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Fourth Team

Bec 4 v Highbury 2

Bec 4 followed up their impressive win last week with a hard-fought performance against a very strong Highbury 2 side featuring several 1st team regulars. Bec 4 were slow off the blocks and were 5-1 after 15 minutes. At this point heads might have dropped, but to the credit of the entire team they dug deep and two drop-off shots from Weeksy and Laura in the last minute of the first half brought us back within striking distance: 5-3.

After the break, the introduction of Claire Synott for the injured Laura Butcher and of Stu Ironmonger refreshed the offensive spirit, and Bec started dominating copiously. Stu and Annie combined beautifully to produce a runner from Annie and a penalty converted by Stu, and Bec were level and at full throttle. Another penalty earned by Kate and converted by Weeksy and a gorgeous long bomb from Claire Synott put us ahead, but Highbury earned a draw with two more opportunistic strikes. A fair result in a seesaw game, and plenty of outstanding performances. MVP: Weeksy, who had the toughest assignment all day and was relentless in both attack and defence". - Jonny

Final score 11-10 to Bec

Bec 4 v Nomads 3 Fear the wrath of Annie

Craig (c), Yuen, Jack Wilson, Giancarlo, Jo Wilson, Annie, Laura Butcher, Kate Vickery Sub: Claire Saunders

Bec 4 faced their first home game of the season against a strong Nomads 3 side which had beaten Bec 3 a few weeks earlier in their pre-season friendly. Ernest Bevin was open to the Bec massive for the first time and the new venue offered light, width and a decent floor to play on. Bec players lined the sidelines in full force with loud voices and support.

Coach Clarkey took control of the team with a starting attacking division of Jack Wilson, Jo Wilson, Giancarlo and Annie and a defensive division of Craig, Yuen, Laura Butcher and Kate Vickery. Nomads’ attack started with only three players but they were strong and two quick goals (one from the half way line) were scored to put Nomads 2-0 up. Bec 4 came back hard and the extra player was used efficiently with Laura going straight to the post collecting shots and acting as a close feed. The result was two quick Yuen goals bringing the scores level. A quickfire double from Annie put Bec two up and in a strong position. Jo Wilson was showing the same high level of form from a few weeks before that has got her involved with the England set up but had to go off injured and was replaced by the very able Claire Saunders.

The game had started to get rough with some pushing and shoving and Nomads frustration started to show. A Nomads penalty followed by a well taken Yuen free pass and Annie lurking at the back goal brought the score to 6-3.

Nomads then pushed hard and their boys started pushing at the Bec defence with the half time score being 6-6.

At half time coach Clarkey told Giancarlo and Craig to work harder at the post and for the other players to get the ball moving a bit quicker. Immediately this worked as Annie scored again but two more goals from Nomads put them in front. Laura Butcher and Kate Vickery started pushing harder and harder on their girls in the second half, had collected shots (both in attack and defence) and were looking increasingly dangerous. This paid off when a hard worked move from Laura was hit by her girl from behind resulting in a penalty. Craig tucked the penalty away bringing the scores level and the crowd once again brought Bec spirits back up.

Claire Saunders, who had come on and played her socks off now popped the ball in clean through, her delayed celebration came after realising it had actually gone in to put Bec in front again. Nomads returned fire with a penalty and the scores read 9-9 with little time remaining.

Throughout this time the Nomads frustration was increasing and the result was a yellow then straight red for one player and a yellow for another for arguing/swearing at the ref. Bec stayed calm and Kate Vickery scored with her trademark long bomb. However, Nomads scored an equaliser with the scores resting on 10-10 with just minutes remaining.

The division of G, Jack, Annie and Claire fought hard with good passing and well taken shots – Jack combining well with some excellent passes to Annie, Giancarlo rebounding strongly and Claire looking likely to score again. Finally it paid off when Annie popped up yet again and sunk her fifth goal of the game to put Bec ahead. Resolute defending from the other division saw out the end of the game.

A massive roar of celebration followed the final whistle and included Clarkey storming the pitch and picking Annie up and running around with her held aloft.

Bec 4 fought hard in this game and played as a team to beat a tough Nomads unit. The score sheet will point to Annie with 5 and Yuen with 3 but each of the nine players toiled and worked hard to bring the victory home.

Final score: 11-10 (Annie 5, Yuen 3, Craig, Claire Saunders, Kate Vickery)

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Bec 4 played their first game at Ernest Bevin against Nomads 3. The team welcomed Annie Rheason into the fold and set about a tit for tat battle against a Nomads 3 team that had beaten Bec 3 in pre-season. The teams went toe-to-toe, with each team taking the lead at various points in the match. However, Bec snatched the game in the final minutes with Annie's 5th goal of the game, one which saw Nomads players receive a number of cards from referee Tony Micaleff. MVP: Annie Rheason". - Liam

Final score 11-10 to Bec

Narrow defeat for first Fourth's match of the season.

Bec 4 played their debut match at Royal Russell School against Croydon 3. The scoring was opened after just one minute with Croydon 3 putting in a penalty. Croydon 3 gave away a free pass a minute after which sadly Bec were unable to convert. The scene was set for a match of strict refereeing decisions with the sound of the ref's whistle ringing in our ears.

Craig Weeks and Kate Vickery put up numerous long shots, but the korf Gods were against Bec and they just would not drop in. Jack Newman provided a reliable pair of hands in collect and recycled the ball well, with Anna Moore assisting to set up the Bec attack.

In defence, Laura Butcher and Jo Wilson worked thier socks off to deny Croydon 3 any possibility of getting a runner in. Laura lost the feeling in her toes thanks to a 'feisty' opponent. Scoring was evened out by a cheeky runner scored by Kate Vickery. Croydon 3 were awarded another penalty just moments later and again Bec were trailing 2-1. Craig Weeks and Jack Newman proved to be a great combo in defence intercepting and quickly delivering the ball to the attacking division. Croydon edged ahead 3-1 with a long pass-drop off goal, and then 4-1 when a pass miraculously went into the korf. Unbelievable.

Bec then attacked hard putting up countless shots which just wouldn't go through the yellow bit. A lovely little runner from Kate, followed by a well taken free pass by Jack Wilson saw the scoreline at 4-3 to Croydon at half time.

The second half started well with Craig Weeks equalising with a penalty and Craig, Anna Moore and Jack Newman all shooting well. Croydon 3 would not relent and some tricksy moves near the post saw the scoreline rise to Croydon 7 Bec 4. Giancarlo got a great goal back to open his account for the season. Croydon replied soon after making the score 8-5. Two more goals came for Bec, one from each Jack.

Final score: 9-7.

Great game guys, well played

08/03/09

Bec 4 came into this match stumbling, their undefeated run having come to an end, and in a tailspin off the back of three straight losses. The team were hungry to get back on track, especially having lost their talismanic Hercules of Giancarlo Di Santo at the post.

Coach Clarke switched things up a bit with Kitman, Matt, John and Kate Vickery in first attack, and Yuen, Dave, and the Claires in first defence.

Bec got off to a quick start with Matt putting down a early penalty chance. More good Bec defense and overall slick passing led to a Kate long distance shot and Bec happily switched ends. Pelham were no mugs and responded by winning a penalty which was put away to bring the score to 2-1. But Bec regained control with a Dave P bomb from the front to make it 3-1. The first half was a joy to watch for the Bec fans and Matt was havin probably his best all around game of the season as he facilitated the Bec offense on his division. Kitman took advantage of great feed positions by slipping by her girl for two straight running in shots. 5-1 Bec. Pelham then put in a lucky shot but it was Claire Synott who put in a second chance effort after a recycled collect from Yuen.

Pelham's old legs could not keep up with the spry athleticism of Bec 4 and Kate schooled her girl for 2 more straight runners - it was great to see so many runners being put in by John's division (at a high percentage) who normally rely on the outside shooting as their primary weapon for scoring. 8-2 Bec. Yuen had been missing his shots for early on in the game but he popped in a long shot before the half time whistle to bring the score to a glorious 9-2 to Bec at the half.

Dare I say, Liam was almost smiling at the interval.

After half time Bec were strangely either subdued or overconfident, but Pelham wer agitated and came out with renewed energy. In fact it turned quite aggressive as Pelham tried to fight their way back into the game. John was sent flying into the wall; Claire Saunders was battled hard by a Pelham vet and tumbled to the ground (this one wasn't due to her lack of balance!); Yuen was blocked off running to the basket, was awarded a free pass but Pelham grabbed the ball and thought they had been fouled...

Ugly 2nd half in general and Yuen was the only scorer on the bec end with a rebound putback off his own miss, a runner off a nice assist from Claire Saunders and a penalty.

Final score a still impressive 12-4 to Bec. Normal Service resumed. I think it's worth mentioning some fantastic performances other than Matt's great game - Dave P was great in his overall hustling, collecting and defence, that was his best performance for Bec 4 that I have seen. Kate Vickery also was back to her best with a hat trick to fire her way back to the top of the scoring charts. Kitman actually shot the ball and was great. John resolute in defence and collect as usual. And the Claires both played great defence and took care of the ball with good passing throughout. Well done everyone.

Was it korfball or was it rugby?

23/02/09

Bec 4 ventured to Latchmere not Twickenham this week but they got a game more like rugby than korfball. Latchmere, known more for its slippery floor than its ability to hold korfball matches became home to a physical game more suited to Jonny Wilkinson than Bec 4. Yet they stayed strong in a close match which eventually saw those lose by a single goal. Coach Clarkey picked an initial attack of Yuen, Giancarlo, Claire and Laura Butcher, they took the lead with a sweet shot from Yuen and immediately silenced the Supernova crowd. However a quick Supernova goal brought it to 1-1. John Wilson, Matt, Kitman and Kate took over the attack and John scored a great shot on the left side to match Supernova’s goal.

Yuen and Kate scored in the remainder of the half both with well take shots. A few interesting referee decisions littered the half and the Bec 3 crowd of Liam, Craig, Kate’s manfriend, plus subs Jo Wilson and Dave were thoroughly perplexed by some of the decisions. However, they kept loud and proud.

Half time was 4-4, but it was more like the Somme than south London. Kate had been poked in the face, Pulford was pulled on to the floor and John hit over the head but they were still strong and looked good for the second half. If Bec 4 thought that the second half would be calmer, they were wrong. More contact ensued with Kitman being hit in the face amongst other things. However Bec 4 were becoming more clinical and Yuen’s stunning long shot and Giancarlo’s short shot put Bec 4 in a great position. 4-6 the score. Supernova were getting riled and started to shout at each other but Bec 4 stayed calm throughout. However, the physical nature of the game started to take its toll and Supernova were awarded two fortuitous penalties which they duly converted. It was tight and Bec were constantly moving and challenging the Supernova goal. Suddenly, with minutes to spare, like England in the rugby world cup, Supernova converted and put them ahead. For the first time, the Supernova crowd actually made some noise, however, Bec continued hard and even hit the basket right at the death.

However Supernova walked away with the victory. Bec 4 played well and fought against a hard foe, they walked away with bruises and sore eyes but their dignity in tact. Bec 4 will march on, and hopefully, will not have to play rugby on a Sunday anytime soon!

Bec 4 battle against Highbury

08/02/09

This weekend saw Bec 4 play in a top of the table clash in LKA Division 3 with Bec playing hosts to Highbury 3. Neither team had lost all season prior to the game and so the stage was set for a heart-stopping encounter. Bec 4 has had a fairly settled playing side of late, and so the usual suspects of John, Kitman, Matt and Kate started in attack and Yuen, Giancarlo and the two Claires started in defence. On the coaching side however, Liam had sloped off skiing so Craig Weeks stepped up to oversee that side of things.

Coach Weeks declared that he wanted the team to work so hard that there were eight dead players on the pitch at the end, and the game started at such a frantic pace that it looked like the players might be taking him at his word. Both teams had early opportunities, however it wasn't a surprise when Yuen sunk a delightful shot from long distance to move Bec into the lead. Highbury quickly equalised, but it was then Matt's turn to step back and slot in another glorious long shot to put Bec 2-1 up. However, a determined Highbury team again pegged the score back to level and then took the lead at 2-3. The score line stayed close throughout the rest of the first half, but Bec were unable to level the score again.

The second half again started brightly for Bec with all the players contributing good performances, and playing extremely well as a team with some good passing and great collecting. Unfortunately, the goals would just not come. Weeksy decided to make his first tactical change shortly into the second half with the ever reliable Giancarlo being replaced by Dave Paton, in his first appearance for Bec 4 this season. Unfortunately this delayed the game due to his tracksuit trousers's reluctance to slip over his shoes. Anyway, the game was swiftly on the go again, with Bec looking to overturn their deficit and move on to continue their winning streak. A quick goal followed to move back within sight of Highbury, but luck seemed to be going against them, with the ball being drawn away from the yellow tub. Jo Cattini came on the replace Kate midway through the half, however a few penalties and goals later and the game was lost for Bec, with Highbury eventually winning 9-5.

A good performance from Bec despite the loss and the scoreline may have flattered Highbury slightly - but Bec will have a chance to gain their revenge on the last day of the season, in what could be a title decider!

Scorers: Yuen 2, Matt 2, Kitman 1

The winning keeps on going…

11/01/09

It was another cold wintery morning when Bec 4 had to continue their impressive winning streak by taking on Nomads 4, a team they had yet to play against. With moods slightly muted due to the cold weather, Kate got everyone going with a team warm up. This involved a variety of different moves and activities, mainly due to her getting bored easily.

Places were taken and the stage was set for Bec to work their magic. In 1st attack were Giancarlo, Yuen, Laura Blazey and Claire Saunders with John, Matt, Kate and Kitman in 1st defence.

Some strong and crisp passing in Giancarlo’s section meant that the match began at a quick pace. It wasn’t long before Yuen got Bec off the mark with a well placed long shot. Strong defending by John’s section meant no goals for Nomads and instead the ball was quickly returned back to Bec for another attack. Yuen quickly popped in another shot, a mid-range one this time and looked well set to try and achieve the 7 goals being demanded by Kate!

Nomads managed to get themselves their 1st shot to take it to 2-1 but this didn’t last long with Matt sticking in a sneaky mid-range shot from the back. With John’s section back in defence the physical battle between John and his player began and didn’t once let up. John was quite in his element though with a player like this and rose to the challenge. Nomads pulled a goal back but then Claire Saunders (much to her own surprise) managed to drop off the basket to score a mid-range shot from the back.

Somewhere in the middle of the game Giancarlo was robbed of his 2nd goal of the season by a slightly dodgy ref, who had a few inconsistencies with his calls of contact and also Matt missed a penalty, oops. Apparently Claire Saunders fell over twice, but surely that is expected and doesn’t need mentioning in every match report?

Kitman then carried on the scoring with a trademark head shake and quick dodge (see Kate for a demonstration), to easily beat her player and score a runner. Then a long attack began with a multitude of shots going up, but not quite going in. However the collecting and recycling of the ball by all members was strong allowing Kate to put in a mid-range shot from the back. Bec had done a good job defending only allowing the opposition to score 2 goals in the 1st half meaning the score was 6-2 at half time. Bec were going into the 2nd half looking strong.

Coach Clarke was happy with the performance so far but still encouraged people to look dangerous and take the shots! The 2nd half saw Claire Synott coming on for Kate. Laura started the half looking very strong and quickly put in 2 well taken mid-range shots, with strong assisting by Yuen.

The battle between John and his man was still continuing but John’s player was throwing something else into the mix and began to drop off to try and get a sneaky collect. However John got the better of his player by taking advantage of the space given to him and popped a mid-range shot in. Then a well worked free pass with Laura saw Yuen able to put another short shot in. And just in case we weren’t already convinced of his shooting ability Yuen put another one in, a long one this time just to keep a bit of variety.

At this point disaster struck as Matt went tumbling to the ground and the sports hall echoed with, “I can’t play, I’ve got to come off!” Doctor Ellie was quickly on the scene and tended to him with ice. Coach Clarke realising that he was going to have sub on hastily tried to get his tracksuit off and came onto the pitch raring to go. Concentration lapsed slightly after Matt falling and Nomads tried to make a comeback, managing to get 3 goals past a usually tight Bec defence. However they had left it too late for this and it was Bec who had the last word with Yuen finishing off the game with one final well executed long shot, taking the final score to Bec 12 – Nomads 6.

Coach Clarke was happy with his team’s performance but apparently wants to see more tiger teeth in the next match, grrrrrr!!

04/01/09

Bec 4 came out looking to continue their run of great play this season, up against a Croydon 4 team that they had beaten handily, 16-0 in their previous meeting.

Bec lined up with Yuen, Giancarlo, Claire Synott and Jo Cattini in 1st attack, and John, Matt, Kate and Claire Saunders in 1st defence.

Some strong defence by John's division meant that Croydon were unable to create many chances at all in attack. Though they kept posession, they seemed content to suck up the clock and were not even able to shoot the ball for very long periods due to the stifling defence. Early in the game Yuen opened the scoring with an easy runner after a good feed from Jo. A couple of plays later Yuen returned the favour as Jo was beating her girl with ease - after running through Jo stopped and scored from close range. Bec swapped sides and still Croydon could find no answer – Kate was soon open from the outside swishing through a now trademark long ranger. 3-0 Bec and we were rolling. There was even time for Claire Saunders to chip in with her trademark move, falling over and rolling around on the floor. This maintained her impressive streak of falling down in every league match she has played this season.

Perhaps it was complacency but against the run of play Croydon scored two goals. This gave Bec a bit of a kick and a determined Yuen quickly took three shots, missed the first two but kept rebounding his own misses and shooting again until he finally scored. Claire Saunders then stuck in a mid-range shot from the front to restore the 3 goal cushion but then Croydon scored a runner before the break to make it 5-3 at half time. A dangerous scoreline for a team that should not have troubled the mighty Bec 4.

Coach Clarke called for more focus and to pick up the defence, and for Yuen to go into the collect more in the second half to exploit the near foot height disparity he had on his man. This tactic worked immediately as Bec scored on their first possession, which was like a training drill – Jo shot and missed, which was collected and passed to Giancarlo who missed, which was collected again and straight out to Claire Synott who drilled the shot from long range.

The defense was excellent from Bec in the 2nd half and Croydon would not score again, nor even trouble the basket. Laura came on for Claire Saunders. Claire Synott then made a great play, stealing the ball from Croydon while they were trying to come out of defence and passing to Yuen for a wide open running in shot. Laura quickly made a strong contribution by chipping in with a runner of her own, and Kate Vickery wowed the fans (and her teammates) with another long shot. Dare I say that she is the early front runner for Bec’s most improved player? 9-3 and Bec now dominating the game in style.

Perfect passing on a 2 on 1 situation led to Giancarlo setting Yuen up for another shot right next to the basket. Yuen then scored his 5th of the day and Kate capped matters by completing her hat-trick with a nicely executed drop off.

Final score 12-3 to Bec 4 who remain undefeated and stand proudly at the top of the standings.

 Goals: Yuen 5, Kate 3, Claire Synott 1, Claire Saunders 1, Jo 1, Laura 1.

Bec 4 March On

Bec 4's storming start to the season continued with a resounding away win over Pelham 1 at Epsom College on Sunday. The pre-match preparations went ahead without Yuen Aw and Giancarlo Di Santo, who were stranded on the wrong side of the vast campus, but the two late-comers made it just in time to line up alongside Jo Wilson and Kate Vickery in first attack, with Claire Synott, Jo Cattini, Matt Pulford and captain John Wilson in first defence.

The cold weather and early start were possibly to blame for the early lead taken by the home team, but this only served to stir Bec into life. A pass into the back corner saw Kate Vickery sink an audacious distance shot, and from 1 - 1 Bec never looked back. A second distance shot, this time from Matt Pulford, quickly followed before a lapse in concentration in defence allowed Pelham to score a running-in shot. Bec's response was swift and unrelenting, as Yuen Aw found his range for two goals, Matt scored from close in and John Wilson set Claire Synott up for a running-in shot.

Going into half time with his team 6 - 2 up, coach Clarke declared himself happy with the first period performance and asked his players to raise the tempo in the second half. Bec duly delivered, with a blistering 15-minute spell which saw sharp passing, slick movement and dominance under the post. Kate launched another trademark long-range missile, Yuen's tireless work rate brought him a close range goal and Jo Cattini skipped through the Pelham defence to score a running-in shot which she quickly followed with a sharp distance shot to take the score to 10 - 2. Pelham refused to give in, scoring twice more, but the Bec attack kept on coming. John Wilson scored two late goals - just reward for a solid day's work on the collect - and Yuen scored his fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the day whilst Claire, Kate and Jo Cattini all completed their hat tricks to bring the final score to Pelham 4 - Bec 19.

The team celebrated afterwards with cooked breakfasts in Epsom's finest greasy spoon. Satisfied with their food and their comprehensive win (which sees Bec 4 go clear at the top of London 3 after Highbury 3 could only draw), the team went home full of confidence and looking forward to the next match away to Croydon 4 on 4th January.

All Change at Bec 4

It was all change at Bec 4 with new recruits Claire Saunders and Laura Blazey donning the yellow and heading to Trinity to take on Mitcham 3 in the first game of the seaon. Coach Clarke put his faith in Yuen Aw- some, Claire Synott, Kate Vickery and Giancarlo di 'octupus' Santo to take first attack, leaving Papa 'John' Wilson, the new recruits and Simon Taylor locking up the D.

For the first 20 minutes, Mitcham 3 held like the Thames Barrier against a rising yellow tide.  Mitcham took the lead with a short shot off the basket but Yuen Aw re-established parity with a distance shot. From there on, Bec didn't look back. Laura Blazey put Bec into a lead they never relinquished with a well worked running in shot.

The divisions then swapped after Claire Saunders scored on her Bec debut with a runner of her own. Yuen scored the next two, the first a middle distance shot, the second a little shot off the back. Bec went into half time 5-1 up but with a lot of work to do.

The second half saw Bec play a lot better but without the goals they deserved.  John Wilson got on the score sheet with a little shot and Simon Taylor slot home a penalty he'd earned.  Yuen got back to what he does best.  Score .  Two more goals from the Aw took the scores to 9-1. Simon Taylor put the icing on the Bec cake with a little shot.  Bec went back to Wandsworth 10-1 winners.

Liam Clarke to coach 4th and 5th teams

Bec 4 and 5 will enjoy having Liam Clarke as their Head Coach – Liam is a great asset to the Club, not only as a coach, but his services are truly valued and experienced players and beginners alike will benefit from being coached by him. Liam will be assisted by Michael Grayer (Highbury), a developing coach who we are happy to welcome to the Bec coaching team.