BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 19/20 November 2011

Laura Pickering	Amy Richardson

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BICESTER LADIES 1ST XI 4 – 2 OXFORD HAWKS 3RD XI

In their first game back after the Christmas break, Bicester played host to an Oxford Hawks side who, due to their strength and depth, always have the potential to win games.

It was Bicester that took the early initiative, however, playing the ball neatly between themselves to settle early trepidation. However the best chance to go ahead was wasted when the ball was not taken out of the D during an attacking penalty corner and Charlie Humphreys’ resulting goal was disallowed.

The early control was soon handed to Oxford Hawks as Bicester began to panic on the ball and make several passes straight to the opposition. This pattern remained for the first half and as Chloe Ranson cleared well towards the half way line following a Hawks penalty corner, the away side regained possession and passed and dribbled with ease around the Bicester defence to take the lead on the stroke of half time.

The lead was short lived for Hawks as Bicester pulled a goal back within 30 seconds of the restart. A strong drive by Ruth Thomas down the right was followed by a cross square into the D. This was met by Lilla Venning who was able to tap in around the keeper.

Confidence was coming back into the Bicester side and Thomas soon followed up with a goal of her own as she linked up with Susie Miller down the right once more.

Althought Hawks then pulled one back to level the score at 2-2, Bicester’s heads didn’t drop and they continued to fight to turn the score back in their favour. An excellent sideline ball from Amy Richardson on the left across the pitch to Ranson at right back cleared space for Bicester to attack again. The ball was slipped to “Dame of the Game” Lisa Ryan who found Jan Southam waiting in the D to patiently lose her defender and smash home the third.

The scoring was complete once centre forward Kath Crook joined the action and in a solo effort from 30m out took on two defenders and the goal keeper to add to her tally for the season. The result leaves Bicester level on points with South Bucks at the top of Trysports Premier 2.

BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 19/20 November 2011

PHOENIX & RANELAGH LADIES 1S 1 – 1 BICESTER LADIES 1S

7th placed Phoenix allowed Bicester to do much of the hard work and the away side were able to hog possession this week, yet this was not the goal rout that Bicester have enjoyed for much of the season, and for the first time the Bicester attack found themselves frustrated by the resolute defending and excellent goalkeeping of their opposition.

Bicester had spent much of the first half attacking the Phoenix ‘D’, with Jan Southam and Gina Girvan both going close, and Phoenix had fought back with limited success, unable to threaten Jo Underhill’s goal. It was therefore as the Bicester defence pushed high to support an attack that the shock break came for Phoenix. A clever diagonal pass cut through the Bicester defence to give Phoenix space to turn on the left and cross back towards the penalty spot where their centre forward was on hand to send the ball spinning past Underhill.

Bicester have become used to scoring at ease, yet because Phoenix were happy to sit back and defend deep, Bicester had to use all of their experience to find a way to pierce the defence and pull a goal back, something which they still had not achieved by the break.

The Phoenix keeper had been equal to all that Bicester had to offer, stopping shots from all angles and dominating the space around her goal. Despite winning several penalty corners, Bicester remained frustrated until 15 minutes into the second half when their duck was broken. Another penalty was won when the ball hit a Phoenix foot in the D and a simple routine in which the initial pass was slipped to captain Lilla Venning who took time to strike the ball cleanly at goal brought Bicester back on to level terms.

The final quarter of the game saw more of the same in which an increasingly despairing Bicester could not break through to score further, despite endless half chances in front of goal.

Bicester remain top of Trysports Premier 2, with increasing pressure from second placed South Bucks who won 9-0 at home and are now 3 points behind with a game in hand.

BICESTER MEN'S 3 vs 7 BICESTER MEN'S 4'S

Having two teams in the same league is the ultimate derby game and this game turned out to be a thriller. For this game the 3s decided to wear shocking pink and donate the profits of this shirt purchase towards “A Christmas Carol” in aid of Parkinson’s UK on the 16th & 17th December at Buckingham Community Centre.

For the first 10 minutes there was little to tell the two team apart as two highly experienced midfields tussled for dominance. The 4s had a number of early chances to score but interventions by Steve Wain and Chris Page at the back prevented the 4s from taking an early lead. Bicester 4s were awarded a penalty corner and Gary Kemp’s strike hit the ball into ground which then looped over logged keeper Adam Giles to land just in front of the goal line and then roll into the goal. The 4s then doubled their lead when right back Hugh McCullagh ran into the D unmarked, picked up a Chris Birch pass unmarked and reverse stick flicked the ball into the goal. Then then followed a mad 10 minute spell when the 4s added 3 more goals with Birch winning a goal mouth scramble with 3 defenders and flashing his Parkinson’s UK t-shirt in dedicated celebration before Gary Kemp added his second with a well placed penalty corner and Shaun Varney sweeping in a deflection from a Birch cross.

The 4s entered the second half confident that they would extend their lead but came up against a revitalised and better organised 3s who started to use their younger players to greater effect and started to pressurise Gary Brock in the 4s goal, Miles Tagliaferro saw a shot flash inches wide as midfielders Mark Stuart Thompson and Nathan Monk provided some promising opportunities. The second half deadlock was finally broken, again by a penalty corner as Oz followed up on his initial blocked shot to flick the ball over Giles.

The 3s responded quickly opening their scoring through Alan Edwards, latching onto a well timed cross from Monk and firing home. The 4s quickly reinstated the goal difference through Kemp securing his hattrick with a shot that Giles was only able to palm into the goal. The last minutes of the game were all the 3s as they scored twice in quick succession firstly Edwards getting his second from an Alex Ferrier cross and finally James Palmer who intercepted and punished a poorly placed cross in front of the D. With this sudden flurry of activity the 4s were relieved to hear the final whistle.

“Bicester 3s and Bicester 4s pictured before the league game with the 3s wearing “shocking” Pink and donating the profits to Chris Birch’s production of “A Christmas Carol” in aid of Parkinsons UK. Tickets for which are available from www.oxboffice.com or by ringing 0845 680 1926 or from The Duke’s Music in Buckingham”

BICESTER MEN'S 1'S 3-0 HENLEY MEN'S 2'S

Bicester Mens 1s made it three wins out of three and moved up to 5th in the table with a patient 3-0 win against bottom of the table Henley 2s.

After one of their best performances in the last few years against MK, Bicester would have done well to play so well again and it was important to not get frustrated but remain patient against Henley as chances were initially few and far between. It was a disjointed first half with neither team creating much of note. Both teams won a few short corners but none of them were successful with only Harry Gaunt going close, as he looked to deflect Jonny Reid's ball into the back of the net from the last move of the match. Tim Yates and Stu Locke made good moves down the flanks but were unfruitful and at half-time, with Bicester having dominated possession, if not chances, it was still 0-0.

A rousing half-time team talk from captain Dan Round reminded Bicester of what they need to do and they came out to play with a much higher intensity and were soon rewarded with some decent chances. A quick counter-attack then led to their first goal, as the ball found its way to Harry Gaunt at the penalty spot, who with great composure, turned and fired the ball into the roof of the net. Bicester continued to play some good hockey with Stu Goodacre dominating with Dan Round in the middle. They they broke well from the back as a perfect lifted ball from CJ Birtles found Jonny Reid running behind Henley's back line who beat two defenders before rounding the goalkeeper and passing the ball into an empty net to give Bicester a welcome two goal cushion. The whole team then looked to protect their lead and did this well as Martin Southam, John Sullivan, Round and Birtles protected Peter Bowen brilliantly. There was then just about still time for some more drama as some swift interplay between Luke Smith, Gaunt and Reid saw Reid presented with an open goal on his reverse which he duly shot straight into the post and on the follow up found the defenders foot on the line to win Bicester a penalty stroke. CJ Birtles then put away the flick with consummate ease to give Bicester a solid 3-0 win to take to Banbury next week.

BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 12/13 November 2011

Emily Jane Hill

BICESTER LADIES 1ST XI 4 – 2 OXFORD LADIES 3RD XI

Normal service was resumed for Bicester this week, though not without an early scare. Oxford were very quick out of the blocks and in the first 5 minutes played the game at a blistering pace which panicked the home team into making mistakes. In a repeat of the events of the previous week’s game, Oxford won a penalty corner early on and converted with a straight strike on goal, leaving Bicester 1-0 down. However, learning from the loss in last week’s game and taking heart from the home support on the side-lines, Bicester pulled together and resolved to take control of the game.

Bicester battled hard to get an equalizer which came from an attack down the right wing by Ella Weston. The resulting cross was expertly met by Lilla Venning who was waiting right in front of the goal to tap in before the Oxford keeper was able to react. Weston soon put Bicester into the lead with a trademark shot from a very narrow angle which took the Oxford defence by surprise.

Both teams continued to work hard and the Bicester midfield of Gina Girvan, Amy Richardson and Lisa Ryan ran tirelessly and fought passionately to maintain possession and release balls to the forwards. In one final attack of the first half, Richardson’s shot on goal was deflected by the keeper and Kath Crook was first to the loose ball which she neatly tucked into the corner of the goal to leave Bicester 3-1 up at the break.

The second half remained a stalemate for 20 minutes as Bicester missed a couple of open goal chances. Eventually Jan Southam controlled the ball 25 yards from goal and, cutting through several defenders, slid the ball to Venning who scored her second to the delight of the team.

Bicester defended resolutely for the final ten minutes as Oxford attempted to reduce the deficit. Yvonne Jackson and dame of the game Chloe Ranson were sturdy and resolute in defence, however they were unable to prevent Oxford from being awarded a couple of penalty corners. The first of these was cleared as Hannah Newell tackled strongly, preventing the strike from reaching the goal. The second was initially cleared, however the ball was pushed straight back into the D from where Oxford took the opportunity and smashed home their second.

The win means that Bicester remain at the top of Trysports Premier 2, 4 points clear of second placed Banbury.

WYCOMBE MEN's 6th Xl 4-0 BICESTER MEN's 3rd Xl
Yet again the third team played with only ten players with one player failing to turn up and a mix up with another players availability.Despite this for the first quarter of the first half Bicester gave a good account of themselves. But two soft goals gave Wycombe, the league leaders, the advantage and put Bicester on the back foot. Going in at half time 4-0 down Bicester came out strongly in the second half and took the game to Wycombe but not getting the goal their play deserved. Sterling work from the whole team meant that the half time score wasn't increased and despite not having the luxury of four subs our effort, typified by young EDGAR FRICKER in defence, GRAHAM COX on the left of mid field, and man of the match midfielder MARTIN VAN DE BUNT meant we could hold our heads high.

BICESTER LADIES 2nd Xl 1-6 OXFORD UNIVERSITY LADIES 3RD Xl

Bicester Ladies 2's lost out to 2nd place Oxford University Ladies 3's in a competitive match. Bicester found themselves 2 nil down at half time after being put under alot of pressure by the Oxford midfield and forwards. Bicester raised their game in the 2nd half and had numerous chances to score but could not find the back of the net. As Bicester pushed forward they left gaps in the defence and Oxford capitalised on this, scoring another 4 in the 2nd half. Bicester got a consolation goal after some good team play, with player of the match Ruth Thomas scoring five minutes from the end.

MILTON KEYNES MEN's 2nd Xl 2-3 BICESTER MEN's 1st Xl

Bicester made it two wins on the bounce as a brace from Jonny Reid and a superbly taken goal by Geoff Snell saw Bicester come back from two goals down at half-time to win a thrilling game 3-2 away at Milton Keynes.

On a slick pitch, Bicester and MK fought valiantly in the first half with chances few and far between. Bicester were marking superbly with the defence of CJ Birtles, Dan Round, Martyn Southam and John Sullivan dominant, not allowing MK to create any real chances of note initially. Snell and Dobbings took control of the middle, with Dobbings setting up Jonny Reid for an easy chance which he wasted, lacking composure in the D. After a tight opening 25 minutes, MK took the lead with a well executed short-corner beating Peter Bowen. They were quickly two goals up when Reid lost the ball on the left, allowing the MK right-back to get behind Bicester's defence and play the ball into their striker to apply a great finish. The first-half ended with Bicester feeling they were letting this game slip from their grasp, but a reminder from captain Round that this game was still there to be taken set up Bicester well for their second half goal blitz.

Based on superb defensive organisation and discipline, Bicester started the second half strongly and soon were creating chances and troubling the MK goalkeeper. A quick break from defence saw Snell find Reid who fed the sprinting Luke Smith who breaking round the back of the MK defence found Reid, who smashed the ball on the volley into the bottom corner of the MK goal to commence the comeback. Bicester had the wind in their sails with Goodacre and Locke running the midfield flanks and quickly the ball moved from the midfield into the D where a short corner was won. Southam made a brave call for the set piece, allowing Snell to have a drag flick and he duly delivered, firing the ball into the bottom corner, sparking wild celebrations. Chris Ruff and Harry Gaunt were getting into great positions behind the defence, and MK were ruffled, allowing chances to be created almost every minute. Snell was dominating the midfield and having won the ball in the middle of the park he fed Reid who beat the MK left back and sprinted past him and into the D. Then, trying to pull the ball back for the forwards to apply a simple finish, a MK defender and their goalkeeper got into a mix-up and the ball found itself trickling into the goal, giving Bicester a much deserved lead. MK then came back at Bicester, but their defence held firm with a resolute performance, giving Bicester one of their best victories for years and setting them up well for next week's match against Henley back at Cooper School. Geoff Snell won the man-of-the-match award for an outstanding midfield performance and superb goal.

BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 3/4 October 2011

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Bicester Ladies 1's 6-0 Maidenhead Ladies 3's

A sizzling win for Bicester Ladies 1st

Bicester Ladies 1st team have made an impressive start to their league campaign this year, by following their win from last week with another victory this Saturday. Bicester beat Maidenhead 6 - 0 but the contest was far from easy; a determined opposition and high temperatures meant that Bicester had to battle to the end to ensure a clean sheet.

After some patient attacking play by Bicester, Maidenhead’s defence eventually conceded a penalty corner and Jan Southam found a way past their keeper to open the scoring. As the first half went on, Ella Weston and Susie Miller began to dominate down the right causing Maidenhead problems. It was from one of these attacks that Bicester scored their second with Amy Richardson getting on the end of a dangerous cross from Miller.

The second half opened with a sharp attacking move from Bicester with Weston once again driving down the right to produce an excellent cross that was neatly converted by Lisa Ryan to take Bicester to 3.

Kath Crook then got just reward for all her hard work up front when she scored to take the game well beyond Maidenhead. In the searing heat the game became more open and Bicester’s defence had to concentrate and work hard to ensure the visitors did not pick up a consolation goal but the back three of Chloe Ranson, Yvonne Jackson and George Newell were impenetrable all afternoon and provided the midfield and forwards with a solid platform to continue attacking from.
Ryan scored her second of the game and Bicester’s 5th when she slotted a powerful push into the goal from another penalty corner and Hannah Newell

rounded off a convincing win for Bicester when she tipped the ball past the Maidenhead keeper at the far post to take the score to 6-0.

Bicester Men's 1's 2-4 Gerrards Cross 1's

On a day giving us weather more akin to Buenos Aires than Bicester, the Men's 1s kicked off their league campaign against a clinical Gerrards Cross team. Following two pre-season testers against tough opposition, things did not change, as Gerrards Cross quickly gained a two goal lead with both goals being clinically put away from short-corners. As half-time approached, Bicester aborted their new formation and went back to what they were used to, quickly seeing an improvement, although not before Gerrards Cross had scored another well-taken goal to leave Bicester 3-0 down with a half to play.

With the weather reducing most of the players on the pitch to lumbering, dinosaur-esque movements, the game opened up as Bicester began to claw their way back into the game - Tim Yates, Jon Roger, Stu Locke and Adam Buxey were moving the ball well, and a good move eventually saw Bicester ploughing down the left-hand side of the pitch, with Luke Smith found in a great position to sweep the ball home from the edge of the D. Bicester were revitalised and soon were creating chances again, with a good ball from midfield finding Harry Gaunt in a great position at the top of the D, where he turned beautifully before shooting into the bottom corner of the net, via a deflection or two from the defence.

With the score at 3-2, Gerrards Cross continued to press with goalkeeper, Darren Moore making a series of fine saves, although the opposition did manage to sneak one more short-corner through to leave the score 4-2 at full-time. CJ Birtles picked up the Man-of-the-Match award for the second week in a row following a stellar defensive display again, with Bicester looking forward to repeating their second half performance for the full game next week, away at Maidenhead, where the weather forecast currently shows a clear and cool 11 degrees!

Bicester Ladies 3's 2 – 1 Wokingham Ladies 3's

The BHC Ladies 3rd XI got a well deserved win under their belt in the 2nd league match of the season in a hard fought match against Wokingham Ladies 3rd XI.

Bicester played some great passing hockey during the first half, and applying pressure to the Wokingham defence with Emily Hill converting a short corner to take a 1-0 lead into the break. With the heat taking it’s toll on both teams Bicester were some what slow of the mark at the beginning of the 2nd half, but

galvanised themselves to pressurise the Wokingham defence into giving away another short corner, which was converted by dame of the game Livvy Coulson. Wokingham appeared undeterred by Bicester determination to secure the win and came back with a goal from a short corner late on in the 2nd half,

but fortunately for the home team this was too little to late.

Bicester ladies 2's 4-0 South Bucks 2's

Bicester got off to a slow start being pressured in the defence but players got used to the immense heat and soon began to link some great passes leading to the first goal from a well worked short corner. At half time Bicester were 1-0 up. South bucks had the pushback but Bicester got the ball straight back which lead to a fast attack from Grace Julier to Stacey Rogers who slipped the ball to Sheryl Philpott who dribbled round a player to slot the ball into the goal. Another goal came from Philpott in quick sucession. Bicester continued to work hard through the heat and Julier finished off the score line taking a shot on goal that was stopped by the keeper but Julier followed the ball up and scored to bring the score to 4-0. Dame of the game was Grace Julier

END OF SEASON MATCH REPORTS

BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 2/3 April 2011

Hannah Newell	Jan Southam

These pictures look so much better if you click on them.

Bicester Ladies 1’s 6 Wychwood Ladies 1’s 3

It was a below par Bicester Ladies 1’s who took the field for the last home game of the season against a fast and good spirited Wychwood side on Saturday. Down to a minimum 11, it was nevertheless an unusually complacent first 25 minutes for the unbeaten side home side. After Bicester failed to convert some early opportunities, Wychwood sensed their chance to put one over the League winners and deservedly scored the first goal of the game from a nicely deflected shot. For the first time this season Bicester were behind in a game and this provided the momentum for players to forget injuries and flu and start building a platform from which Kath James scored a hatrick before half time. After half time the score was taken immediately to 4 – 1 when James scored her fourth from a lovely through ball from Jan Southam. The home team then struggled to maintain concentration and Wychwood put pressure on the defence which was rewarded by a penalty corner from which they scored a disputed goal. The game was put out of doubt by Lilla Venning who scored twice in fairly quick succession, once from a rebound off the keepers pads and the other from a powerful deflected ball from Susie Miller. During the dying minutes of the game, all of the Bicester team were up around their own goal when Wychwood took a quick hit from the top of the area and their centre forward drove up the pitch and scored after a one on one with the Bicester keeper.  Overall, a good humoured game which completes Bicester Ladies 1’s excellent season. Woman of the game was Jan Southam. Stats for the year: played 22, won 22. Scored 133, conceded 9.

Ladies 2s v Bracknell

bicester Ladies 2's ended their season with a 1 - 0 win over Bracknell Ladies 2's. Bicester had the best of the chances in the first half with Amy Olah coming close before Sheryl Philpott scored the only goal of the game. Bicesters defence worked hard to ensure Bracknells chances on goal were kept to a minimum and goal keeper Fiona Boyer made an excellent save with her stick to ensure Bicester kept a clean sheet. Bracknell put more pressure on in the second half but Bicester stood strong and manage to create more chances on goal with excellent team work and determination. Player of the match was Liz Coulter who worked tirelessly throughout the game.

Mens 4’s

Wokingham IV 0 vs 2 Bicester IV

Bicester completed their league season with a repeat of the reverse fixture played only two weeks earlier. This time Bicester played more confidently than in the previous encounter but once again superb defence work and in particular Gary Brock in goal ensured the cleansheet for the Bicester side.

From the start Bicester put the home side under pressure and Shaun Varney and Chris Birch playing up front had a number of good half chances which they failed to convert. Well drilled penalty corner routines also failed to come off for Bicester as the Wokingham keeper confidently dealt with any variation that Bicester produced.

Jon Roger proved to be a thorn in Wokingham’s side as he worked the left side of the pitch and put a number of tempting balls into the Wokingham D but to no avail. With 20 minutes gone the deadlock broke as Wokingham half cleared a Steve Birtles shot which Varney pounced on and  flicked the ball  high into the net past a Wokingham goal line defender. Trevor Joseph worked tirelessly on the right to provide more potential goal scoring chances and Birch doubled the lead with a sublime reverse stick chip shot from the right which curled into the left hand side of the goal over the diving keeper from a Roger cross.

In the second half Wokingham doubled their efforts and desperate defending by Jack Higginson (who was later yellow carded for an inoffensive tackle) Mike Shorthouse and Stuart Lloyd kept the home side out with Brock in addition pulling off some cracking saves to earn his well deserved man of the match award. CJ Birtles and Adam Buxhey both provided good outlets from defence linking well with Pete English as Bicester looked threatening on the counter attack but despite some promising opportunities; failed to increase their lead before the end of the match but can look forward to playing division 9 hockey next year after a well deserved and hard fought season.

TWO MORE TEAMS HAVE PROMOTION!!!

BICESTER HOCKEY CLUB Match Reports For 26/27 March 2011

Pete English		Joe Sach		Mens 4's Penalty Corner
	Lucy Birtles		Wayne Dobbins

So many pictures today I had hardly any room, so click on them to see them in ALL their glory.

Bicester Ladies 1’s 7, Wallingford Ladies 2’s 0

Bicester Ladies 1’s delivered one of their best performances of the season on Saturday with a fine win over nearest rivals in the League, Wallingford . On a warm day and with the League already secured, a rather tired and complacent performance was feared by Skipper Lilla Venning. This was not to be the case at all. The whole team worked hard throughout and never gave Wallingford a moment to get into the game. Kath James scored her first after 10 minutes with a trade mark reverse sweep from the top of the area. Jan Southam took the score to two when she pounced on a ball from close range soon after. Excellent pressure in the midfield from Lisa Ryan, Hannah Newell and Amy Richardson kept the ball wholly in Bicester’s half and enabled James to score her second and Susie Miller to open her tally before half time. The momentum remained with Bicester through the second half with the wide defence of Lucy Birtles and Laura Pickering providing an attacking platform to the rest of the team. Venning scored her first from a rebound ball struck by Ryan before James secured her 49^th goal of the season. The final score came from an angled shot from Venning. Bicester go into the final game of the season next week, having scored 128 goals and conceded 6.

Bicester Men’s 1^st               4

Newbury & Thatcham       0

Bicester Men’s 1^st XI signed off their season with a fine 4-0 victory over a competitive Newbury & Thatcham side and also secured their promotion to Division 1.

Bicester knew that if they got something out of this game then they would be promoted.  With this in mind, they got the perfect start with their first penalty corner of the game.  Wayne Dobbins squaring the ball to Jon Roger who fired the ball low in the bottom of the goal.

Bizarrely, given the importance of the game, Bicester then decided to take their foot of the pedal and for the remainder of the half allowed Newbury plenty of time on the ball, although they failed to create too many clear cut chances.

After some stern words from captain Dan Round at half-time, Bicester really raised their game in the second half and started to play the type of hockey that had got them into a promotion race.

They got their second of the game when midfielder Tim Yates found striker Chris Ruff at the top of the area, who drilled the ball straight down the middle of the goal. 

This gave the home team the confidence that they needed and moments later they got their third goal this time good link up play between Ruff and Dobbins enabled Dobbins to surprise the Newbury keeper with a reverse bunt into the bottom corner.

Bicester sealed their promotion, with a well-executed routine from back to front which left Ruff with the simplest of tap-ins to cap a fine win and complete a very good season for Bicester Men’s 1^st XI.

SLOUGH MENS 3'S  3 - BICESTER MENS 2'S 0

Bicester 2's ended their season away against an eexperienced Slough side.

The away side more than matched Slough in open play and Mike Bywater was a constant threat to the  Slough defence going close on a number of occasions.

At the back, the Bicester defence kept the Slough forward line at bay in open play but twice beat keeper Adam Giles from strikes at short corners to lead going into half time.

The second half saw Bicester push forward, building attacked right from the back from Man of the Match Chris Allen and through the middle of the park through the impressive James Pilgram.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed when the ball struck Allen's foot on the line and Giles had no chance from the resulting penalty flick. 

Mens 4’s

Sonning VI 1 vs 3 Bicester IV

Bicester secured promotion in runners up spot with one game go by beating Sonning. This was a closely fought contest and in the early exchanges neither side seriously threatened their opponents goal. Bicester played the better hockey but were often caught in possession as they attempted to take on one too many defenders. Bicester looked the most dangerous when they exploited the flanks and with 20 minutes played took a deserved lead. CJ Birtles found Chris Birch on the wing who linked up with Luke Smith who shot was scuffed by the keeper behind Birch who dived to slot the ball home. Bicester then pressed for another with Martin Austin Jr in particular causing the Sonning defence trouble whilst Pete English and Steve Birtles just about came out winners in the centre of midfield battle.

In the second half Sonning restored parity within a minute of the restart with a sublime tip over keeper Adam Giles. Although the point would have been enough to secure promotion Bicester wanted the win and hard work by Smith upfront was finally rewarded when a good advantage was played by the umpire which resulted in Smith’s reverse stick shot beaten the keeper and nestling into the corner of the goal. Sonning once more pushed for the equaliser. The Bicester defence held strong before with five minutes remaining Smith scored his second on the third attempt at goal securing promotion for the team after a hard fought season.

Emily Jane Hill	Toby	Dugald Humphreys

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Bicester Ladies 1’s score 8 against Wychwood Ladies 1’s

It was another fine performance for Bicester Ladies 1’s on Saturday against a fast and skilful Wychwood side.  After beating Sonning Ladies 7 – 0 the previous week, Bicester were a little sleepy during the first twenty minutes of the game, or perhaps this was down to a surfeit of jelly babies before the match began! Wychwood started with the ball and Bicester unusually found themselves with a penalty corner to defend within the first minute. The ball was well cleared by Yvonne Jackson and this set a platform for an immediate counter attack which resulted in a Bicester penalty corner which was well put away by Kath James from a reverse sweep. The next 15 minutes were very even with Wychwood working hard on and off the ball and keeping Bicester on the back foot. The stalemate was broken when Jan Southam scored her first of the day and then this was swiftly followed by a deflected goal in from Amy Richardson and a further goal from Kath James. Bicester went into half time happy with the last 10 minutes of their performance of the first half but still with a need to play the easy ball well and to use the full stretch of the pitch. Wychwood came out hard in the second half but their hopes were immediately dampened when James scored her third from a well placed through ball from Lilla Venning. To their credit Wychwood continued to work hard and maintained a sportsmanlike and good humoured approach to the end. After Venning squandered a number of chances for goal, Richardson scored her second from the right post, James delivered an expert aerial goal from another penalty corner and Southam pounced on the ball after a goal mouth scramble to take the tally to 8. The result means that Bicester remain unbeaten this season with a tally of 121 goals for and just 6 conceded, with two games remaining. They face a tough challenge against second placed in Division 1 Wallingford at home next Saturday. Woman of the Match was Amy Richardson.

Oxford Hawks                     1

Bicester Men’s 1^st               1

Bicester Men’s 1^st XI picked up a hard-earned away point in their penultimate game of the season with a draw against Oxford Hawks.

Both teams needed to get something out of the game but for very different reasons, Bicester for promotion and Hawks to avoid relegation.  The Hawks team clearly had a few more experienced players than when the two teams met earlier in the season and a result both teams were evenly matched.

Bicester started the game brightly and had the best of the early chances but as the half wore on Hawks started to come back into it and the Bicester goalkeeper and man-of-the-match Peter Bowen had to make some fine saves to ensure that the game remained goalless at half-time.

In the second half, Bicester again started well and with a change upfront they looked a little livelier.  After some good build up play, CJ Birtles’ deflected shot looped up into the air for Stuart Lock to tip the ball into an empty net.

This gave Bicester a much needed boost and just minutes later some great play from the midfield, led to Jon Roger forcing a fine save from the Hawks goalkeeper.

With ten minutes to go, Hawks broke into the Bicester half and a miss-hit shot from the top of the “D” deceived both Bowen and his defence and ball ended up in the bottom corner of the goal.

On reflection, a draw was probably the fairest result and Bicester know that they only need to better Abingdon’s result next week to secure promotion to Division 1.

Bicester IV 2 vs 0 Wokingham IV

Bicester remain in second in the league requiring one point from their last two league games as they eliminated rivals Wokingham from the running with this hard fought win.

Wokingham fielded a young fit side so Bicester had to rely on their experience and composure to supress the visitors. From the start Wokingham passed the ball fluidly and attacked aggressively but the defence of Joe Johnson, Mike Shorthouse and Stuart Lloyd held out deny and good goal scoring opportunities. Bicester threatened on the break but due to the superior speed of the visitors frequently found themselves outnumbered in attack but took the lead from their second penalty corner of the game when Martin Austin pounced on a half clearance from Steve Birtles initial shot the slot the ball home. Shortly afterwards Graham Harman was injured which left Bicester with no subsistutes which they desperately needed as the pace of the game and the heat of the day began to take its toll on the older Bicester side. However the crucial nature of this game meant that Bicester battled on and Captain Pete English lead by example giving Wokingham little time on the ball and linking well with Trevor Joseph to threaten Wokingham with some fluid moves.

In the second half Keeper Darren Moore put in an outstanding performance as a string of shot were directed at his goal and the only one he failed to deal with struck the post to further deny the frustrated visitors. As the game progressed Bicester switched tactics to a possession game, exploiting the flanks and enabling Wokingham to jab tackle the ball off the side line and burn valuable time they could ill afford. With 10 minutes to go Shaun Varney took advantage of a quick free hit from Birtles to run between two defenders and slot the ball under the advancing keeper in a move that was to secure the three points for Bicester.

WALINGFORD  MENS IV  6   BICESTER  MENS III   O
  A disappointing end to a two game unbeaten run but with LEE MEONS deputising in goal for the first time in three years and a Walingford side pushing for promotion it was always going to be a tough battle. But sterling work from the defense and young Lee, kept the score to a manageable 2-0 at half time with Bicester creating several good chances of their own.The second half followed a simelar patern to the first but it was Bicesters passing that ultimately let them down with Walingford running out comfortable winners.Bicester look forward to getting back to winning ways next week with our last home game of the season. 

Susie Miller	Harry Gaunt

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Bicester Ladies 1’s maintain unbeaten record

Bicester Ladies 1’s Hockey team maintained their unbeaten record with a 6 – 1 away win over third in the League Gerrards Cross. Having secured top of the League status last week, coach Mark Stuart Thompson feared a slightly complacent and sleepy performance. These fears were to be proved unfounded as the team continue to show determination to go through the season without defeat. Bicester had to work hard for the first goal which developed from fine midfield play and then a through ball from Kath James to Ruth Thomas who was well positioned on the right post. Bicester went two up 10 minutes later when Lisa Ryan fired a ball accurately through to Lilla Venning who, one on one with the keeper, slotted the ball in the right corner. Bicester then went to sleep for the next 5 minutes and allowed Gerrards Cross to counter attack strongly. An excellent drive up the right side of the pitch was struck sweetly by Gerrards Cross to score a rare goal against Bicester this season. This was just what Bicester needed to focus, settle and play more controlled hockey, best exemplified by Susie Miller, Ryan, Hannah Newell and Lucy Birtles in the midfield. James took the score to 3 -1 just before half time from an open play move. After the break Bicester  remained in control of the game which was largely played in the opposition half and allowed  the Bicester defence to push far up the pitch. Left back Laura Pickering set up the fourth goal with a well placed pass to James who scored her second with a reverse sweep. Woman of the Match Susie Miller got her name on the score board next after following up a strike on goal from Jan Southam. Southam secured the final score with an excellent strike from a penalty corner.

Bicester ladies 2’s

Bicester Ladies 2's who started the day in a relegation position faced a tough challenge against bottom placed Phoenix who are also in the fight to avoid relegation. Bicester started brightly with some good attacking play, Phoenix were quick on the break and put the Bicester defence under some pressure, but they did not take their chances. Bicester capitilsed on this and took the lead after Emily Hills shot was saved, Lucy McGregor pounced onto the loose ball and swept the ball into the top left corner of the goal. Bicester kept the pressure on and scored a 2nd goal minutes later, after Amy Evans cleared the ball from a defensive short corner and Sheryl Philpott finished the move with a good shot past the keeper. Bicester still had time before the break to score a 3rd goal, again Amy Evans was involved in the build up and Sheryl Philpott scored her 2nd goal with a neat step around the keeper and a cool finish.Phoenix came out more determined in the 2nd half and had a number of shots cleared by the defence and some good saves were made by goalkeeper Fiona Boyer. Bicester had more chances to score but did not take them. Phoenix scored in the last minute of the game with a strong strike to make the final score 3-1. Emily Hill was Bicester player of the match.
 

West Hampstead                3

Bicester Men’s 1^st               4

Bicester Men’s 1^st XI produced a great, hard-fought away win at promotion rivals West Hampstead . 

The game started at a frantic pace and Bicester fell behind to a very early goal from a penalty corner. 

However, as they have done on many occasions this season, they responded in great style with an equaliser almost straightaway.  Wayne Dobbins turned well at the top of the area, before hitting the ball towards the goal, where Joe Sach tipped the ball past the goalkeeper into the back of the net.

Just six minutes into the game the third goal was scored.  This time, Bicester sprung the perfect counter-attack and striker Chris Ruff found himself in acres of space in the West Hampstead area and he coolly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper, to give Bicester a 2-1 lead.

Bicester then began to control the game but unusually, switched off at the vital moment to allow West Hampstead to equalise.  This appeared to give Bicester the perfect wake-up call and they scored another great team goal.  The ball eventually arriving at Dobbins in the West Hampstead area and he found man-of-the match Harry Gaunt who had the simplest of tap-ins to regain the away team’s lead.

Just before half-time Gaunt was released on the half-way line and he showed great pace to create an one-on-one opportunity before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to give Bicester a two-goal advantage at half-time.

Half time: West Hampstead 2 Bicester 4.

Bicester knew that the home team would start the second half well and they had to stand up to the challenge.  However, they were not helped when the home side scored a controversial goal to narrow the gap to just one goal.

The away team continued to battle really hard for one another and as the defence of Round, Southam, Lock and Goodacre stood firm, Bicester limited West Hampstead ’s opportunities to equalise and eventually held out to win this vital game.

Bicester now know that promotion is in their own hands and if they win their last three league games, then they will be promoted.

Bicester Mens 2s v Staines

Result bic 3 staines 2

The match started well for Bicester 2’s with Luke Smith whacking one into the back of the net, taking the home team to an early lead just after a minute. The second came not long after from a skillful aerial from Humphreys where Bywater managed to pick it up on his reverse stick and passed it neatly across to Pilgrim who managed to drag flick it towards the goal, the Staines keeper managed to reach it and push it away but Bicester Captain Buxey was on the post to put it cleanly away to take the home team 2 up.  

The first half was where the action was coming from, and Staines quickly picked up the pace to tap two goals home to make it 2-2 by half time.

The second half Bicester came back fighting and were unlucky several times with some good work on the wing from young Hull , but Bywater just could not get on it to put them away. Staines just could not keep up with the pace from the Bicester boys in with the third goal coming from Oaky after some strong movement on the wing from Peeley to Lewis Allen who pushed it across the D for Oaky to tap her home to take the Home team 3-2 up.

Man of the match was Oaky well deserved.

Kath James	Lilla Venning

Bicester Ladies 1’s celebrate a 10 – 0 win against Milton Keynes

Bicester Ladies 1’s Hockey team put in a league winning home performance on Saturday with a 10 – 0 win over Milton Keynes 2’s. Bicester were nervous going into the match as MK had delivered a number of good results since Christmas and the home team, having lost a number of key players through injury, could only field the minimum 11. Nevertheless, Bicester set about the game with a steely determination to not only win, but also to put in a league title winning performance in front of their loyal supporters. The game was held to 0 – 0 for the first 10 minutes until Kath James put in a cross strike to Ruth Thomas who slotted in from the right post. MK then delivered a strong counter attack which caused some Bicester nerves but good defending from Hannah Newell and Lucy Birtles ensured that no strike on goal was achieved. Bicester brought the tally to 2 – 0 after a penalty corner strike from Lilla Venning was slotted by Lisa Ryan. The score was then taken to 3 – 0 after a well positioned pass from Thomas found Venning in front of the MK keeper. Susie Miller and Amy Richardson used the space in the wide midfield to maintain pressure on MK and it was a lovely ball from Miller that found Kath James at the top of the area for a well timed strike in the left hand corner of the goal. Bicester went into half time very satisfied with being 4 – 0 up. Skipper Lilla Venning was, however, even more delighted with the second half performance when Bicester showed a ruthless side and maintained pressure and energy to the end. James scored 4 more goals – 1 of which came from a diving reverse sweep and another from a superbly executed aerial short corner routine. Ryan bagged her second after a further strike from James was parried by the MK keeper and Ryan secured the rebound. The score was taken to 10 when Venning scored her second, taking the ball calmly round the grounded MK keeper. Special credit should be given to the MK defence and to their keeper who worked hard to the end and were sportsmanlike and gracious in defeat. Woman of the Match was Kath James.  This result means that Bicester Ladies 1’s, with 5 games still to play,  will be promoted as League champions to the Premier Divisions for the first time ever. The end of the game saw a truly ‘champagne’ moment.

Bicester Men’s 1^st               0

Aylesbury                             1

Bicester Men’s 1^st XI suffered only their third defeat of the season and their first at home, against a determined and well-organised Aylesbury side.

Bicester never really got going in the first half with strikers Wayne Dobbins and Jon Roger only having a few half chances to open the scoring.  However, it was no real surprise when Aylesbury took the lead with a scrappy goal.  Bicester continued to look dis-jointed and were glad to hear the half-time whistle.

Although the home team improved in the second-half they could not find a way past the Aylesbury defence and on the rare occasions that they did, the visiting goalkeeper made two very good saves to preserve his team’s advantage.

With just four league games to go, Bicester know that they will have to improve if they want to secure promotion.

 Bicetser Mens 2’s

Another great performance from Bicester 2nd Team saw them achieve back to back wins! This weeks was a 1-6 victory away to Eastcote.

After a great win the previous week, Bicester went into this match full of confidence and took an early lead through Ian Oak. This was cancelled out when Eastcote equalized shortly after. The teams went in level at half time.

In the second half Bicester came out fighting and restored their lead almost immediately. A well worked move saw Mike Bywater lift the ball over the Eastcote keeper.

With their noses in front again the away team really started to turn the screw. Further goals were added in quick succession.The 3rd goal was added by Captain Adam Buxey before man of the match Ian Oak scored the 4th and 5th.

There was still time for Mike Bywater to cooley slot home a 6th, when a shot from Surana deflected of the post and straight into his path.

Bicester completely dominated the second half and with this win have now moved to 6th position in the league.

Mikey Bywater, Mens 2nd	Andrew Foreman, Mens 2nd	Ruth Thomas, Ladies 2nd

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Ladies 1’s

James scores 4 in a 5 goal win over Witney

Bicester Ladies 1’s Hockey team maintained their unbeaten League record with a 5 – 1 away win over Witney on Saturday. Bicester started really well and for the first 20 minutes the match was entirely fought in Bicester’s half. A number of excellent attacking moves kept Witney under pressure but some excellent keeping from the Witney keeper kept the score at 0 – 0. Bicester squandered a few penalty corner chances before James smashed in her first from the top of the area. Bicester continued to pile on the pressure and were disappointed when two successive goals from Lisa Ryan were disallowed. Just before half time James struck again with a trademark skilful reverse sweep. During the second half It was clear that Witney were prepared to play hard until the end and the Bicester defence were put under pressure a couple of times. Lucy Birtles in midfield made a number of fine runs up the right hand side of the pitch, connecting well with right forward Susie Miller, and helped ensure that Bicester kept the momentum. Bicester were able to keep good possession for most of the second half and played some lovely hockey, passing the ball wide and building attacks that resulted in a ball fed through by Su Wheeler to James who converted, also from a reverse sweep. Soon after Lisa Ryan swept a long ball through to Lilla Venning who  scored the fourth goal from close range, between the keeper’s feet. At this point Bicester lost concentration and Witney launched an impressive counter attack. A number of crucial tackles were missed and Witney were able to score from open play and a fine strike from the top of the D. This was enough to ensure Bicester regained focus and the rest of the game was all Bicester’s with a number of great attacks on goal. James uncharacteristically missed a couple of aerial strikes on goal and a penalty flick before she scored her fourth 10 minutes from the end. This result ensures that Bicester will be promoted to the Premier Leagues next year, with 6 games still to play. Woman of the match was Lucy Birtles.

Mens 1’s

Bicester 1^st Vs High Wycombe 3rds 2-2 Draw

Bicester travelled away to top of the table High Wycombe for a big game for both sides.  Bicester started the game well scoring after 5 minutes. Joe Sach was given space at the top of the D by a sluggish Wycombe defence to fire home.  However, Wycombe showed their credentials as table toppers.  They equalised immediately when a well worked move wrong footed the otherwise solid defence of Round, Sullivan, Southam and Goodacre.  Bicester changed players to push forward but a youthful Wycombe kept them pegged back.  Bicester scored again when forwards Waldorf and Statler combined leaving Dobbins an open goal.  Wycombe equalised again with a short corner which was converted by the leagues top goal scorer.

The second half saw both sides attack in an half that was played end to end.  The Bicester midfield of Lock, Snell, Birtles and Smith did well to stop most attacks and create chances in the Wycombe half.  The last 10 minutes saw both sides get close to scoring only for both keepers making excellent saves.  Bicester Keeper Bowen made multiple excellent saves five minutes from time.  The game finished with a 2-2 draw that both sides would be happy with.

Ladies 2’s

Bicester ladies 2's earned a valuable point in their fight to avoid relegation at home to City of Oxford ladies. Bicester took the lead after Ruth Thomas stayed calm to score a well placed strike to the right of the keeper. City were then lucky to equalise after a high shot from a short corner. Bicester came back to take the lead again on the stroke of half time after a well worked short corner routine ended with Stacey Roger slamming the ball past the keeper. The second half was closely fought with a number of chances for both teams but City managed to claw a goal back and the game ended 2-2. Woman of the match was split between 3 of Bicesters players; Grace Julier, Lucy McGregor and Ruth Thomas.
 

Mens 2’s

Another Saturday afternoon at Cooper school and another battling performance from Bicester Men’s 2^nd Team.

A lively and physical match saw Bicester run out 2-1 winners, against arguably one of the leagues surprise packages in Phoenix & Ranleigh. Recent results had seen Phoenix rise to 3^rd in the league, meaning that Bicester would have to be at the top of their game if they were to get anything from the match.

Bicester, who lost narrowly the previous weekend against top of the table West London, started the match with real determination.

Early efforts at goal were well saved by the visiting keeper, but with the increasing pressure it was only a matter of time before the home side found the back of the net.

A well worked move down the right ended with Lewis Allen scoring from a tight angle thus adding to his tally of 4 goals this season. At this point Bicester looked comfortable and continued to press.

With half time looming Phoenix started to assert themselves, winning successive short corners. From one of the resulting corners Phoenix drew level. A kind deflection fell to the Phoenix centre forward who in turn drilled the ball past home goal keeper Darren Moore.

The second half was very even and both sides had good chances to take the lead.

The final and deciding goal went to the home. The Phoenix keeper made a great save from close range but the ball fell to James Pilgrim who pounced and did not need asking twice to Cooley slot the ball home.

Home goal keeper Darren Moore was again in excellent form.

Bicester have now established themselves as 7^th in the league and will be looking to push onward and upwards for the rest of the season.    

Bicester Mens IV 1 vs 3 Reading Rovers

Bicester’s promotional hopes were all but dashed with defeat to league leaders Reading. As expected the visitors proved to be a tough side to breakdown; however sterling work by the midfield ensured that in the opening exchanges both sides were nullified.  After 15 minutes Reading took the lead when an opportunistic cross found its way through two defenders and to a Reading player on the top of D who swept the ball into the corner of the goal, past the  unsighted keeper Darren Moore who did not have enough time to react.

Bicester drew back level within five minutes from their first penalty corner of the game. Steve Birtles’s far post shot was going wide but Martin Austin Snr was on hand to deflect the ball into the net.

In the second half Bicester started positively and threatened the Reading goal with Trevor Joseph frequently getting into threatening positions. The superior fitness of the Reading side began to tell and although they now began to dominate play the defence held strong and allowed few scoring opportunities. Bicester’s luck was not to hold as the visitor’s scored  two fortunate goals which keeper Moore was disappointed that he did not handle the shots better. Failing unexpected losses for Reading, Bicester’s hope now lies in finishing second. Two of the remaining games are against Wokingham currently lying two points behind Bicester which will make the final weeks of the season a nail biting affair.

Lisa Ryan	Jan Southam	Dugald Humphreys

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Bicester Ladies 1’s 2 – Amersham and Chalfont ladies 2’s 0

Bicester Ladies 1’s faced their toughest game of the season away against a strong Amersham team on Saturday. Bicester started well and put immediate pressure on the Amersham defence but squandered some early opportunities to take the lead. Amersham’s game plan of man marking and disrupting Bicester’s control of the game was effective and this kept the score line at 0 -0 at half time. A disallowed Bicester goal (in bizarre circumstances to say the least) just before half time caused frustration amongst the ranks and tempers were at risk of flaring. Bicester found themselves in the unfamiliar territory of being 0 -0 at half time and needing to regain composure and focus. Skipper Lilla Venning asked the team to focus their efforts on the ball and the game, rather than the umpires and was pleased with the positive response. Amersham never threatened Bicester’s goal in open play at any point in the game, demonstrated by the fact that the Bicester goalie didn’t touch the ball at all. For the second half the game continued to be largely fought in the midfield and some stirling effort by Lisa Ryan, Hannah Venning, Hannah Newell, Su Wheeler and Shelley Richardson kept the momentum going for Bicester. Eventually the deadlock of Bicester attack countered by solid and physical Amersham defence was broken when Kath James fired a powerful strike from the top of the D which twanked off the keepers pads and into the top right hand corner of the goal. Minutes later Jan Southam took the score to 2 with a close range flick from the right post. For the remaining 10 minutes of the game Bicester were happy to defend their lead and to register three more points in their quest for promotion to the Premier Division. Woman of the match was Lisa Ryan.

Bicester mens 2’s  v banbury 3’s          result bic 5 ban 2

Bicester 2^nd Team won 5-2 against local rivals Banbury on a very wind swept Saturday afternoon.

It was Bicester’s best performance of the season especially as Banbury sat 3^rd in the league before push back.

Early goals from Bywater and Humphreys saw Bicester take a deserved 2-0 lead, but through two well worked short corners Banbury drew level at 2-2 before half time.

Banbury started the second half in the ascendency and forced several fine saves from Birthday boy Darren Moore.

Bicester regained their composure and it wasn’t long before they took the lead again. A well worked attack resulted in Pilgrim scoring his first goal of the season and Bicester’s 3^rd of the day. The final two goals were added by Surana.

Bicester’s defence were solid throughout and the Man of the match vote was given to Ed Hull for a tireless and faultless display at right back.

 Bicester ladies 2’s also played amersham Chalfont  ladies 3’s

Result 1-1 draw

Bicester Ladies 2's put in a good team performance to earn a draw against Amersham and Chalfont. Amersham were lucky to take the lead in the first half after some strong attacks from Bicester. Bicester were the stronger of the 2 teams in the second half and had a number of short corners which were well worked but not converted. Bicester drew level after a good break which started from the defence. Grace Julier picked up the ball and skilfully went past the Amersham defence before passing the ball to the right to Sheryl Philpott who neatly passed the ball between the keepers legs. Amersham fought back in the last 10 minutes with some good attacks but Bicesters defence stood strong to gain a well earned draw. Woman of the match was Lucy McGregor.

Bicester IV 1 vs 2 Wallingford IV

Bicester’s promotional expectations took a dent as they lost the return fixture to Wallingford. Bicester will rue missed chances as the visitors took full advantage of the few chances presented to them.

Bicester started strongly putting Wallingford under a great deal of pressure and creating a number of half chances but failing to convert any of them. Wallingford took the lead when a breakdown in discipline resulted in a penalty corner that Wallingford calmly converted. This was one of only four occasions that Wallingford successfully  penetrated the Bicester D in the game. Bicester restored parity with their fourth penalty corner. Steve Birtles dribbled past three players before slipping the ball to Oz Shorthouse who flicked the ball over the diving keeper to even the score.

In the second half Bicester continued to threaten and were presented with two open goals but failure to control the ball and shots shaving the post meant the visitors held out until 10 minutes from time; when Wallingford were awarded a penalty stroke for a foot stop on the line and keeper Gary Brock was unable to prevent the stroke being converted. Bicester battled for the equaliser but the defence held out until the final whistle.

Ladies 3’s 1 v alyesbury 3’s’ 6  

Despite a 6:1 lost to Aylesbury’s Ladies 3's this Saturday, Bicester's ladies development squad, the Ladies 3's put in another spirited performance.  Aylesbury opened the scoring early on, but Bicester showed great team work and camaraderie to equalise through Kirsty Winspear. Despite their best efforts of Bicester, the more experienced Aylesbury team proceeded to score a further 5 goals to register the victory.