A mere couple of weeks after a successful Masters run, Bedford Hockey Club were back on the field last weekend, welcoming in the new season.
The club are boasting new kits this term, with new sponsors Woods Hardwick sponsoring the many adult sides, and Times Tables Rock Stars sponsoring the juniors.
The Ladies Masters side beat Timperley to grab the Tier 2 title two weekends ago, and many of that side were in the 1st team who thrashed Horsham 7-0 in the first round of this season’s fixtures.
Read: Bedford hockey ladies land Over 35’s Investec Masters title
A superb double hat-trick for Ellie Scott and a bonus goal for Kate Costin secured the comfortable opening day win and a happy journey home from West Sussex.
Elsewhere, the Men’s 1st XI travelled to Dereham in Norfolk and managed to secure a 2-2 draw, and will hope to build on that next weekend when they host Ipswich.
There were draws for the Men’s 2nd XI – a 3-3 stalemate with Hertford’s first team – as well as a goalless draw for the Ladies 6th’s who dominated their game with Saffron Walden, but couldn’t break them down.
The Men’s 5th XI endured a tough time at Berkhamsted, suffering an 8-2 loss to their 2nd XI while a youthful Ladies 7th XI lost 2-1 to a physical Potters Bar 2nd XI.
However, victories for the Ladies 2nd’s, 3rd’s and 5th’s helped boost the mood across the club as well as an impressive Men’s 6th XI victory at Stevenage.
The Vets were also in action, beating Luton Town’s 3rd team by 3 goals to 1.
However, there were three games that succumbed to coronavirus restrictions, the Men’s 3rd and 4th XI’s as well as the Ladies’ 4th XI fixture, all of which will have to be rearranged.
Chester Road played host to international action on Sunday; the Ireland Masters squad, which included 3 Bedford players, playing a practice match in preparation for their international fixtures.