GU14 Wrens Fly Through to Quarter Finals
By Mark Rogers
GU14 Wrens 6 - 0 Guildford Eagles (H)
EH Tier 1 Cup: 4th Round
What a day to play field hockey! A crisp, cold but gloriously sunny afternoon at Surbiton Hockey Club, a refreshing change from the monsoon-like conditions of the previous weekend. The Wrens were out to defend their home turf in the fourth round of the EH Tier 1 Cup, with a very strong Guildford Eagles team swooping in from the Supra League. Guildford Eagles were not here for sightseeing, and their intent was as clear as the sky above.
Guildford’s aggressive pressing set the tone from the first whistle, leaving the Wrens taken aback after some straightforward matches in previous rounds, and looking like they had been given the task of knitting a sweater in the middle of a tornado. For the first 20 minutes, the visitors were relentless, throwing the Wrens off their usual stride. 20 minutes without a goal felt like an eternity to spectators, particularly for Wrens fans who have become accustomed to an early lead. It was not for want of trying, particularly from Lizzie who was like a whirlwind battling through the ranks of Guildford players with incredible skill.
And then, a breakthrough! The Wrens, having seen enough of the “no entry” signs in the Guildford D, worked as a team to calmly slot a ball through to Joycey, who was camped at the back post like a predator waiting for its moment. The ball found her stick, and with the precision of a surgeon, Joycey nudged it home to give the Wrens a 1-0 lead. The home crowd erupted, but it was too early to breathe a sigh of relief as Guildford counterattacked with ferocity. Emily and Darcey valiantly repelled all attacks, feeding the ball straight back into the Guildford half, with Wrens debutant goalkeeper Mary - heroically standing in for the injured Poppy - making a couple of crucial saves to keep the lead intact.
The Wrens couldn’t extend their lead, despite some impressive hockey on display. Isla and Elsa paired up to show some beautiful running passes between them, but the Guildford defenders stood resolute and every turn was blocked.
Finally Eva managed to skilfully steer the ball into the back of the net to take the score to 2-0. Moments later, Joycey - keen to show that she had studied the “hugging the baseline” section of the midweek PowerPoint - delivered a third goal from the back post to bring the scoreline to 3-0 as the players left for half-time.
After cup-tied new signing Martha had taken to the field to be introduced to the home crowd at half time, an invigorated Wrens came out swinging in the second half, turning up the heat with a high press that left Guildford scrambling for air. Five minutes in, a through ball found Gracie, who was suddenly one-on-one with the Guildford keeper. The defender behind her, however, had other plans and brought Gracie down like a freight train, leaving the Wrens with a penalty stroke. Eva, ice-cool as ever, stepped up and slotted it home with the precision of a cat burglar in a laser-filled vault.
Just when the commentators thought the action would never slow down, a quick interruption to the game had all spectators searching for the “on” switch for the floodlights. The brief delay only seemed to light a fire under the Wrens, and they came back with a vengeance. Marnie was a midfield force of nature, pulling off tackles that made Guildford players wonder if they were facing Gandalf the Grey, rather than an U13 hockey star. Meanwhile, Tileena and Carter kept the ball whizzing around the edge of the Guildford D, Erin relentlessly drove the ball forward and Hattie’s dogged persistence earned the Wrens a short corner.
The rest was history. A beautifully executed injection from Elsa found the sweet spot of Eva’s stick, and she cracked the ball into the net to put the game out of reach. But wait, Rosie wasn’t about to let Eva have all the fun. From the edge of the D, she pulled off a stunning reverse hit that sailed over defenders, over the keeper, over her own teammates and into the net like it was going for a Sunday stroll. Guildford, to their credit, kept pushing, but Amelie was a defensive force field, blocking everything in her path. As the final whistle blew, the Wrens had secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Cup.