And the season BECgins...

Bec kicked off the 2017/18 season this weekend with Bec 3, 4 and 5 all playing at our training venue Graveney High School.

Bec 3

First to play were Bec 3 against a competitive Croydon 4. Playing for Bec 3 were:

· Mark Swain (3)

· Alan Piper (1)

· Dan Brooks (1)

· Jack Wilson (2)

· Jo-Anne Wilson (3)

· Chloe Swain (1)

· Anshul Mahra (4)

· Jessica Bennett (3)

The Bec 3 girls started strong scoring 5 goals during the first half and it was great

to see Jo-Anne Wilson back playing in yellow. As half time drew, newly signed Alan Piper scored his debut goal and Bec 3 lead 8-0.

Bec carried the solid performance through the second half with great play allowing everyone to get on the scoresheet. Although a few lapse moments allowed Croydon to convert some chances, Bec 3 came out on top with the final score being 18-3.

Bec 4

Next up were Bec 4 against an experienced Nomads 4. Playing for Bec 4 were:

· Lenny

· Craig Barthrope (1)

· Josh Brown (1)

· Shay Wilson (1)

· Jessica Smallman (3)

· Laura Dalby

· Ceri Buck

· Jennie Swain (1)

Subs

· Nicola Hannigan (1)

It was a big game today for Lenny as he was introduced to senior korfball after being a part of the junior setup for the last 3 years. Throughout the game he was able to create lots of shooting opportunities for both himself and others and very narrowly missed out on getting his name on the scoresheet. It was also a new beginning for Laura, who after attending two training sessions showed a lot of potential on the pitch and looked a natural.

Although we scored the first 2 goals and continued to create chances aplenty, the experience from the Nomads side allowed them to convert more giving them a 4-8 lead at half time. The second half mirrored the first half but the 4th team kept their heads up and despite the 8-16 loss things are looking promising for this season.

Bec 5

Last up were the 5th team who were up against Highbury 4. Playing for Bec 5 were:

· Gary Campbell (1)

· Mark Fenton (2)

· Mark Swain (2)

· Fazli Janova (1)

· Karen Sparrow (1)

· Nicola Hannigan (1)

· Laura Dalby

· Jessica Malone

With John Wilson never failing to surprise he was able to get a line up which included more complete newbies to the Bec family as well as a welcomed return to two of our famous Becstars. Firstly, Mark Fenton who was a regular squad player, decided after getting married and relaxing in the sun it was time to dig out that yellow shirt, dust off the playing boots and get back down to Graveney. The second welcomed return was Karen Sparrow who was back on the court after 2 years out due to being side-lined with a foot injury. Clearly this needs to become a regular encounter as both of them were able to get on the score sheet in the first 10 minutes. With Fenton visibly enjoying himself, a fantastic pass from him just before half time allowed another one of Bec’s newbies, Gary, to score his debut goal. This allowed Bec to finish the first half with a slender one goal lead, with the score being 4-3. Goals continued to be traded during the second half, which permitted Jessica to also score her debut goal. Bec continued to give a great first outing holding their nerve and seeing the game through to a final score of 9-7.

Speaking to the new players after the game their spirits were high and the overall consensus was that korfball is a great sport, with each of them thoroughly enjoying their Bec debuts. Mark Fenton (with the ever present ear to ear smile) also added “being in the yellow number 10 jersey and playing again in Graveney brought back a lifetime of happy memories - thanks to the Bec 5 team and the big crowd for making it a special moment”.