Magpies in pre-season action

With the majority of the club’s teams beginning the new hockey season next weekend, Harleston Magpies have been putting the finishing touches to their preparations with a series of friendlies.

The Ladies sixth and seventh sides combined to record a 3-0 victory over Norwich City, with Rachel Clifford once again among the goalscorers.

Elsewhere, a new-look and youth Ladies V showed some promising signs during a 4-2 defeat, also against Norwich City.

The Norwich club also provided the opposition for the Ladies II, who won through 2-0 courtesy of goals from Bobbi Wiseman and Anouska Stott.

As for the first team, Lauren Rowe scored both goals in a 2-1 win at St Albans, although the victory was marred by an injury Lucy Belsey that looks set to sideline the captain for the foreseeable future.

The Men’s first-team featured in a pre-season tournament at Cannock, of which team manager Kevin Ridley said: “The hard work in pre-season is clearly paying off and the atmosphere in the group is fantastic.”

The IIs managed a 1-1 draw from their game at Taverham, while the IIIS had a solid team performance with a 5-1 win thanks to the combination of youth and experience.

The goals on this occasion came from from man-of-the-match Jonny Taylor (2), Ed Brice, Dave Francis and O55s World Cup gold medalist Phil Cobbald.

An amalgamation of players from the fourth, fifth and sixth Men’s teams suffered a 3-2 defeat in a good spirited game against a youthful Norwich City outfit.