Big Wins, Brave Battles and Bright Futures for Basingstoke HC

What a weekend for Basingstoke Hockey Club, starting with a sharp and confident 3-1 away win for the Ladies 1s at Henley. Fi Parker opened the scoring with a dream open-play strike, Ellen Knighton followed with a thunderous short-corner finish, and Claire Bowman sealed the result from the penalty spot. It was a composed, dynamic display that showed the squad’s quality all over the pitch.

That same mix of grit and momentum carried into a tense and ultimately rewarding 2–1 victory for the Ladies 3s at Chichester. After a frustrating opening spell they equalised almost immediately through a sharp short-corner finish from Harriet Sage. Moments later, Janine White swept home the winner, securing a result built on resilience and composure.

At Down Grange, the Ladies 4s produced one of the day’s most action-packed performances in a 2–1 win over a lively and youthful Winchester side. Basingstoke dominated early, forcing an incredible nine penalty corners in the opening ten minutes. Conversion proved elusive, until the tenth, when Kate Cooper smashed home a textbook opener to give the hosts the lead they fully deserved. Winchester struck back after half-time from a penalty corner of their own, but Basingstoke responded brilliantly, with Ulrike Maier latching onto a midfield pass from Tan Bridge and deftly dinking the ball around the keeper for a cool finish. As Winchester pushed hard in the final stages, person of the match goalkeeper Julie Wright was superb, pulling off acrobatic saves to ensure the home side held firm for a richly earned victory.

There was plenty of heart on show from the Ladies 5s, who fell 3–2 away at Aldershot & Farnham but produced a performance full of character. A standout moment came from 13-year-old Eloise Tuckwell, making her adult debut just a week after her birthday. Goals from Lyanne Morrison and returning player-coach Amy Rowe completed a display that showed huge determination from the entire squad.

For the Ladies 6s, their match with Hamble 2s was brought to an early conclusion with Basingstoke trailing 2–1. Before the stoppage, Xanthe Thurlby gave her side the perfect start with a well-taken opener, but Hamble found two quick replies to edge ahead.

On the men’s side, the Mens 1s battled hard but suffered a 5–3 defeat to Reading, with Andy Pett in prolific form as he delivered a superb hat-trick to keep Basingstoke in the contest from start to finish.

A well-earned point came for the Mens 2s from Lucas Chambers efforts, who closed out a tight 1–1 draw with Southampton Uni.

The Mens 4s travelled to Portsmouth where the hosts struck twice early on, but after tactical reshuffling Basingstoke settled and Jez Spicer-Martinez delivered a standout goalkeeping display, producing a string of vital stops. JP Vout converted a short corner to narrow the deficit, and although the match finished 2–1, the defensive effort and Spicer-Martinez’s man-of-the-match performance were major positives.

A free-flowing 2–2 draw for the Mens 6s against Fareham saw Kyle Mcfee at the heart of the action, scoring both Basingstoke goals in a lively, end-to-end contest.

Cup action showcased the remarkable stamina and experience of the Ladies O45 Allsorts, despite a 2–0 defeat to Taunton Vale in the EH Over 45s Cup. After holding their high-quality opponents scoreless at half time, the pace of play was rapid throughout and two short-corner strikes were the only difference in a clash played at an exceptional standard.

The club also saw mixed-team action this weekend as Basingstoke faced familiar rivals Winchester in the first round of the EH Mixed Cup. It was a tight, hard-fought contest that could have swung either way, ultimately ending in a narrow 2–1 defeat despite a well-taken finish from Harriet Sage. The squad left everything on the pitch and came agonisingly close to snatching an equaliser on the final play of the game. Their cup journey now continues in the Plate competition, where this level of commitment will make them a real threat.

And as ever, the juniors brought the energy. At Fleet & Ewshot, the U8s embraced the cold and delivered performances full of skill, spacing and smart positioning, clear evidence that training pitch habits are translating into match play. The U10s also lit up the pitches with three spirited teams growing in confidence throughout the tournament.  Passing sharpened, teamwork blossomed and some cracking goals added sparkle to the day.

A huge congratulations also goes to our U12 Boys, who put in a superb shift down in Bournemouth. Both squads were pushed hard by strong Tier 1B opposition, yet their effort and attitude shone throughout. The White team claimed two impressive wins over Havant and Trojans, stitching together some outstanding team goals. The Red team faced particularly tough Winchester and Trojans sides, battled fiercely from first whistle to last, and grew visibly with every match, giving Xander a busy but brilliant afternoon between the posts.

Another weekend full of goals, grit, debuts, determination and club spirit - pure Basingstoke Hockey Club hockey from first whistle to last.