1st XI Team

Fixtures

To view the teams scores & fixtures for the 2009 season, please follow this link

Captain Summary

Stafford HC 1st team had an excellent 2008-09 season securing 2nd spot in West Midlands Division 2 behind runaway leaders Streetly HC. Despite a poor beginning and end to the season when Stafford lost to Barlaston and Oswestry, Stafford performed well especially in the games against nearest rivals Kingswinford when they drew and won the fixtures.

Stafford’s success can be attributed to the dedication of the players who have worked well as a unit and are definitely a much stronger outfit at the end of the season than at the beginning. The team has also been helped by new arrivals Giles Rowden (from North Stafford HC), Ben Dudley (Loughborough Students HC), James GIllingham (North Stafford HC) and Etienne Stevens who has arrived to study at Staffordshire University.

Credit must go to the commitment of the players, especially Andy Keen (1st team player of the year), who travels long distances to training and games and Martin Gardner, Aiden Jinks and Jon Peatfield who have been ever present in the team. Top scorer was yet again Steve Sudale, closely followed by Chris Sunderland and Giles Rowden.

Stafford will be looking to perform well in the higher league next season and although losing keeper Aiden Jinks to University are expecting to have a strong season. The hockey club as a whole has a number of promising youngsters and hopefully the 1st team will see the debut of Andy Peatfield, brother of Jon next season. Captain for 2009-10 will be Simon Parnell, any prospective goalkeepers who are reading this and want to join a forward thinking club, please email him now!

Match Reports

Stafford HC managed a fantastic result last weekend in West Midlands 1 when they defeated 2nd placed Streetly HC 3-2. What was even more remarkable is that this was the first defeat inflicted on Streetly in 25 league games. Stafford stunned the opposition by staging an impressive come back after falling 2-0 behind in the first half. The young Streetly team started the game at a fast pace with numerous attacks in the first quarter of the game, Stafford at times seemed shell-shocked and it was only last ditch tackling that kept the game goalless for so long. Eventually Streetly scored as an error in Stafford's midfield allowed two Streetly attackers to break away, Mike Wymer saved the first shot but the ball was lifted towards a Streetly attacker who blasted it into the back of the net. The second goal was rather fortunate, Streetly were awarded a penalty corner, James Maddick closed the striker down but parried his shot straight to another Streetly player who was able to score at close range. At this stage Stafford could easily have gone to pieces but instead raised their game considerably and started to put pressure on their opponents. A penalty corner towards the end of the first half was won by Ben Holland and Giles Rowden blasted the ball passed the stranded goal-keeper to reduce the arrears. After the break, Stafford's confidence grew and so did the chances, Ben Dudley was unlucky when his shot from the top of the circle was saved by the keeper. Stafford kept pressing and a quick move down the left by James Gillingham gave him some space to pass the ball to Chris Sunderland on the far post to equalise. Streetly were stunned and their defence became increasingly nervous as Stafford went for the winner, James Gillingham duely obliged when his shot from the top of the circle found a gap in the keepers legs to strike the back-board. Stafford were jubilant but Streetly then came on the offensive, Stafford's defence were in excellent form Simon Parnell, Andy Keen and James Maddick all tackling brilliantly. As the final whistle blew Stafford were delighted, their hard work causing a big shock to their opponents. Stafford are still in the promotion hunt, two points behind Streetly. Next weekend rather strangely they face Redditch HC the leaders twice, firstly at home in the league on Saturday and then away in the HA Vase on Sunday. Confidence is high in the Stafford camp.


Stafford HC got back to winning ways with an emphatic victory against Welsh opponents in West Midlands 1. They remain in 3rd place behind Redditch and Streetly. Despite the long journey Newtown started the better side winning a couple of early penalty corners thanks to sloppy Stafford defending. Thankfully the Stafford defence were up to the task and managed to deny the opposition. However later on in the half it appeared newtown has taken the lead from another corner but for a strange decision by the umpire not to allow what looked like a perfectly legitimate drag flick. Luck appeared to be riding with Stafford who went up to the other end and a slipped pass from Ben Hollands allowed Simon Williams to fire a shot goalward, the keeper got a touch on the ball but could only deflect it into the roof of the net. Further quick goals followed, Ben Hollands turned scorer with a quick shot flying powerfully into the bottom corner. Then Ben Dudley got lucky when a weak shot seemed to go through the keepers legs to leave the score at 3-0 at half time. The second half started with more of the same, a lovely move down the left involving Ettienne Stevens and James Gillingham set Steve Sudale free into the circle, an excellent chip shot then saw the ball sailing over the diving keeper into an empty net. Unfortunately Stafford then seemed to go to sleep, with Newtown scoring two quick goals, the first when a forward was allowed un-marked into the circle to shoot powerfully past Milke Wymer in goal, the second much more lucky when a shot seemingly going wide came of Richard Bukka's stick to go into the goal. It could have got worse for Stafford when a dubious penalty award was given against them but keeper Wymer was up to the task and denied his opponent from the spot. Stafford raised their game again and two further goals sealed the victory, both were scored by James Gillingham. The first from a pinpoint cross from man of the match Andy Keen, Gillingham was left with the simple task of deflecting the ball into the goal, the second from a through pass from Giles Rowden, Gillinghams' first shot was saved but he squeezed his second under the keeper. Stafford were again pleased with the result but now face two tough games against Streetly away next weekend and then Redditch at home the following week, it is a great opportunity to take points off both of these unbeaten teams.



Stafford HC put in a good performance away to Old Silhillians HC last Saturday to keep them in third place in West Midlands Division 1. Both teams were extremely closely matched with identical league records so far. Stafford went behind for the first time this season as a sloppy pass was intercepted by the Old Sils midfield and passed on quickly to a lively forward who was able to run un-challenged into the circle and place his shot past Mike Wymer in goal. Stafford however were not daunted and soon equalised when good work by James Gillingham down the left set Simon Williams free, he jabbed the ball past the on rushing keeper and was able to pass the ball into the unguarded net. Both teams then had decent periods of possession, Stafford having the best of the first half. Penalty corner attempts were unlucky not to find the net from Ettienne Stevens and Ben Dudley. On half time Stafford were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty stroke when Steve Sudale looked to have had his stick taken by an Old Sils defender in the process of shooting. The second half belonged to the opposition and they were only denied by some excellent keeping from Mike Wymer and good defensive play from Richard Bukka and Andrew Keen. On the final whistle Stafford gave a careless penalty corner away and hearts were in the mouths as Old Sils had a shot but a great clearance by James Maddick saw Stafford share the points. Man of the match was Ben Hollands who worked tirelessly in midfield. Stafford were pleased with the performance against the toughest opponents they have faced so far this season. Next week they entertain Newtown at Beaconside, 1.00pm pushback.



Stafford HC had mixed results last weekend, losing their first league game on Saturday to Whitchurch HC 3 -1 but winning in the Hockey Association Vase on Sunday against Keswick and West Cumbria HC 3-2. On Saturday a strong Stafford team were confident going into the league game against Whitchurch and threatened to overwhelm their opposition within the first 10 minutes. They managed to win a number of penalty corners with Ettienne Stevens and Ben Dudley being thwarted by an in form Whitchurch goal keeper. Stafford did take the lead when good work from Chris Sunderland found Simon Williams with just the keeper to beat, he managed to jab the ball into the goal after a full length dive to register his first goal for the club. Unfortunately Stafford then seemed to go to sleep and Whitchurch immediately went up the other end and scored a scrappy goal after a defensive mistake. A culmination of poor playing conditions and missed tackles then saw a Whitchurch forward drive through the middle of the Stafford team to place a powerful shot past Mike Wymer in goal. Stafford played better in the second half but still conceded a late goal when Stafford missed an opportunity to clear the ball and a Whitchurch player managed to knock it over the line. A good lesson was learnt by Stafford, who played well for the majority of the game and need to learn to cut out the errors. It was probably therefore a good thing that they had the Vase game on Sunday to rectify matters. Stafford appeared fresh on Sunday despite a 5 hour drive up the previous evening. Keswick and West Cumbria HC were a very young side but featured a number of talented county players. Stafford featured a number of new faces including Jamie Ferguson who made his first team debut. It was Stafford who showed their normal form by forcing the early pace. A number of goals could have been scored, with Giles Rowden and Jamie Ferguson being unlucky after finding themselves in good positions. In fact Keswick took the lead after a well placed penalty corner strike found the bottom right corner. Stafford though were not daunted and pushed forward themseves winning more penalty corners, it was Ettienne Stevens who equalised with a penalty corner flick that beat the keeper low to his left. After the break Stafford scored two further corner goals, a strike from Ben Dudley was deflected in at the near post by James Gillingham and then Dudley himself scored after a slip left him with space to place the ball past the keswick keeper. Stafford then seemed to suffer with nerves and it was largely thanks to the defending of Anthony Milner and James Maddick that the opposition were restricted to only one goal. However Stafford took the result and look forward to the next round of the tie in November. In the league they are away to Old Sils next Saturday.



Stafford HC's excellent start to the season continued with another win against Wednesbury, Stafford still top West Midlands 1 on goal difference. Stafford were the better team from the start unlucky not to take a first minute lead after James Gillingham robbed the opposition centre back of the ball and put his shot wide. Indeed it seemed like Stafford were never going to score after several good early chances went begging. Eventually however Stafford's superiority showed when they took the lead from a penalty corner, a slip from Giles Rowden to Ettienne Stevens allowed him to place his shot to the left of the Wednesbury keeper. Wednesbury to their credit came back at Stafford and a great passing move found the Stafford defenders out of position and Mike Wymer was beaten at the far post. If anything though this caused Stafford to focus, Giles Rowden from a free hit found some space and passed the ball to Chris Sunderland out wide who turned and shot from a tight angle, beating the opposition keeper. The score remained 2 - 1 at half-time. After the break, Stafford were able to stretch their tiring opposition and further goals followed. A penalty corner won from debutant Simon Williams allowed Ettienne Stevens to claim his second, a powerful drag flick which came off the base of the bar into the goal. The fourth quickly followed when Steve Sudale increased his seasons tally with another poachers finish from close range. The final goal in the last few minutes made the game comfortable for Stafford, Ben Dudley scoring from a penalty corner strike. Man of the match was Ettienne Stevens with his third goal in two games, Richard Bukka had an excellent game at right back for Stafford as well. Next week Stafford face Whitchurch HC in the league on the Saturday before travelling up to Keswick for the next round of the HA Vase on Sunday.


Stafford continued their impressive early season from with an emphatic 7 - 1 win away against Ludlow HC, leaving them top of West Midlands Division 1. Following a lengthy journey to Leominster, Stafford not surprisingly were a bit slow in starting and were nearly caught out by an early Ludlow attack. However, man of the match Simon Parnell made a last ditch tackle to thwart the Ludlow forward and Stafford escaped. Steady progress then allowed Stafford to get a grip of the game, Steve Sudale capitalised on a mistake in defence from a Ludlow player to force a goal on his reverse side. Stafford were moving the ball quickly around a slow pitch and a first time pass into the D from Jon Peatfield found Sudale again to blast home his second from close range. Two soon became three as Sudale completed a first half hat-trick, another trade mark close range finish after good work down the middle from Chris Sunderland. Stafford scored their fourth goal just before half time as Ben Holland took a quick snap-shot on his reverse side from the top of the circle and wrong footed the keeper. After last week Stafford were keen to keep the performance high in the second half and were certainly a lot better with three further goals. Sudale grabbed his fourth after good work into the circle from James Gillingham. Despite this Stafford missed a number of opportunities, Chris Sunderland and Ben Dudley being the worst culprits. It took a strike from left back Ettienne Stevens to extend the lead, a broken down penalty corner allowed him to take a shot which was seemingly going well wide before a Ludlow defender got his stick to it and the ball sailed into the top corner of the goal. Unfortunately a poor period of play followed allowing Ludlow a consolation, a scrappy goal which crept past Mike Wymer in goal, he didnt touch the ball all afternoon except to pick that one out of the net! Thankfully Stafford were able to finish on a high with the seventh goal being scored by Ben Dudley after he beat two players at the top of the circle, he smashed a shot past the stationary keeper into the corner of the goal. After two games Stafford our top of the league, the highest position in the league for many years. They have a difficult game at home next weekend against relegated Wednesbury, 1.00pm push back at the Beaconside pitch.


Stafford started their league season in winning form by beating Bromsgrove HC 4 - 1. Stafford had beaten the same opposition the previous weekend in a Vase game but were not complacent and worked hard in the opening exchanges before they took the lead. The goal was scored by Steve Sudale who swept in an unstoppable shot from an Andy Keen pass from the right wing. Stafford's play improved dramatically with three more goals following in the first half. The second a brilliant individual effort from Chris Sunderland who has scored eight goals in the last four games, he was sent clear by a James Gillingham pass down the line, beat his marker for pace and then calmly played the ball over the advancing keeper to score. The third came from a Giles Rowden penalty corner strike. Stafford then seemed to go to sleep and were lucky not to concede, Mike Wymer in goals making some excellent saves, however Stafford scored the fourth goal on the counter attack, Sunderland breaking clear again but this time making an unselfish pass to allow Andy Keen to pass the ball into an unguarded net. 4-0 up at half time Stafford would have liked to have gone further ahead but Bromsgrove should be given credit for taking the game to their opposition. Stafford did not help themselves by sloppy play and will have to ensure in future games that they keep their concentration. Bromsgrove got a consolation late on when a scramble in front of goal led to a Bromsgrove forward poking the ball over the line. Indeed they should have scored more but good tackling from Richard Buka and Ettienne Stevens ensured it was only a consolation goal. Stafford were delighted with the three points and will hope for more next weekend when the make the long journey to face Ludlow HC with an unchanged team.


Stafford HC wound up their last weekend before the league starts in positive fashion. On Saturday they were unlucky not to share the spoils with Shrewsbury HC in a pre-season friendly, going down 2-1. Stafford took the game to the higher ranked opposition taking the lead through a Giles Rowden penalty corner strike, Shrewsbury levelled later on in the half through a disputed penalty corner strike which appeared to be lifted. In the second half Shrewsbury scored a break away second but Stafford could have easily equalised and many chances went missing. Dan Howell in goals played excellently keeping Shrewsbury from extending their lead further. On Sunday Stafford opened their account in this seasons Hockey Association Vase with an emphatic 9-1 victory against Bromsgrove HC. Stafford made the journey with five regular first team players missing but newcomers Richard Bendall, Martin Gardner and Jay Mullor made big contributions, Bendall and Gardner by scoring and Mullor by pulling off an incredible save to deny Bromsgrove a goal. In a game which Stafford dominated throughout, goals seemed to come aplenty. Chris Sunderland opened the scoring by wrong footing the keeper from the top of circle. A short corner strike by Giles Rowden put the visitors 2-0 up and then Bendall snatched a goal with a smart bit of finishing in front of the keeper. The 4-0 scoreline at half time was completed by James Gillingham who capitalised on a defensive mix-up between keeper and defender to poke the ball in from the base line. The second half was more of the same with a further strike from Rowden, one from Gardner and a smart deflection from Sunderland after a fierce hit from Gardner. Bromsgrove got a consolation from the penalty spot before Stafford's best goals were scored. Ettienne Stevens rifled a drag flick past the Bromsgrove goalie and then Sunderland calmly lobbed the keeper after a powerful solo run into the opposition circle. Ironically Stafford start their league campaign against Bromsgrove next weekend and will be hoping for a similar performance from their young team.


Stafford HC (9) - Rugeley HC (0) Scorers:- Steve Sudale 2 Chris Sunderland 3 Ben Holland 1 James Maddick 1 Ben Dudley 1 Andy Keen Stafford recorded a comprehensive victory against local rivals Rugeley in this pre-season friendly. Stafford fielding a near full strength side played fast flowing exciting hockey from the start. It took 10 minutes before Stafford opened the scoring, new recruit James Maddick fired the ball to the far post at a penalty corner for Andy Keen to deflect the ball into the top of the net. This seemed to encourage Stafford and a number of quick goals followed, two from Chris Sunderland and a close range finish from Ben Holland. With the new self-pass rule seeming to take Rugeley by surprise, Stafford were even more dominate after the break with a couple of clinical penalty corner finishes from Ben Dudley and James Maddick. Steve Sudale picked up two characteristic close range goals and then turned provider for the best goal of the game when he set up Chris Sunderland to complete his hat trick after a number of quick passes from a Stafford free hit. On a slightly sour note Jon Peatfield received a late yellow card and temporary suspension for a poor challenge on a Rugeley player. Special mention should go to new goal-keeper Mike Wymer who although quiet for most of the game did make a couple of smart saves to deny Rugeley a goal near the end. Stafford are looking forward to a positive season in a higher league and finish their friendly fixtures next week against tough opposition Shrewsbury HC.