Scorers:- Bott, Foster(2), Mockett

Morpeth 4ths travelled to Hexham to face a strong Tynedale side. The opening 10 minutes were frantic and Morpeth were penned back in their own half. Debutant goalkeeper Lightley, mad some outstanding saves to keep Morpeth in the game and gave him some confidence.

As the game settled, Morpeth began to break down Tynedale and enjoy some success, their first chance came when Ian Foster found himself at the top of the D, with an oncoming goalkeeper he calmly nutmegged him and pushed the ball goalwards. The ball hit a Tynedale foot near the line and the umpire remarkably gave Tynedale a 16 yard hit. This was not the last controversial decision the umpire was to make.

The game was now end to end, but neither team were able to get the first goal before half time.

Nothing changed in the 2nd half with both teams pressing, good saves and missed chances were beginning to frustrate both sides. The deadlock was broken by Tynedale, punishing a poor passage of play by Morpeth.

Undeterred, Morpeth pressed on and M. Bott was denied by two glorious saves from the opposition’s keeper. Morpeth were not to be denied and from a short corner, Ian Foster smashed home a first time shot to level the scores.

This rattled Tynedale and from another quick attack, J.Macdonald cut inside from the wing and released Ian Foster inside the D only for his shot to rebound off the post. However, the ever reliable M.Bott was there to sweep the ball home and give the away side the lead.

For some reason, Morpeth then decided to lose confidence and it was with no suprise that Tynedale equalised. Shellshocked, Morpeth lost all shape and within 3  minutes found themselves down by another two  goals. This did spring Morpeth into action and a third followed when Ian Foster pulled the trigger again.

This time it was Tynedale who looked nervous and Morpeth were pressing them hard. It was then the umpire made his second controversial decision, a Tynedale shot hit a Morpeth foot inside the D and even with the Goalkeeper on his line and several other defenders present he awarded a penalty flick. 6-3 to Tynedale.

The game was not finished and still Morpeth pushed and were rewarded with another goal when Mockett on his second debut for the club smashed home. Tynedale were now on the back and they were desperately hanging on at the final whistle.

It is said that sanctuary never comes without some kind of risk, and that illusions without freedom never quite add up to bliss.  The haunting and the haunted play a game no-one can win.  The spirits come at midnight and by dawn they’re gone again.  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team who found themselves 7-0 down at half-time to aNorth St George’s side full of young, fit and able hockey players.  Clearly there would be no sanctuary for Morpeth without taking risks, which is what they did in the second half and with good effect.

At half-time Morpeth set themselves the simple aim of scoring a goal, and in consequence played further up the pitch.  They were duly rewarded when Alan Evans had a goal-bound shot stopped on the line by an opposition boot.  Ian Foster stepped smartly forward to convert the penalty stroke.  Meanwhile at the other end of the pitch Morpeth defended as stoutly as they could, and were pleased to concede less than half as many goals in the second half.  Goal-keeper, Glyn Evans, was Morpeth’s man of the match.  Without his many saves, including saving a penalty stroke, the score-line might have been embarrassing.

It is said that as the captain strolled the bridge one night, he was stopped in the evening light, to be asked would it be alright to join him.  But he stood there like some idol.  And he listened like some temple.  And then he turned away.  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team, when, at a crucial moment in the second half of their match againstTynemouth, the captain’s surprised grunt at receiving a pass was penalised by the umpire for intimidation.Tynemouth scored from the resultant free hit to take their score to 2-0 leaving Morpeth with no way back, and the captain turned away.

Until then Morpeth had competed well, with Lodh going close with a fierce shot after a flowing movement involving Murray and the Fosters.  Morpeth had any number of penalty corners, but were thwarted on each occasion.  They were finally undone whenTynemouthscored from yet another free hit when Glass was penalised.  He had heeded the calls of his team-mates to play on instead of the umpires whistle!

Morpeth kept pressing right up to the final whistle with Foster and Lodh having good chances.  The team kept their heads high in spite of the score in what was a well contested and enjoyable game.  The defensive work of Glass and Fidler deserves mention, and the junior Durance is showing great promise on the left wing.

Score:- 1-3

Scorers:- Q. Fiddler

It is said that everybody’s building the big ships and boats,
some are building monuments, others jotting down notes.
Everybody’s in despair, every girl and boy, but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here everybody’s gonna jump for joy.  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team, when Quinn Fidler opened the scoring with a fine piece of individual skill.

Unfortunately Morpeth were unable to maintain the momentum, and Redcar deservedly equalised before half-time.  The second half was well contested.  Calder, Foster and van Zwanenberg all had chances for Morpeth.  ButRedcar’s young forwards continued to cause trouble for the Morpeth defence with their excellent passing and movement.  Two more goals came late on to enable them to seal the victory.

Morpeth kept pressing despite losing Glass to injury, and showed determination till the final whistle.

Scorers:- I.Foster (2)

MOM:- I.Foster

Morpeth took to the pitch in Billingham against aStocktonside fielding a mixture of youth and experience. Both teams starting the game fighting for possession however it wasn’t long until the home side started to take control with Morpeth having to play on the counter-attack. Stockton made us of the ball by taking the lead through some strong play, this was then doubled 5 minutes later, the away side managed to hold on from here to go into have time 2 goals down with A.Evans and A.Mackay combining to look most dangerous.

The northerners came out strong, determined not to let the match go by and dominated play, with P.Foster combining with M.Murray who is continuing to progress moving into the midfield for the 2nd half. The breakthrough finally came from I.Foster who blasted a shot from the top of the D that cracked into the teasiders backboard. After scoring a goal Morpeth were on the ascendancy, leading to the equalizer when a ball was played to I.Foster who took control of the ball and coolly slotted it into the goal for his brace.

Morpeth’s point was much deserved for a steely determination not giving up at any stage, and will take much from this performance into next weeks home game against Redcar

M.O.M:- Adam Craggs

It is said that it has been a long time.  It seems like we have come a long way.  My, but we learn so slow.  And heroes, they come and they go, and leave us behind as if we are supposed to know why.  Why do we give up our hearts to the past?  And why must we grow up so fast?  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team in their first encounter of the new season.  The team has come a long way since last year, but still learns slowly.

Morpeth competed well in the first half, playing their simple passing game well, but were down 3 – 0 at half-time.  Simple errors were the root cause of two of the goals.  Undaunted, as befits the 2010-11 Morpeth “Team of the Year”, Morpeth came storming out in the second half, and had multiple shots on goal.  Unfortunately Jesmond were equal to the onslaught, and their goal-keeper deservedly won man of the match.

Despite the sweltering temperatures Morpeth showed their customary spirit, keeping up pressure on the Jesmond goal to the end.  Craggs was the Morpeth man of the match, but special mention was also merited by Mackay showing some silky stick skills, andMurrayplaying his first competitive game. Murraylooks a natural at right back showing excellent positional play, and good skill in closing down attackers.

It has been a long season.  As the song says – it’s coming on the end of August; another summer’s promise almost gone.  And though I heard some wise man say that every dog will have his day, he never mentioned that these dog days get so long.  I don’t know when I realised that the dream was over.  There was no particular hour, no given day.  You know it didn’t go down in flame.  There was no final scene, no frozen frame. I just watched it slowly fade away.  And I’ve been waiting in the weeds – waiting for my time to come around again.  Hope is floating on the breeze.

And so it has been for Morpeth 4^th team, which started the season full of aspiration.  And though the team has only won one match, they have never given up trying to play hockey and have played throughout with great spirit and passion.  It was no exception on Saturday.  And although there was “no particular hour, no given day” during the season when the team realised they should set their sights differently, they have in recent times had the ambition to score goals rather than simply win matches.  So Saturday was a disappointment, especially as they came very close on many occasions.  But the whole team played with customary good heart, and will no doubt be back to fight again next season.  Hope is truly floating on the breeze.

This was the classic game of two halves.  In the first half Morpeth 4^th team were like rabbits caught in the headlights, frozen to the spot by Medics’ speed, movement and accuracy of passing.  Morpeth were 4-0 down before they registered an attack on the opposition’s circle, and were 6-0 down at half-time.  But they must have found sustenance in the oranges at half-time, because the second half was a different matter.

Without any apparent tactical change, apart from moving van Zwanenberg to midfield, Morpeth started to play, working hard for each other and moving the ball well.  Medics were unable to dominate as they had in the first half, and were lucky to score late in the half.  On the other hand Morpeth won a series of penalty corners, attacked repeatedly and were finally rewarded with a penalty stroke for a cynical foul on Lodh.  Iain Foster coolly converted the stroke to maintain his recent run of goal-scoring

Henry David Thoreau, the American author and abolitionist, said that he went to the woods because he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if he could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when he came to die, discover that he had not lived. He also said that he did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did he wish to practise resignation.  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team, who might have practised resignation in the woods at Longhirst when they found themselves 4-0 down at half-time.  But they live and play deliberately, and with the captain’s encouragement and a few shrewd changes of personnel they put North St Georges to the sword in the second half, and were unlucky not to repeat Newcastle United’s great feat against the Arsenal.

In the first half Morpeth attacked well with neat passing moves, but were let down by poor defensive work at two penalty corners.  As the half progressed they played better, but were undone by two more break-away goals.

The second half was a wholly different matter with Morpeth constantly on the attack, with good work in evidence especially from Booth, Daley and Macdonald.  And they were duly rewarded with two excellent goals in open play by the goal-hungry Macdonald.

There were many excellent individual performances and Macdonald won man-of-the-match again.

The song says that before the deluge some of them were dreamers and some of them were fools, who were making plans for the future.  With the energy of the innocent, they were gathering the tools they would need to make their journey back to nature.  And so it was with Morpeth 4^th team, more dreamers than fools, with energy in abundance, and not a little innocence, taking on a young and virile Medics team, which had pace aplenty.

And although there was a deluge of goals against them Morpeth ran and ran, and they played some excellent hockey with their customary spirit and determination.

In the first half Morpeth had to defend and defend again, with little opportunity for their speedy forwards.  Poor finishing by Medics and resolute tackling by Morpeth kept the score down to 3 – 0 at half-time.  In the second half Morpeth started with great purpose, and Macdonald was unlucky not to score after a slick passing move.  In spite of ceding two more goals to Medics’ penalty corners, Morpeth kept up their pressure on the opposition, and gained two penalty corners.  Unfortunately they were unable to convert either.  Medics added a sixth goal in a breakaway.

There were again many good individual performances with timely interceptions from Mackay, Page, Holden and Cook; midfield strength and pace from the Fosters and Booth; brave keeping by Quinn; and, an increasingly assured performance from Lodh.  Macdonald deservedly won man of the match for his tireless running and strong positional play, coupled with excellent ball control and retention.