Match Report - City 1 vs Oxford Uni 1

City 1 vs Oxford Uni 1

20.10.13

 

Playing Uni this early on in the season is always a bit of a mystery and I think it’s fair to say that this year offered up a fairly inexperienced Uni 1. However they were (as ever) tall, young and well drilled by Martin. We had what could be generously described as a ‘slow’ start, failing to open the scoring for about 15 minutes – but on the plus side we didn’t let in any goals either. However once we got started the shots began dropping, and we went into half time a deserved 5-0 up – it could have been double that.

 

From then on the match was never really in doubt, even though Uni bought on a few more experienced players for the second half. We kept our discipline well in the face of the “enthusiastic”  fouls coming our way (even the girls were beating on Dave W!) but we didn’t give away a penalty all match. It’s easy to let things slide when you are a long way ahead but we kept our concentration and continued to score well in the second half, only allowing in one goal all match and ending on an extremely respectable 11-1, with a hat-trick from Becca leading the scorers (ahem).

 

Well played everyone, no match next week but most of the first team are off to Cardiff for a regional double header – wish us luck!!

 

Becca Brennan

1st Team Vice-Captain

Match Reports - City 1 vs Abingdon 1 & City 2 vs Isis 2

City 2 4-3 Isis 2
 06.10.13

City 2 gave league debuts to 2 new boys ( well done Alex and Brendan who both supported well in attack and were solid as a rock in defence). We won 4-3 which probably doesn't really quite sum up the enormous effort we put in, both ourselves and Isis were clearly feeling the lack of full match practice towards the end. Charlotte put in another sterling display, following on from great performances last season, as did Maddy, who was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. Credit also to Taissa and Gemma - I didn't see a misplaced pass or a lost collect all day. Thanks also to Dan, Dave and Gaz for their role in our win. Catherine's emphasis at the beginning of the match was to do the basics well, which we did. This team will get better and can accomplish even more than last year.

 

Simon

2nd Team Vice-Captain

 

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Abingdon I 11-7 City 1
 06.10.13

City 1 went into the first match of the season pumped up having just seen City 2 secure an excellent victory against Isis. Unfortunately all the preseason excitement lead to a rush of blood to the head, and for the first twenty minutes we attempted to break world records for the fastest (and potentially scrappiest) korfball ever played. As a result we went into a much needed time out 3-1 down, and needed some stern words from the bench (thanks Jim and Ev!) to cool us down. The last 10 minutes of the first half were much better, showing that yes, we have been training over the summer and yes, we’ve been listening to Graham and Frank! However Abingdon continued their very physical assault (and sneaky free passes) and we went in 6-2 down at halftime.

 

The second half saw the glorious return of Steve Bray to the korfball pitch, and he put a quick goal on the board to show Abingdon we meant business. Overall we played much better in the second half, recycling the ball well and running many successful blocks which resulted in my goal of the game, a brilliant long shot from Dave W. The second half was a much better representation of City 1’s talents, and this half ended a very respectable 5-5, though sadly meant we didn’t overturn the deficit from the first half and so ended up 11-7 to Abingdon at full time.

 

I suggest some quiet meditation before KO this Sunday...

 

Becca Brennan

1st Team Vice-Captain

 

Match Report - Oxford City 2 vs Isis 2

Oxford City 2 vs Isis 2
13.10.13

Our 2nd team are riding high at the top of division 2 with a comprehensive 8-2 victory against Isis II.  Just to re-iterate, our 2nd team, with lots of new players, have beaten their closest rivals home and away already :-) Steve made his competitive debut for City, and had a great game, especially when up against a very experienced player in the form of Nick. 

A very tight first half ended with very little between the teams, despite a number of shots going very close, especially from Charlotte.  However, the floodgates opened in the second half, with Charlotte scoring the hatrick that her overall play deserved.  Despite the loss of Steve B, who had been playing majestically, halfway through the second half through injury, the goals continued to come, with Dave E not even needing to fully warm up! 

Great game from the second team, with Jen working her socks off (and scoring!) and great performances across the court.  One thing I noted was that our recycling of the ball was excellent, and much better than last week.

Dan Hibbs
OCKC Chairman

Match Report - Oxford City 1 vs Didcot 1

City 1 vs Didcot 1 13.10.13

 

We took an early 2-0 lead then contrived to give it straight back, evening the score up at 2-2. We went back and forth until 4-4, after which we sorted our defence out and began to dominate. We mixed up the attacks nicely, doing the new things we’ve been learning without relying on them, including things like some lovely drop off shots (Dave W) and punishing Didcot’s lack of discipline.

 

In the second half it was never really in doubt and we turned possession into a commanding lead, only allowing them to score once in the entire half. The final score was 13-5, which I think reflects our hard work and domination of the game. The scoring was spread nicely with everyone on the pitch scoring at least once, but extra kudos to Mr Everett who scored 5 times.

 

Well done all, and let’s try and carry through the discipline and calm we showed through to what is likely to be a fast paced game against Uni this Sunday.

 

Becca Brennan

1st Team Vice-Captain

Newbie Blog: On The Korfball Terraces

My Dad first took me to watch korfball when I was five. We cheered from the terraces and, at the end of the game, I turned to him and said: “Dad, I want to be a korfballer.”

Okay, that never happened. I never saw a korfball match as a child. In fact, I went through my first three decades without watching a korfball match or even looking at one of those stupidly tall posts. So why bother mentioning this? Because if you haven’t seen a sport played then it makes it a lot more difficult to play it yourself.

Take football. Even if you’ve got no interest in football, you’ve probably still got a basic idea of how a football match works. Run around, kick the ball in the goal, and join your teammates for a loving embrace. It’s the same idea with cricket, rugby and basketball, where even a novice should have a basic idea of how they work.

But it isn’t like that with korfball. There’s no TV coverage – unless it’s one of those “here’s a quirky sport from mainland Europe” news reports – and that makes it a tough sport to pick up. How do you know how to play a sport unless you’ve seen it played?

That’s why I went along to my first korfball match on Sunday, to watch Abingdon 1 and Oxford City 1 play out a hard-fought 11-7. I was a bad crowd member – rarely clapping or cheering – but I watched intently and a few things started to sink in.

The idea of changing ends after two goals makes far more sense when you can see one team attacking each basket per half. I’ve got a bit more of an idea of some of the theory, like why we throw the ball one handed; why we need to move quickly to find space; and why we need to keep concentrating. I don’t claim that watching one match makes me an expert, but I think it at least makes me less of a novice.

The challenge now is watching more and learning more, and putting some of it into practise. I expect to start doing that in proper matches in the next couple of weeks.

And my Dad might even be there to watch.

Rich Heap

Korfball: A Newbie Writes

We’re on the cusp of a new season and three-quarters of people at the club are raring to go. The rest of us – the newbies – are still trying to work out what the hell’s going on.

When will I ever grasp this idea of changing ends? Why am I eyeballing my attacker like a boggle-eyed drunk? Is it vital to run sideways like the spaceship from Space Invaders? All these questions popped into my head at last Thursday’s training session.

Two months ago I started looking for a sport to learn, for a few reasons. I recently started working at home so I wanted to get out of the house and meet some real people; I wanted to get fitter to keep pace with the manic baby that’s been terrorising my house for the last 16 months; and I only moved to the city a couple of years ago so I'm on the lookout for opportunities for nights out.

But why korfball? Well, partly because I like the idea of a sport where men and women compete together; and partly because the club trains very close to my house. Equality is important, but so is a quick walk home.

So I came along to a training session and enjoyed it. I managed to score during my first session, with a shot that gets further out each time I think about it, and that helped to immediately boost my confidence. And I decided to stick with it because everybody I’ve met so far - both from City and deadly local rivals Isis - has been friendly and supportive of those of us who are total novices.

I’m still in the early stages where each week brings a couple of small breakthroughs. It could be a half-decent interception, finally scoring with a running in shot, or managing to get through a whole session without knocking somebody over like an over-enthusiastic Labrador. Yes, it's small progress, but at least it's progress. And if I keep it up then maybe I'll end up as one of those people who knows what's going on. 

I'd better keep practising my Space Invaders footwork.

Rich Heap

Didcot Tournament - As it happened...

Saturday was the last summer tournament before the new season starts, so we wanted to finish the tournament season on a high, and boy we did.

 

The bright sunshine set the tone for what would be a great day, and credit to Didcot for arranging a great venue.  Special mention to all the players that came along for their first tournaments – I thought Francis, Brendan, Alex & Chris did brilliantly against some excellent opposition, and it was great to see Gary back.  Charlotte had clearly been practising at a mystic korfball monastery in Cambodia as well during the summer!  Thanks for coming down to watch Jo and Steve, it was great to have the extra support on the sidelines.

 

City 1 began the day slowly, conceding two early goals against a pumped up Didcot team.  However, with a resilience that set the tone for the day, we pulled back on level terms through a running in shot from Ev, and a long shot from Dan, before another long shot from Dave sealed a deserved victory.  Next up was a strong Old Badgers side.  Déjà vu set in with another early 2 nil down scoreline, but a double whammy of long shots from Dave, Ev brought us level before a great late in the day long shot from Simon put another 3 points in the bag.  The final morning game for City 1 was against one of the four Highbury teams, and it was a high scoring match.  In the spirit of generosity, we gave our opponents another 2 nil lead, to make a game of it.  Straight after the restart, a quick fire running in shot from Dan started the comeback, before another Highbury long shot delayed it!  A 3-1 deficit against a motivated Highbury side was daunting, but we’d already shown twice that we could turn things around.  Another long shot from Ev began the comeback, before we then equalized through some quick thinking from Ruth.  From that point there was only going to be one winner, with great defence from Dave, Ev, Francis & Ruth while the rest of us peppered the Highbury basket.  A penalty from Becca finally made the breakthrough, before another running in shot from Dan sealed the victory – it must have been the practise on Thursday Gaz!  City 1 group winners!

 

City 2 had a great morning, with almost half the team playing their first ever competitive matches!  First up was Abingdon, and while the scoreline was a 6-2 defeat, with goals from Dan and (I think) Charlotte, there was some great defending, with Brendan tracking runners like a shadow, and Alex getting stuck in!  (I'm sure the Highbury player will remember you Alex!)  In the next game, there were lots of goals against City, and no goals for, versus Hghbury (without an I), but considering they went on to be group winners, there was no shame in that.  The final morning game was against another London side, Harrow.  Dan decided this was a good opportunity to demonstrate to our newer players the kind of things not to do, by conceding a penalty, and three free passes for contact.  Good times.  Harrow went 4 nil up, before Chris setup Jo for a long shot that dropped nicely into the basket.  Final score, 4-1.

 

In the afternoon, City 1 were placed in the top pool  and first up were Hghbury without an I.  Sensing an opportunity for club revenge, we got stuck in.  Special mention here to Francis for great defending against a very wily opponent.  In fact, defending was the order of the day, with the division of Ev, Ruth, Dave & Francis repulsing wave after wave of attacks.  With Hghbury frustrating our attack, the game was heading to a nil nil stalemate before a late running in shot from Dan gave us the win that our overall workrate deserved.  It’s always great to hear the opposition getting angry!  Next up was Abingdon, who unfortunately completed a double over City, completing a 5-3 victory over us, with consolation goals coming from a penalty queen Becca, another running in shot from Dan, and a running in shot from Ruth.  A repeat fixture against Old Badgers was next, and they gained revenge for the morning with a narrow 4-3 defeat – there was great attacking from Dave (one goal) and Ev (two goals), but some wily defending and good use of height advantage frustrated the rest of our attack.  A slightly heatstruck and dispirited City 1 went on to then lose 2 nil to an excellent Mauritians side, who went on be crowned overall winners.  The final game of the day was against Farnborough, and City 1 were determined to finish in the same spirit they started the day.  And what a game it was.  A goal from Dan opened the scoring, and then the floodgates opened.  In the best move of the day (in my opinion anyway!), Dan stood in feed, dropping the ball off to Becca as she sprinted past having completely lost her player.  As the other Farnborough defender came out to switch defend, Becca casually threw the ball to Jo, who had moved to the perfect position to execute a textbook drop off shot.  Lovely.  As someone said, “That was almost like a move we’d practised!”.  Dave then got in the action with two typically good long shots, followed by Dan scoring from close in.  A consolation goal from Farnborough was the signal for Francis to emonstrate his long shot prowess, sinking two great goals from either side of the korf.  Boom!  At some point in all that Ruth also scored, with the final score a massive 8-1 to City, which was the most goals scored by any side on the day, and the largest goal difference in the tournament.  Great way to finish!

 

City 2 started the afternoon with a narrow 2-1 defeat against Highbury, with Charlotte scoring our goal.  The result was a fair reflection of how well we competed against an experienced side, and massive kudos to our new players for stepping up.  At this point, the heat had started to get to me, so my recollection of games was less clear as I regularly retreated to the shade of our gazebo, but there was a 3 nil loss to a skilful Bearsted team, and an impressive 2 nil defeat to an Isis team containing many of their first team players, followed by a defeat with the same scoreline against home favourites Didcot.  One of things that struck me during the day was how well our new players were picking up the subtleties of play during the matches.  Training’s great, but there’s no substitute for learning by trying to attack and defend against experienced players in a match environment.  It was clear so see how well the team had developed in the final game, with a penalty from Charlotte and a goal from Jo giving City 2 a deserved 2-1 victory against Harrow – get in!! 

 

Overall results were 5th for City 1 (2nd highest Oxfordshire side after Abingdon) and 12th for City 2.

 

Overall scorers for the day:

Dan (7), Ev (5), Dave (5), Ruth (3), Charlotte (3), Jo (3), Becca (2), Francis (2), Simon (1), Taissa (1)

 

Thanks to everyone that came along on the day to both play and spectate – it was an awesome way to end the summer tournament season, and the level of skill on display across both teams bodes really well for our upcoming league season.

 

The party in the evening was excellent, with past, present and honoury City players celebrating in their customary style!  I have no worries about the stamina levels of our club!  Mid season liver transplants may be required though…  The non-existent prize for best costume went to Arge’s wife, who came as a One Man Band.  Some excellent creativity with letter swapping was also on display towards the end of the evening.  Thanks guys.

 

Cheers everyone for a great day and evening!

 

Dan

OCKC Chairman