we dropped into the 3rd/4th play-offs against Sedbergh and this was another very tight game but another one in which we found ourselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
So, in the end, it was a 4th place (out of nine) finish for the 1st girls. There is no doubt that there was an element of disappointment in the final position (and lack of bling for the girls) but I can honestly say that I was hugely impressed with the ambition, determination and style of play on display from this group. They have come on in leaps and bounds already this term and with lots of hockey still to come, I am very much looking forward to the second half of term.
Final Scores:
Belhaven Hill 1 - 0 Fettes
Belhaven Hill 1 - 0 Mowden
Belhaven Hill 1 - 0 Strathallan
Belhaven Hill 0 - 1 Sedbergh
Belhaven Hill 0 - 1 Cargilfield
Belhaven Hill 0 - 2 Sedbergh
Final position: 4th (of 9)
Mr. Townshend
Dunbar Grammar Match
U13 Boys' Rugby
What a pleasure to again welcome our closest neighbours to Belhaven for the local derby. A late kick-off resulted in a big and engaged crowd creating a fantastic atmosphere for the big match.
The opening 10 minutes saw Dunbar and Belhaven exchange two tries a piece with Xander and Geordie going in for Belhaven. This was a tit-for-tat game with both sides attacking in the outside channels effectively. Just at the stroke of half time Patrick jinked through to dot down to give Belhaven a one score advantage.
Half time: Belhaven 21 – 12 Dunbar
The second half started at an even greater intensity as Rafe made a strong run to take Belhaven further ahead. Wilbur showed no lack of skill to chip through for himself to slide in at the corner. Dunbar weren’t finished though and came back with a score of their own. The intensity of the match never dropped and strong Belhaven defence meant Dunbar couldn’t batter their way over the line.
Final score: Belhaven 35 – 19 Dunbar
Coach’s thoughts:
This was a real challenge and was well met by our players. Belhaven were lucky to be in front at the half, but they found a way. The second half was Belhaven at their best with intensity in both attack and defence. Another win on the board which is a positive way to go into our final game of the half term.
Mr Dryburgh
Ardvreck Matches
U11A Girls' Hockey
Belhaven 3 – Ardvreck 2
Having played two tournaments already this week, the U11 team travelled to Crieff ready to play hockey in the beautiful Perthshire sunshine! After a short warm up, the girls knew it was going to be hard work in the heat. Eliza was captain today and despite not winning the toss, chose to start the game with the first pass back.
The girls played well with both teams in equal possession of the ball. The Ardvreck goalie was tested early on with shots at goal from Eliza and Grace, making some great saves. Annie was super in defence, clearing the ball along the pitch to Holly. Flora G played some excellent defensive shots and at one point saved the ball just in-front on the goal line. Eliza was soon in possession of the ball in our attacking circle and scored the first goal. Ardvreck were quick to try and equalise and after a shot on goal, which was saved, the Ardvreck team made a good counterattack and took advantage our of hole in defence to score. At 1-1 play remained even, Dulcie made some great clearances in our defensive circle and Petra stopped another few goals from Ardvreck. Next it was Eliza attempt at goal, set up by Grace which saw the score 2-1 at half time.
The girls were exhausted already as we sought out the shade for a quick team talk. The main aim for the second half was to ensure our passes remain strong and meaningful and not to hide behind an Ardvreck player when waiting to receive the ball.
We started the second half well and with a little more spirit. Starting to use the spaces more, we passed well into spaces. Flora F continued to support the attack, driving the ball forwards working well with Coco and Holly. Eliza was soon in the attacking circle again with the ball before passing it to Grace to score our third goal. Holly was determined to score and kept the Ardvreck keeper in action, making great saves. A final burst from the Ardvreck team saw their attack beat Petra and score to bring the final score to 3-2.
Well done girls – this was a tough match after an incredibly busy week. I must commend the Ardvreck goalie on some amazing saves this game.
Three wishes and a star:
Try not to hide behind players when you want the ball
Make each pass count
Try to have a rest now – no matches next week!
Mrs Gale’s player of the match: Eliza for giving 100% and not giving up.
Mrs Gale
U11A Boys' Rugby
On an unusually warm and sunny day in Perthshire — perhaps too warm for some of the boys — the Under 11A team travelled to Ardvreck for what proved to be an exciting, high-scoring encounter.
After a long journey, the team had just enough time for a short warm-up before getting stuck straight into the match. The game began at a blistering pace, with both teams exchanging tries rapidly. Within the first five minutes, the score was already 2–2, thanks to early efforts from Archie, Monty, and Brixton. The boys responded well, pulling ahead to 4–2 through strong attacking play and sharp finishing.
Defensively, Belhaven worked hard with Bertie, Lochie, and Archie putting in committed tackles and competing strongly at the ruck. Both sides impressed with their handling and kicking, leading to an end-to-end spectacle. Woody and Monty added further tries before the half-time whistle, but Ardvreck struck back with three quick scores of their own. The match was finely poised at 6–6 at the break.
A quick half-time team talk focused on improving defensive shape and working more cohesively as a unit. Sandy and Harvey were industrious throughout the match, each making excellent breaks and clever offloads. Ardvreck, however, came out strongly in the second half, scoring four unanswered tries to take control of the game.
Despite the setback, Belhaven refused to give in. Woody responded with two well-taken tries, while Archie continued to lead the defensive effort with a tireless display of tackling. Bertie also made several powerful runs with the ball, helping Belhaven stay competitive to the end.
It was a tough contest, with a flurry of tries from both sides, but ultimately Ardvreck came out on top.
Final Score: Ardvreck 16 – Belhaven 10
Man of the Match: Bertie (nominated by Monty, for his powerful running and all-round contribution)
Mr Brown
1st Boys' Rugby
With Ardvreck unable to field more than 9 players it was agreed that we would play a series of sevens matches. Luckily, the weather played ball as the sun came out and summer returned to Belhaven, perhaps for the final time this year. We took an opportunity to field a rolling team with 19 squad players to give many a chance to play.
The first game was an end-to-end affair with both teams attacking well and Geordie and Xander going in for a score each. Ardvreck gave a good account of themselves though and the score after 10 minutes was 12-12.
The second match saw Belhaven change their entire team with positive results. Some strong attacking play say Belhaven go in for four tries. Ardvreck returned a single score of their own, but it was not enough with Belhaven taking the second game 26 – 7.
The third game saw more big changes with several players making their home debut for Belhaven. A real battle ended all square again 12-12. The final game was a challenge for Belhaven with Ardvreck showing determination to rack up four tries. A late rally from Belhaven resulted in a try of their own and the match ended 24-7 to Ardvreck.
Final result: drawn series - 1.5 wins each
Coach’s thoughts:
As a different way to approach the game, this format had some interesting results. From a Belhaven point of view, the rotation of players presented a different challenge which at times was well met. At other times, the agreed structure went missing and Belhaven struggled. In this break over half term, I would ask players to reflect on their first half of the season and pick one or two skills elements to work on over the holiday.
Mr Dryburgh
