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Kevin Ridley's Harleston Magpies side looking to right opening weekend wrongs at St Albans




Kevin Ridley is looking for a response from his Harleston Magpies Men’s I side when they travel to St Albans for their second game of the new season on Sunday (2pm).

Magpies were beaten 7-2 on the road at newly-promoted University of Nottingham II on the opening weekend of the new Men’s Conference Midlands campaign.

And Harleston manager Ridley wants to see a reaction from his players when they make the trip to Oaklands this weekend.

Tom Ridley in action for Harleston Magpies Picture: Hedley Wright Photography
Tom Ridley in action for Harleston Magpies Picture: Hedley Wright Photography

“It was a tough game to start the season for us,” Ridley said. “Playing away at Nottingham Uni for the first game of the season at 4.30pm on a Sunday was not ideal, but it’s not an excuse.

“They were a very good team and got promoted last year. Obviously being uni boys they’ve been back for four or five weeks and have been training almost every day and been in the gym every day.

“Nottingham were too good for us, but at the same time I don’t think we did ourselves justice.

“It’s important to start games well and if you can do that in the first 10 minutes it gives you a boost.

“We didn’t start well and we were 2-0 down after the first 10 minutes.

“This week we want to put it right when we play St Albans away.

“If we play to our potential we can beat them, simple as that.”

After falling behind early on, Magpies responded after half-time with two goals in quick succession.

A Sam Crawford penalty corner which went in off the crossbar got the visitors off the mark, before captain Tom Ridley added a second.

But Nottingham pulled away again to increase their lead and finish up five goals clear of their opponents.

* Meanwhile, Harleston Magpies Ladies’ I started their new Vitality Women’s Division 1 South campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Slough on Saturday.

A new-look Magpies gave four players their league debuts in Sophie Pettitt, Emily Hicks, Niamh Campbell and Fran Rolston-Brown, while the return of Hannah De Selincourt also strengthened their squad for the first game of the season.

A disappointing start saw the ball end up in the Harleston net and Slough were awarded the goal, despite Magpies being adamant that no home player touched it in the D.

The visitors started to grow into the game and won a short corner, which was well worked and went narrowly over the crossbar.

Slough then doubled their lead when a corner was run down well, but unluckily came off the number one runner and ended up in the top corner of the goal.

Magpies regrouped at the interval and pressed for a way back into the game but could not find a breakthrough past the home side’s defence.

Harleston are on their travels again as they take on Cambridge City at the Cambridge University Sports Ground tomorrow (10am).

Harleston Magpies players of the match: Sophie Pettitt and Ella Picton.



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