| Date | Report |
| September 24th |
Div 8SE: Away to Old Southendians 5s at Warners Bridge:
Result: Lost 5-1; Scorer: D. Farrant This was not the start to the season we wanted, or expected. Having suffered an unusually high number of player unavailabilites, the 6s took advantage of the fact they could select 3 players from a higher side to make up the bare 11. Having got what looked a reasonable side on paper, we set off with hope in our hearts for a good game with Old Southendians 5 (who were promoted as champions along with ourselves last season) - how wrong could we have been! In the event, OS took us apart from the first whistle and never looked back. They were the fitter and better orgainised team and towards the end of the game, Upminster were pretty much spectators as wave after wave of OS attacks passed effortlessly through the Upminster midfield and it was only the spirited efforts of youngsters Tom and Ben Dance that kept the scoreline to anything like credible. The Us consolation goal came from David Farrant, but this wasn't enough to secure the player of the match award that went to fellow striker Luke Alexandrou for his tireless efforts in the face of a solid OS defence. Defender of the Match was awarded to Tom Dance. The bright spots for Upminster were that the youngsters showed great promise, nobody gave up, and the whole team enjoyed their trip to Southend! |
| October 1st |
Div 8SE: Home to Old Loughtonians Academy:
Result: Lost 1-0 The 6s were fortunate to have the 4pm start at Coopers on a record-breaking day for sunshine and heat. Visitors (Old Lougthonians Academy) seemed equally thankful for the late start, especially as most of the team would not have looked out of place in a vets side! In the event, we had a great game with the fitness of the Upminster youngsters being matched by the experience of the academy vets. The first half was edged by the visitors and the hosts only managed to reach half time on level terms thanks to some stout defending from Upminster vets Ian Turner and Guy Robertson and Defender of the Match youngster Ben Dance in goal. Losing Robertson at half time meant a re-shuffle of the Upminster side but the re-jig produced an unexpected surprise in increased productivity second half. Man of the Match, youngster Luke Alexandrou, was pulled back to a mid-field role and Colin Wright stepped up from defence to join him in mid-field. The result was more possession in mid-field by Upminster and more opportunity to push forward. Despite many forays into the visitors D and several short corner scoring opportunities in the second half the Academy one goal advantage was kept intact by some excellent keeping from one of their few youngsters. So, a very enjoyable game ended 1-0 to the visitors, and one that surely fell solidly into the category of "a game of 2 halves". |
| October 8th | No Report |
| October 15th |
UPM6 0-4 Brentwood 6's MOM: Tom Dance DOM: Ben Dance Two late withdrawals from UP6 due to illness necessitated a re-shuffle of the pack and several players were forced to play in positions that they were not overly experienced in. Couple this with the fact that Brentwood fielded a strong squad of 13 players that included one player from several leagues higher and the omens were not good for the home side. The first half bore this out with Brentwood being much the stronger side and pushing UP6 back into defending for much of the half. It did not take long for the first goal to be conceded and this was followed by three more before the break to effectively decide which team would take home the points. The Brentwood side contained one player who stood out in their team and dictated play from the middle of the park setting up most of the attacks that came their way. UP6 showed their spirit once the second half started and began to match Brentwood in the 50/50's and hold their own going forward as well. Unfortunately, the game was marred part way through this half when players from both sides reacted badly to a foul conceded outside of the UP6 D. The Umpire had no hesitation in yellow carding a player from each side who had squared up each other head to head. Tempers continued to be raised for several minutes following but eventually common sense prevailed and the game settled down to a hockey match rather than a handbag fight. Whilst Brentwood continued to have the lions share of possession throughout the half they could not add to their score. It is to UP6's credit that they battled to the end and got some satisfaction from a scoreless second half. A good performance from Tom Dance playing in the midfield earned him the man of the match accolade whilst his brother Ben took the defender of the match award for several decent stops. |
| October 22nd | No Game |
| October 29th | No Game |
| November 5th |
Southend 3's 5-1 Upminster 6's. MOM: Sam Green
DOM: Ed Green Upminster took a bare 11 to play a game at Southend who had a squad of 13/14 players to choose from. This ultimately made a big difference when a couple of the Upminster players effectively ran out of steam towards the end of the match allowing Southend to score three late on goals and give the scoreline a rather flattering look. There was some good passing play from both sides during the first half with Southend taking the lead and Upminster drawing level courtesy of a breakout from Sam Green who squared to Luke Alexandrou to finish. However, Upminster then went on to concede again just before the break to leave the score as the teams turned around 2-1 in the home sides favour. The second half began to show Southend get more on top as the Upminster side began to wilt and gaps appear in their ranks due individual players not covering their respective positions very well. Mid-way through the half Southend increased their lead and added two more before the end to run out comfortable winners. Positive defending and drives forward ensured that Ed Green was given the defender of the match acolade whilst an excellent all round performance from Sam Green as man of the match ensured the Green household kept all the game awards. This Upminster team is merely finding their feet in the division this year and are introducing some of the younger colt players into the senior games so there are no great expectations - the experience of playing in the league this season should hopefully bode well for future of the club. |
| November 12th |
Upminster 6's 2-6 Thurrock 3's
MOM/DOM: Ian Turner This game was very even from the off with end to end action from both sides that was good on the eye for the few spectators that watched from the sidelines. The good passing and movement from both sides continued until eventually the deadlock got broken midway through the half. A long pass out of defence to Jordan Southan gave him the chance to alter a "no danger" situation into a goal with a smart turn and run into the D and a great finish - 1-0 to Upminster. Upminster then increased their lead shortly afterwards when Andrew Berry clipped in a firm finish from a short corner. However, not to be out-done, Thurrock continued in their efforts and were finally rewarded with a goal just before the break that put the game back in the balance. Whether it was because the home side are not used to winning this season or that 11 imposters took the place of the initial line up is unsure, but the home teams second half performance was as awful as the first was good. Thurrock continued to play and pass well but the Upminster team just caved in and allowed the away side to rattle in 5 unreplied second half goals to run out comfortable winners by the end. Ian Turner put up a sterling effort in the centre of the Upminster defence to help keep the scoreline down and deservedly earned both the man and defender of the match awards. If Upminster can maintain their efforts from the first 35 minutes for the full 70 then future games look promising. If, on the other hand, the performance is more like the second half then roll on next season ! |
| November 19th | No Report |
| November 26th |
Men's 6th game - Brentwood Academy 2-1 Upminster 6
MOM: Tom Dance As the scoreline suggests this was the closest game yet for the Upminster team this season and reflected a big improvement on prior performances. Availability of players was once again an issue and Upminster could only field the bare 11 whereas the hosts had 14 that allowed a regular flow of fresh legs to push them on towards the end of the game. Both sides played the match in the spirit that it should be played in with some good passing and movement. The home side edged it in terms of a nice blend of youth and old legs whose experience brought out the best in the younger players. Brentwood scored midway through the first half, confirming their slight advantage in the chances created. However, Upminster continued to create chances of their own and went close on a number of occasions once the second half got underway. An excellent all round performance from full back Tom Dance earned him the man of the match award. Tom made several good interceptions to break up Brentwood attacks but also was a constant thorn in the oppositions side with his forays down the wing to help set-up attacks for the away side. Brentwood scored a second goal midway into the second half when a lapse of concentration in the home defence allowed a couple of players too much freedom in the D to allow for an easy tap in. Undeterred Upminster kept on pushing forward and were finally rewarded 15 minutes from the end when the oldest player on the park, Nick Williamson, tapped in from close range ending a great move that involved half the team in a slick pass and move operation. Unfortunately, a second goal was not to be and Upminster had nothing to show for a valiant effort but heads were high after what was their best performance of a difficult season so far. |
| December 3rd |
Upminster 6's 2-9 Phoenix 3's DOM: Ben Dance You have heard the adage that this was a game of two halves, well this match certainly proved that to be true. If you were an Upminster player the first 35 minutes of this game were 35 minutes you would want to forget in a hurry. Nobody could pass to a team mate, control a ball or defend their position properly. It was almost as if this was a team of 11 strangers who had met for the first time that morning and who and never held a hockey stick in their hands before. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Phoenix smelled blood and poured forward time and time again ripping through the home defence and scoring at will. By half-time the scoreline was 7-0 and the game well and truly out of Upminster's reach. A few well chosen words at half time seemed to have the desired effect as the home side actually showed some spirit and began to prove that they could compete. A good move finished off at the second attempt by Matt Chapman finally got Upminster onto the score sheet. Unfortunately those defensive frailties showed up again when the home side allowed Phoenix to pinch a further two goals as the second half progressed. Upminster did finally take something from the game when a crisp finish from Martin Nutt ensured that the second half ended all square. Ben Dance earned the defender of the match award and as he is the goalkeeper who conceded 9 goals it just proves how bad this result could have got! |
| December 10th |
Upminster 6's 0-2 Old Southendians 5's MOM: Ben Dance DOM: Leo Yang A very good performance from the home side failed to result in any points at the end of the day. Indeed the 2-0 scoreline somewhat flattered the Old Southendians as a draw would probably have been a fairer result. A frosty pitch surface contributed to an interesting start to the game with players from both sides having difficulty in keeping their footing. With the usual blend of youth and experience there were times during the first half where it looked like Upminster would eventually open up a lead. However, despite several good forays into the opposition D there was nobody able to apply that killer touch to net a goal. Old Southendians showed how to do it with a well taken goal midway through the first half that was well against the run of play. The second half was much more even with the away side creating chances to increase their lead. Notwithstanding, Upminster continued to plug away during the half to try and get the equalizer but it was not to be. The salt in the wound was when the away side added a second goal just minutes from the end to run out winners and take the points home. Some excellent tackling from Leo Yang saw him take the defender of the game award. On the other side of the defence, Ben Dance took the man of the match award as much for his attacking support as his defensive duties. |
| January 14th |
Old Loughtonians Academy 2 4-1 Upminster 6 MOM: Alan Ison
DOM: Ian Turner Whether the game would even take place was in doubt right up until push-back time given the frost covered surface. However, the conditions were not considered bad enough to call the game off and by the end it was clear that the decision to play the game had been the correct one. Due to the unavailability of several regular players the 6th.eleven put out a side that was not as "balanced" as they would have liked. Consequently, it was always going to be a big ask to get anything out of the match against a well disciplined Old Loughtonians Academy side. Upminster made a very hesitant start and were on the defensive from the off with the home side coming at them from all angles. Old Loughts looked a very good side who dribbled, passed and moved really well and they had no trouble opening up the Upminster's defence, so it was no surprise when they took an early lead. A further ten minutes in and a finish from one of many short corners put the home side two up with another added before half time to give a comfortable 3-0 lead at the interval. Upminster started the second half much more committed and actually took the match to their hosts for the first time in the game. A good move from out of defence created a scoring opportunity that was stopped only by the home side conceding a short corner. From the short Upminster managed to get the ball into the net at the third attempt when Dan Tyler finished tidily into the corner. The next ten minutes or so led to an even exchange of play between the two sides only for Upminster to fall back into their shell for the last third of the match. Old Loughts scored from another short corner before the end to run out 4-1 winners at close of play. Some good block tackles ensured that Ian Turner took the defender of the match award whilst the tireless working of Alan Ison in the centre of midfield gave him the man of the match accolade. |
| January 21st |
Upminster 6 3-2 Colchester 4 MOM: Jordan Southan DOM: Colin
Wright Hat-trick hero Jordan Southan bagged the plaudits in what was an unpredicted result when top met bottom. The first half of this game went the way that many would have suggested with Colchester starting confidently and the home side having to hang on. Colchester took an early lead when Upminster failed to clear a routine ball thus presenting the visiting striker with an easy finish. Some ten minutes later it was "deja vou" with Colchester taking a 2-0 lead primarily down to some poor defending by the home side. However, Upminster did start to react thereafter and began to compete with their opponents. It then became apparent to all that the best form of defence for the home side was attack as the Colchester defence was not that confident and, as a team, they lacked discipline. A half time discussion to press their opponents worked well as an early reply from Jordan Southan merely heightened the visitors nerves which, in turn, gave confidence to the home side who were now playing some very nice hockey. Over the next 25 minutes or so the home side produced their best form of the season with each and every one of the players responding well. Upminster grabbed a deserved equalizer mid-way through the half with a fine finish from Southan. It then looked as though the game would end up as a draw although both sides were still looking to try and grab that decisive winner. However, just minutes before the final whistle Southan scored again to give Upminster their first points of the season. It was nice to see that hard work does have its rewards and each one of the home players came off the pitch grinning like Cheshire cats. Colin Wright just about edged out his colleagues in his defensive duties as defender of the match whilst Southan took the man on the match award - not just for his hat-trick - but for his constant harassing of the home side's defence. |
| January 28th |
Brentwood 6 2-0 Upminster 6 MOM: Luke Alexandrou DOM: Sid Chagger Once again player unavailability meant that Upminster could only muster a starting 10. However, despite this disadvantage the start of the game was very even with both sides sharing possession in the area outside of the D's but neither team being able to unduly trouble the goalkeeper.Ten minutes into the game Upminster reached a full compliment when Chris Szpak joined the fray straight from a prior umpiring engagement and henceforward the hosts looked the most likely to break the deadlock. Luke Alexandrou was enjoying teasing the home defence with some searching dribbles and good close ball control that drew several fouls. The home umpire tried to give Upminster the benefit of advantage on most occasions but eventually had to deliver a succession of free hits that Upminster generally squandered. But it was Brentwood who nicked a goal 10 minutes before the break that was somewhat softly given away to reach the interval 1-0 up. The second half continued in much the same way as the first but 15 minutes in that was all to change, Szpak had to leave the game to attend another umpiring commitment and Upminster were once again back down to 10 men. However, whilst they coped admirably when they found themselves in this position for the first ten minutes of the game for some reason this time around they seemed to fall into dis-aray. Poor positional play allowed Brentwood to suddenly take the lionshare of possession and it was no surprise when they added a second and final goal midway into the half. It is to their credit that Upminster plugged away to the end but they never really looked capable of pulling back the deficit. On the positive side there was a good solid performance from Rupert Markham who is a young player just breaking into the adult league. Rupert showed some good touches and this game should hopefully give him the confidence to progress. |
| February 4th | No Report |
| February 11th | No Report |
| February 18th | No Report |
| February 25th | No Report |
| March 3rd | No Report |
| March 10th | No Report |
| March 17th | No Report |
| March 24th | No Report |