Swanage & Wareham 8th November 2025

Men’s 1XI:

The Men’s 1XI were looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season with an early 10am away game against Southampton Uni 2s. Swanage started strongly, putting the Uni under pressure with several circle entries. However, an unfortunate wayward pass allowed the Uni to take the lead, meaning Swanage had to come from behind.

For the remainder of the first half, Swanage were back on top. Their first goal came from Nick Pestana, with a lovely sharp deflection in front of the goalkeeper. Mike Salmon added a second from a well-worked penalty corner, before Nick grabbed his second – and Swanage’s third – with another deft deflection before half-time.

The second half began with Swanage still dominant, and they soon extended their lead with a fourth goal from Sam Waker, courtesy of another penalty corner. Pushing for more, Nick went on a fabulous run into the circle and saw his shot saved, but Sam was on hand again to tap the rebound over the line for Swanage’s fifth.

With the game nearing its end, there was still time for one more goal – a sharp finish from Steve Turner to make it six. Another fantastic win for Swanage, with a composed debut performance from Alex Turner, earning him Man of the Match.

Swanage now look forward to a tough home fixture next week against second-placed Andover.

Ladies’ 1XI

The Ladies’ 1XI returned to home turf to face Bournemouth 2s and delivered another strong performance. The Swans started brightly, with Jess Meteau finding the net just nine minutes in to make it 1–0. Staying composed, the team continued to apply pressure, and at 21 minutes Evie Binns showed great skill down the baseline before setting up Meteau again, who calmly slotted home for 2–0 at the break.

Bournemouth came out fighting in the second half, but Charlotte Grenville-Cleave (GC) had other ideas, striking cleanly into the back corner from a penalty corner to extend the lead to 3–0. The visitors weren’t done, however, responding with goals in the 51st and 60th minutes to close the gap. With Bournemouth pushing hard, Kate Black stepped up in the final moments, firing a superb shot from the top of the D to seal a 4–2 victory for the Swans.

Coach Simon Goldsack said:

“I’m really proud of the performance and pleased to see how the team are progressing in the league so far. Sitting 4th with a game in hand shows just how far we’ve come.”

Men’s 2XI

After a frustrating 3–3 draw last time out, the Men’s 2s bounced back in style with a dominant 9–0 win over Poole 3s. Despite three weeks without a game and a few players battling colds, the Swans quickly found their rhythm.

Things began shakily when an early short corner went awry (no names mentioned… Tillers), but once settled, the Swans took control. Joe Daly continued his fine form to open the scoring, sparking a goal rush that saw the Swans 4–0 up by half-time.

A half-time rally from Captain Solomon and Keeper Selby (who rated the first half a generous 4/10) urged higher standards — and the team delivered. With Poole tiring, the Swans piled on the pressure, adding five more after the break. Tillers redeemed himself with a cheeky nutmeg finish to cap the scoring, though still earned DotD honours, while Daly deservedly took MotM.

The win keeps the Swans second in the table with a towering +36 goal difference, setting up a crucial pre-Christmas run against their top rivals.

Ladies’ 3XI

The Swans 3s were back at home this week after back-to-back away games, facing Trojans 4s, who currently sit fourth in the table.

Trojans started strongly, scoring early with a well-executed team move. Swanage dug in and held firm until the 25th minute, when the visitors managed to double their lead.

The Swans didn’t give up, and with some fantastic attacking work from the forwards, Liz G pulled one back. After a goalmouth scramble, the Trojans were awarded a penalty flick — which Swanage goalkeeper Nikki GC brilliantly saved.

The second half was a real nail-biter, with both teams creating plenty of chances. Swanage’s defence worked tirelessly, facing numerous short corners. Unfortunately, the Trojans managed to sneak another goal late in the second half, putting the game out of reach for Swanage.

It wasn’t the result the team wanted, but the Swans Ladies’ 3XI can take plenty of positives into their trip to Salisbury next week.

What a weekend for the Swans — big goals, great team spirit, and plenty to build on across the squads!

#SWHC #UpTheSwans #HockeyFamily #weekendroundup