Croydon 1 in magnificent win against Mitcham 2Croydon 1 put in a truly magnificant team performance against a Mitcham 2 side that was a little lost without key player Peter Teague. Nothing in the Croydon warm up gave any clue to the way they were going to play, nothing looked any different to normal. When the teams took to the pitch though, Grace Stimpson, playing in first attack with Vernon Ellis, Hannah Driver and Dan Pratt, sunk a awe-inspiring long shot, and that set the scene for the whole match. Croydon heads were up, and they were on fire. In defence Captain Zak Omar, Ed Chaney, Anna Jeanes and Julia Johnson didn't have much time to get used to their opponents, as Pratt promptly followed up the Stimpson goal with one of his own. When Omar turned his player to score Croydon's 3rd, the Croydon team weren't quite sure if it was all a dream, or whether this was a new kind of reality for them. A Mitcham long shot gave the visitors their first goal, but Croydon were piling on the pressure in defence, getting rebounds and intercepts, whilst the attack was much more flowing than in previous matches. Ellis earned a penalty, that Pratt calmly converted, closely followed by Stimpson dropping off for her second goal of the day. At the change of ends, Jeanes sunk a shot, and suddenly Croydon found themselves 6-1 up. The next two goals went to Mitcham, as their girls ran past first Driver and then Jeanes to score text book running in shots. (Some Croydon players could learn a lot from their technique and finishing ability!) But Driver and Jeanes were not to be outdone; Driver stepped up and scored past her player, quickly followed by Jeanes making space to sink a long shot. The next attack saw Ellis take up a classic feed position; Driver drove at the post, drew both Mitcham defenders, and passed a glorious ball straight to Stimpson who had dropped off the back of the post. In went the ball, and the Croydon team, bench and coach went mad ... it was a move straight out of the last training session, executed to perfection. Croydon switched off slightly in defence, and let in another runner from Mitcham. Croydon responded well though, and instead of heads going down, it seemed to galvanise the team. The ball was recycled well, good shots were taken, and patience was shown in attack. Half Time: 9-5 in Croydon's favour. Mitcham came out after half time with a different strategy, keeping Pratt away from the post, and it paid off for them as they scored the first goal of the half, a long range effort. With the Croydon attack working well though, it was only a matter of time before they combined to score again, and sure enough it happened, through a Jeanes shot from down town, when Johnson had drawn both girl defenders. Omar and Chaney's high levels of fitness were showing in defence as they claimed loose balls, intercepts and blocks. This enabled the attack to take their time, show their patience, and select the best shot options. The next 2 goals went to Croydon, with Pratt converting a penalty, and then adding a long shot. Some nifty footwork by Johnson led to her scoring the flatest pancake of a shot ever! It sent the crowd into screams of ... well screams of something! At 13-6 with only 15 minutes to go, Croydon could sense that the victory was going to be theirs. It was a feeling that had been sadly missing for a number of games, and it was a good feeling. Mitcham continued to work their strengths, but they couldn't score more than one goal at a time, and the pressure was beginning to show. In the last 1/4 hour, Mitcham could only find the basket 3 times, to Croydon's 6. First Ellis ran his player, (and scored!), then Omar won and converted a penalty, then Jeanes scored a runner (not mentioning the number she had missed before scoring one), Pratt scored, Omar scored again, and finally in the dying minutes of the game, after working so hard for the entire match, Chaney scored. That goal meant that every Croydon player had scored during the match, which was a fair reflection of the teamwork that went into the result. When the final whistle went, the score was 19-9 to Croydon. A well deserved win for the Croydon side, against a spirited Mitcham side. Match Report by Anna | Updated by Zuton Final Score: Croydon 1 19 vs 9 Mitcham 2Daniel(5)Zak(3)Ed(1)Vernon(1)Anna(4)Grace(3)Julia(1)Hannah(1)
Croydon 2 hold out to take win against Croydon 3Croydon 2 travelled to the depths of Croydon to find their opposition this week. It was a rather large hall, with great spectator facilities, the right heating, and perfect hosts. The team was somewhat changed from previous weeks, seasons, decades, in that it had one new player from sister club Velocitas, as well as a returning star from the Croydon of a few years ago. The team took a little time to settle into the away team venue, allowing their opposition to score first, but they then worked out what to do and put the ball in the basket to even up the scores. Pushing each other to put on a great show and performance for the 100s of travelling supporters, the team were combining well to open up opportunities. The new players were showing their strengths, dominating their space and passing with skill and vision. Some more goals were scored, and the 2nd team were in the lead, and looking much more comfortable. Croydon 2 then thought that they'd have a relax and let their opponents back into the match, well it is nearly Christmas after all, and they score became closer. The spectators seemed a little confused as to who to cheer for, home or away team and some even appeared to cheer goals at both ends! Croydon 2 knew how to get a result though, and with their coach becoming a player for the day to gain more experience on the pitch, they ran out winners by a single goal. Match Report by Anna Final Score: Croydon 3 8 vs 9 Croydon 2Joost(2)Paul(2)Steve(1)Mark(0)Karen(2)Kim(2)Stephanie(0)Zoe(0)
Croydon 3 only just lose out to Croydon 2Croydon 3 took on a mighty and much feared opposition at Royal Russell in what turned out to be an awesome display of genius Korfball. Croydon 3 slotted home the first goal, taking the lead and showing the teamwork and individual skill that has characterised this team all season. The opposition team were clearly rattled but it was unclear if this was nerves or awe at the sight of the Croydon 3 players playing with such determination and talent. Croydon 3 decided to let the other team score next to make life a little more interesting for themselves and the 100s of supporters on the bench. After a few more minutes some more goals were scored, by one team and then the other. This continued for the rest of the match, and looked like being the point of the match; to score more than the other team. The Croydon 3 coach was coaching his team well, inspiring them to put on their best display, which they did with aplomb. So as the match neared its end, the points could have gone either way, but Croydon 3 decided to give the opposition an early Christmas present and let them win by a solitary goal. Great teamwork, great skill, great coaching, great determination, and great Christmas spirit. Match Report by Anna Final Score: Croydon 3 8 vs 9 Croydon 2Gary(4)Mark(2)Simon(1)Geraint(0)Sarah(1)Lynda(0)Victoria(0)Amanda(0)Kathryn(0)
