Rugby and Hockey Match Reports against Strathallan
Match Reports for games against Strathallan
Saturday, 14th September 2024
1st Girls' Hockey
After just two training sessions, the 1st Girls launched into their opening match of the season today when they hosted Strathallan Prep at Hallhill. I’m not sure if it was the mild weather (a rare treat at Hallhill), the Saturday fixture or the excitement of a new season but the girls were cheered on by a good crowd of Belhaven supporters.
Ottie, captain for today’s match, completed her first duty successfully which was to decide, with sudden death ‘rock, paper, scissors’, who had hit-off and with that, the season was underway.
Belhaven launched straight into the attack and Strath. withstood four of five minutes of sustained pressure in their half without conceding after which the game opened up a bit more and swung from one end of the pitch to the other. I was impressed with how well our girls kept their structure so early on in the season with Ottilie and Bee working well together at the back (Ottilie was particularly dynamic). Wendles made some lovely runs down the right flank and Emily held her position well on the opposite side and was determined as a tackler. Eloise worked very hard in the middle and linked up quite well with Maggie who was playing up front. The first quarter ended goalless and I encouraged the girls to tackle with their sticks a bit flatter and made small tweak to our structure at the break.
We pressed really hard in the second quarter and spent long periods in their half. Isla made a real impact when she came on in a wide position and five minutes in, Maggie eventually had time to take a shot which flew into the back of the net to put us one up. Three minutes later, after some lovely passing, she made it a brace which meant we went into half time two goals up.
The third quarter saw more of the same positive play but I encouraged the girls to pass a little earlier and to really use the wider channels. I continued to role subs on and off, using the match as an opportunity to see how the girls coped in different roles and I was very pleased with how they adapted and learned on the hoof. Emily did a super job at the back while Eloise was dynamic up front and Wendy solid in the middle as I moved them all around. Maggie made it a hat-trick when she nailed her third goal past the keeper but we had numerous other shots at goal. If truth be told, our shooting was actually not a strength and definitely a focus for next week!
In the final quarter, I continued to mix things up and asked the girls to press high. Our structure fell apart a bit and the game opened up but there were still some lovely little passes and interplays.
So, a good, 3 – 0 win to start the season but, more importantly, the girls showed a lot of determination, energy and enthusiasm and also a good understanding of space, passing and our structure. At this stage of the season, that is very encouraging indeed!
At the moment, we don’t have a match scheduled for next week but it is Cargilfield after that.
Final Score:
Belhaven Hill 3 - 0 Strathallan
Player of the Match: Ottilie who was calm at the back and distributed the ball excellently in open play and from free hits.
Mr. Townshend
2nd Boys' Rugby
Belhaven 2nd team started the season in a positive fashion. This was a tough game having had little preparation time – 2 training sessions to be precise – against a team that have already played their first match of the season. Much bigger in size, Strathallan began the game in ferocious fashion scoring three quick tries without reply.
Belhaven gathered themselves and began to get themselves into the game. Positive running from Tristan, Lukas and Bertie saw all three boys score tries as they attacked spaces to good effect. More strong running from the bigger Strath units were only thwarted from scoring more by the excellent tackling from both Tommy and Will. The latter of which was rewarded for his bravery with a try of his own.
The half time team talk was all about setting that defensive line quicker and rush up into the Strath attacking line more quickly. This was taken on board and, led by captain Jack, the boys rallied to showcase an improved defensive performance. Ultimately it was too little, too late as Strath looked to stretch their lead. More Belhaven tries were scored by Will, Bertie, Tristan, Aubrey and Lukas. The most pleasing of these came from fantastic communication between Will and Tristan – something that we have worked on in limited training time.
A good start with lots of positives and things to improve. Well done lads.
Mr Purkiss.
1st Boys' Rugby
While Belhaven has remained Sunny into September, there has also been a chill in the air in recent days which, in my opinion, has made for perfect rugby conditions. However, if the weather was great the preparation time for this first game was a little less perfect with only two training sessions before this, the first fixture of the year. The first it may have been, but we may have witnessed the match of the season already. It will certainly be hard to top.
Belhaven started well with some fluid attack taking the lead with a well worked try for Charlie. Strathallan though had some powerful runners on display and a couple of fine breaks from distance resulted in Strathallan themselves taking the lead after ten minutes. This pace of scoring was only going to continue. Belhaven went on the score three of the next four tries with Hector, Rollo and Harry, all finding themselves on the score sheet. Strathallan scored through their talisman again on the stroke of half time to continue the tit-for-tat nature of the game.
Half time score: Belhaven 24 – 24 Strathallan
The scoring rate continued into the second half with the teams splitting the next six tries evenly between them. With kicking duties falling to Rollo and Hector, Belhaven held a four point lead due to their success. And Belhaven must have thought they had won it when another try came with only four minutes remaining to stretch the lead to nine points. Strathallan however where not finished and with 90 seconds remaining a Strathallan try brought the scores to within four. However, Belhaven were not to be undone and despite some Strathallan pressure, Belhaven never let them out of their half and finished with a fine dive from Noah in the corner. Despite his foot just finding touch the game was over and Belhaven celebrated what will hopefully be a first win of many.
Final score: Belhaven 48 – 44 Strathallan
Coach’s thoughts:
There really is no getting away from how little preparation the team has had. Two sessions is nothing. However, the level of teamwork shown by the team was not only impressive but staggering.
The new form one players have hit the ground running with a keen understanding of the Belhaven way of playing, but the form two players have learned so quickly and this is tremendously encouraging. There is great potential for this team.
Special mention has to go to debutants Juan T, Geordie, Fergus, and Wilbur and especially to Juan LS in his first ever game of rugby. While there is plenty of structural work to be done the level of courage on display is already right at the top.
Player of the match: Noah
U11A Boys' Rugby
U11A Rugby vs Strathallan (1 Half):
Belhaven 7– 0 Strathallan
After only three games sessions, I was unsure if we would be prepared for our first match of the season, particularly after hearing that it would be Strathallan’s third match. I need not have worried. As I said to the boys at the end of the match, it was the most dominant and complete performance I have seen from any team I’ve coached in their first match of the season.
After a nearly 2-hour drive and short warm up, the Belhaven boys started strongly, pinning Strathallan deep into their own half with strong offensive tackling. The pressure paid off, with Xander opening the scoring for the boys in blue. A brace of tries followed for Patrick, before Xander bagged his second. Ben then joined them on the score sheet, with strong powerful running bulldozing his way over the line. Oak scored a well worked team try in the corner, before Ben scored for a second time. It was a complete team performance with Innes, Fred and Monty threatening in both attack and defence. Whilst they didn’t get onto the scoresheet this time around, I’m sure it won’t be long before they do.
There will be tougher challenges to come, but it certainly looks as though it could be a very exciting season.
Tries –Xander (2), Patrick (2), Ben (2), Oak
Man of the Match – Ben
U11B Girls' Hockey
Our Under-11 girls gave it their all in a fantastic triangular mini-tournament against Strathallan. Despite a 3-0 loss to Strath, there were multiple standout performances across the team.
Meme shone with her relentless attacking skills creating many opportunities in the circle, while Eliza and Sienna put in a powerful defensive display. A special mention goes to Flora for her incredible perseverance, never giving up throughout the game. Our captain for the game was Alice who displayed a textbook demo on what a leader should be.
Well done Girls!
The final match between our A and B teams was a great show of teamwork and sportsmanship. Well done to all the girls for their hard work—we’re excited for the next challenge!
Miss Dyer
2nd Girls' Hockey
Belhaven Hill School 3 – Strathallan 0
Goals: Clemmie, Florence (2)
After only three training sessions, the girls initially showed some nerves, but these quickly dissipated as their confidence grew. Our focus during training on passing, finding pace, and using the width of the pitch was evident, as the girls played with impressive structure and positional awareness from the start.
India, our captain for the match, demonstrated strong leadership from the back. Her link-up play with Florence down the right was particularly effective. Molly, who also played in defence, exhibited tenacity and worked well with Iris when she advanced upfield. Abigail performed well in her sweeping role, clearing the ball from the midfield and connecting with Clemmie and Lourdes in attack. Abby, stationed on the left side of defence, moved the ball up the wing efficiently under Beatrix's guidance.
The team scored three well-coordinated goals, with Clemmie netting once and Florence adding two more. The match was played in excellent spirits, and Strathallan were commendable opponents who kept up their effort until the final whistle.
We’ll be back on the training pitch next week in preparation for our next challenge against Cargilfield on the 25th of September.
This match was a fantastic start to the season. The girls showcased exceptional teamwork, skill, and enthusiasm, reflecting the hard work they put in during training. Their commitment and enjoyment were evident throughout the game, and they should be incredibly proud of their performance. The future looks bright as we continue to build on this strong foundation
Mr Dean
