A host of fixtures at Bedford Hockey Club were postponed last weekend due to frozen pitches, but some games went ahead with the Ladies especially making progress.
The Ladies’ 2nd’s are now just one point behind top of the table Havering, after a resounding 8-0 victory away to Waltham Forest.
Bedford’s first match after the festive break will be against Havering, who travel to Chester Road for what is likely to be a thrilling encounter.
The Men’s 2nd XI, who have been showing good form in recent weeks, travelled away to Potters Bar only to return disappointed with an uncharacteristic 7-2 loss.
They will hope to return to winning ways when they head back out on pitch in the new year as they face Upminster who are just above them in Division One South.
The other men’s team in action, the Men’s Vets, returned from Hertford delighted with their performance; a 5-2 victory seeing them break for Christmas placed third in their division.
Five women’s matches were able to be played, and all brought success for the Bedford squads.
After opening the scoring, the Ladies’ 3rd XI had to dig deep to fight back from 2-1 down against top of the table Stevenage 1st’s.
Grit and determination paid dividends as Bedford netted the equaliser with the clock ticking down to secure a 2-2 draw and remain in 3rd in Division Two South West.
They have one further fixture against Leighton Buzzard in a cup match before they get to take a well deserved break.
The Ladies’ 4th’s have been in good form this season and their 3-1 away win over Saffron Walden brings them to their break sitting second in the table, just below St Albans.
They will be looking for further points when they return post-Christmas, with a match on home turf as they take on Hertford.
The Ladies’ 5th’s have also been a force to reckon with in their division and they continued their run of wins with a phenomenal 8-0 conquest away to Stevenage.
Unfortunately for the Ladies’ 6s, their game against Hertford was one of many postponements and the first match of the new year will be a Bedford v Bedford skirmish in Division Five.
After a challenging start to the season, the performance of the Ladies’ 7th’s is getting stronger week-on-week as the confidence of the young squad grows.
A real team effort and some great keeping – including a saved penalty – frustrated their Blueharts opposition, the Bedford squad being rewarded with a 4-0 victory.
The team will hope to secure another win when they travel away to Stevenage next Saturday.
