Ian Swaine pulled one back, hammering his shot through the keeper’s legs, but the three-goal cushion was restored by half-time.

Blackpool threw caution to the wind in the second half but were caught on the counter as Timperley made it 5-1 early in the second half.

Swaine scored a second with a reverse stick shot and Ben Mortimer grabbed his first goal at this level late on, though Timperley also scored twice more to make the final score 7-3.

After scoring 16 against West Derby, Blackpool Seconds played out a goalless first half against Warrington’s senior side at Stanley Park.

However, they rediscovered their scoring form in the second half to run out 5-1 winners in this division seven north clash.

With Swedish sensation Craig Brookes back in the side, they took control of the game with two goals apiece by Jay Currey and Martin Hayes. Now able to relax and pass the ball around, Blackpool added a fifth through Alex Diver before the visitors’ late consolation.

By Blackpool Gazette

It was also a revenge victory over the only side to have beaten Blackpool in league or cup last season.

Both sides had won their first six matches in North West division three and Blackpool had a let-off after barely a minute, when the home side put a penalty flick wide.

Lymm kept Blackpool on the back foot, forcing a series of penalty corners, but could not beat captain Nick Rainbow in the visitors’ goal.

Blackpool’s passing improved, and as they gained a foothold in midfield Mariano de la Lastra gave them the lead when he turned at the top of the D to drive a reverse-stick shot through the keeper’s legs.

Substitute Ben Mortimer’s runs out of defence gave Blackpool fresh impetus, while James Slater’s crossing posed problems. And it was Slater who slipped the ball through for Steve Whitley to dispatch into the roof of the net after Ian Swaine’s initial shot was saved.

Two up at half-time, Blackpool soon added a third as striker Dave Morgan finished in style after good passing between Rob Abbott and Dan Woodman.

Lymm were clearly frustrated but put the Blackpool defence under severe pressure. They pulled one back but some magnificent saves from man of the match Rainbow preserved the two-goal cushion.

This pressure created gaps as Lymm pressed forward and Kieran Harris took Rob Dingle’s reverse pass to fire Blackpool’s fourth into the bottom left corner.

That’s how it remained for delighted Blackpool, who top the table on goal difference from Keswick, who are now the only other 100 per cent side.

n BLACKPOOL Seconds put back-to-back defeats behind them to win their derby against Lytham Fourths 3-2 in division seven north.

The return of some first-choice players was evident from the off as Matthew Atherton put Blackpool ahead.

Captain Simon Allen soon added a second from a short corner and Nathan Woodman made it 3-0 with a cheeky deflection.

Neil Landemann pulled one back for Lytham just before half-time.

Lytham had to wait until the final minute to score the only goal of an even second half, when Rob Davies netted from a short corner.

Blackpool defended strongly, though this was an improved performance from Lytham.

The Thirds completed a clean sweep of Blackpool wins with a 3-1 success away to Preston Sixths in division nine north.

Dave Belshaw’s fine one-on-one save prevented Preston taking the lead before O’Hara was denied by the Preston keeper, having combined well with captain Alex Diver. The Preston keeper was then forced off with a muscle problem as the half ended goalless.

Blackpool looked more composed after the interval and broke the deadlock when Diver met the fit-again Paul Atherton’s pass with a sublime finish.

Fine play in midfield by Martin Owers and Sam Owen soon led to Josh Payne doubling the lead at the second attempt.

Preston piled bodies forward and pulled one back in the final five minutes only for Sam Owen’s first goal for Blackpool to make it 3-1 two minutes later, after a driving run from O’Hara.

Blackpool’s man of the match was 15-year-old left-back Chris Pickles.

By Blackpool Gazette

Back in Division 3, Blackpool found themselves up against old foes Lancaster Uni and their history of high scoring close games continued. Despite Blackpool making the early pressure it was the students who scored first when scrambling in a shot from a short corner. Blackpool continued to attack and won their own short corner which was duly despatched by Dave Morgan, the club’s top scorer.

A mistake by Blackpool’s veteran defender Pete Latimer gave the ball back to Lancaster just outside the circle and they were able to make a couple of passes for an easy tap-in. Once again Blackpool had to come from behind and they quickly did with another short corner, this time scored by Steve Whitley.

There were injuries to both Kieran Harris and Adam George during the first half so both subs were used early on, but this proved no distraction to the team. It was another short corner that gave Blackpool the deserved lead, when Ian Swaine fed Mike Thom a yard from goal.

The second half started perfectly when an attack down the left led to Ian Swaine shooting at range, with an unlucky Lancaster defender deflecting past his own keeper.

More injuries for Blackpool as Pete Latimer had to hobble off. Blackpool pulled out a three goal lead from yet another short corner. Kieran Harris wasn’t allowed the time for a drag flick, so instead he kept possession and got a pass off to Steve Whitley whose shot flew into the back of the net.

Harris himself came off after a hit on his ankle, the Blackpool players started to tire and perhaps became slightly complacent. The game opened up and more mistakes crept into the game. Lancaster managed to score two goal from short corners which led to a nervous last few minutes for Blackpool. Captain Nick Rainbow made a vital save and he could finally celebrate the side’s return to Division 3 with a 5-4 win. Rob Dingle, on his league début for Blackpool after his move from rivals Lytham, was voted Man of the Match.

Blackpool 2XI 6 – 3 Carlisle

Blackpool 2nds first game in Division 7 was against their old rivals Carlisle 2nds who they’d pipped to the second automatic promotion place from Division 8 unbeknown that the top 4 would all be promoted due to some league restructuring. As with all games against Carlisle it was a tight affair for a long while but the nucleus of the side remains the same as last year and gradually Backpool pulled ahead and in the end were comfortable 6-3 winners. Simon Thomas, the newly appointed Vice Captain, led by example by bagging two goals. There was an impressive début by Spanish student De La Lastra who scored a goal, and the other scorers were Martin Hayes, David Wright,and Matthew Atherton.

Blackburn Northern 10 – 0 Blackpool 3XI

Blackpool 3rds travelled to last years champions Blackburn Northern 2nds boasting 7 Under 16s, however the experienced Blackburn team gelled from the start and were 3-0 up at Half Time. In a 5 minute spell after the break, the score had increased to 7-0 after some miscommunication in defence and some sloppy work. Pool’s best play came in the later stages of both halves, but only forced the opposition keeper into making a couple of saves. Blackburn kicked on with their impressive No.15 and finished the scoring at 10-0.

Both England’s men and women are in action in Monchengladbach from 20-28 August and supporters will be able to follow both teams via the BBC Sport website and BBC TV red button as they aim to progress from their pools.

It means that fans will be able to see England’s men take on Ireland, the Netherlands and France, and England’s women play Belgium, Germany and Ireland.

Should they progress to the semi finals, those matches will also be shown live on the website and red button.

Saturday 20 August: England (women) v Belgium (17:00 BST)
Sunday 21 August: England (men) v Ireland (09:00 BST)
Sunday 21 August: England (women) v Germany (15:00 BST)
Monday 22 August: England (men) v Netherlands (18:00 BST)
Tuesday 23 August: England (women) v Ireland (12:00 BST)
Wednesday 24 August: England (men) v France (12:00 BST) 

See all of the men’s EuroHockey Nations Championships fixtures here and the women’s fixtures here.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/hockey for the BBC’s hockey coverage.

Visit the official EuroHockey Nations Championships pages on the German governing body’s website here.

Via England Hockey

The England Hockey Board have produced this useful document to help players learn about what they should be eating and when. It includes nutrition profiles for top England players and also top tips for eating during training, games and also periods of injury.

Enjoy!

Matt A

Senior Training (Stanley Park, Blackpool) 19:00 – 20:30
Wednesday 17th August 2011 – Wednesday 14th December 2011
Christmas Break
Wednesday 11th January 2012 – Wednesday 28th March

Junior Training (Stanley Park, Blackpool) 18:30 – 19:30
Wednesday 7th September 2011 – Wednesday 14th December 2011
Christmas Break
Wednesday 11th January 2012 – Wednesday 28th March 2012

The Club Fixtures Secretary has been busy and has confirmed friendlies for both 1XI and 2XI squads. Details of these will appear on the team pages in the following weeks. If you wish to see league fixtures for the forthcoming season these can be viewed on Fixtures Live.

Don’t forget Membership is now due and all the relevant information can be viewed on our Membership page.

Please spread the word! You can share this news on your preferred social site by clicking on its icon at the top right of this article. You can also leave a comment below and it may get published.

Blackpool Hockey Club

Division 8 was yet to show what it had to offer and I was determined that each game was approached one at a time with nothing but 3 points the focus each week. Pre-match preparation was to play a key role in the season, making sure players were organized and focused, not only individually but also as a team.

Our first home game saw a visit from Glaxo and I could not have been more pleased with a 5 – 1 lead at the half way stage coming away with a 5 – 3 win. The following week was a trip to Liverpool to play Mossley Hill which Blackpool did not turn up for at all as we found ourselves under immense pressure going 1 – 0 down early in the 1st half. Fortunately for Blackpool, on form Martin Hayes got his season goal tally off to a start with two fantastic strikes to give Blackpool the lead at half time. Mossley Hill soon reversed that lead in their favour with Blackpool struggling to keep up with the quick pace of the Liverpool side. A late passing move from Hayes and Hocking allowed Wright to slot home for a deserved point.

On the 16th October a young Northern side visited the Park, and everyone in the Blackpool squad apart from Kilshaw, Taylor and the Atherton brothers managed to score in a 15 – 1 thrashing. Northern later pulled out of the league taking with them our three points and the 15 goal tally.

The toughest game of the season was yet to follow this thrashing with a trip to the lakes to play Keswick. Vice Captain Simon Thomas stepped in to take charge in my absence and what proved to be a long journey with a long uninspiring wait watching the 1st XI triumph over their division 4 counterparts ended with a 2 – 1 defeat.

We quickly bounced back with a 5 – 1 win away to Preston with Midfield duo Paco and Morti both finding themselves on the score sheet. Unfortunately this win was overshadowed by a disappointing 2 – 2 draw at home to Bolton with the home side throwing away a 2 – 0 lead at half time. The only highlight of the day being a goal from 3rd XI captain Alex Diver in his first appearance for the 2nd XI in the season.

On the last Saturday before the Christmas break, Blackpool hosted rivals Bury to Stanley Park with once again both teams desperate to beat each out after playing out 3 draws in the last 3 games. Blackpool found themselves behind early again and despite a disallowed goal from Nathan Woodman and David Wright’s 3rd of the season, Bury came out on top 2 – 1 winners.

As the Christmas break came, a mid table position did not reflect the hockey that Blackpool were displaying, and a lack in concentration in several games ended in Blackpool dropping valuable points that could prove to be vital come the end of the season.

The first half of the season ended in only 2 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats out of 7. Disappointing on paper by all means.

The New Year saw a fresh start for Blackpool with a visit to bottom of the league Southport coming away with a hard fought 3 – 1 win. Jay Currey, Martin Hayes and Chris Hocking all getting on the score sheet.

With every team in the league now played apart from Carlisle, Blackpool were now able to go to every game knowing what to expect from each opposition. This would prove to be pivotal with a tricky away trip to Glaxo and a home visit from Keswick and Mossley Hill in the coming weeks, both of whom we struggled against early in the season.

Determination and persistence payed off with a 2 – 1 win at Glaxo, a 3 – 2 win against Keswick and a fantastic performance against Mossley Hill to beat them 4 – 0. Goals from Wright, Allen, Woodman, Hayes and Paul Atherton all vital in these games.

With only 5 games left, three of which were at home, promotion was definitely a possibility following the previous 4 wins. I will be honest and say that I was more worried about bottom of the league Southport, and mid table Bolton than that of our local rivals, Preston and 3rd placed Carlisle who we had yet to play.

Preston came first and once again Blackpool fell behind 1 – 0 before converting 4 through Wright, Allen, Hocking and Thomas to give a 4 – 1 lead. We conceded two more goals but managed to hold on to finish the game 4 – 3.

Next up was Bolton who are always a hard team to travel too, and I was proud of my team that day, walking off the pitch with a very comfortable 5 – 1 win. This for me was the turning point in the promotion battle. I now knew this squad had the determination and the self belief that they could get promoted.

Southport and Carlisle left to play and with Southport visiting Blackpool after a win over Carlisle the week before, I certainly was left asking questions of their captain after walking away with a 5 – 0 win. Allen, Wright, Thomas and Mortimer all netting.

Southport’s win over Carlisle had set things up nicely for us in the penultimate weekend of the season. A draw was all that would be needed to take Blackpool to Division 7. In usual fashion Carlisle scored first but a penalty stroke and corner from myself put us 2 – 1 in front with time running out for Carlisle. Despite this they managed to pull one back giving us a nervous last 10 minutes to play out. Carlisle piled on the pressure and managed to win numerous short corners in the last five minutes but Kilshaw excelled himself to give Blackpool the draw they needed to secure 2nd position in the Division and promotion to Division 7.

I was pleased to be able to give a few up and coming stars of the club a run out for the 2XI on the final weekend in Carlisle. Namely the Payne brothers, Olly Smith, Adam George and Chris Pickles all playing major roles in the defence and midfield in a superb 6 – 2 win.

As captain of Blackpool 2nd XI I am ecstatic with the team gaining consecutive promotions from Division 9. This in my opinion will prove vital due to the 1st XI being promoted in the same season to Division 3. This is important as the gap between standards will not have changed and will only improve at both levels. This in the long run will make the move between teams within the club easier for players benefiting the club as a whole.

I was pleased to see many players from the club, not only in the final weekend, but throughout the season go between teams to provide support and stability when required. Particular mention must go towards Rob Abbott, Dave Morgan and Alex Diver for there patience and management of a difficult situation that arose in the 1st half of the season. I would also like to thank my temporary vice captain Simon Thomas for all his hard work and contributions throughout the season.

I understand that there was a big change in team management this season within the 2nd XI and I pay tribute to the attitude that all players have shown in respect to my decisions during selection both on and off the pitch.

I would like to extend thanks to Morti and Paco for all the invaluable knowledge and experience that they provided to me and the team on many occasions. Much of this season report could not have been compiled without the help of Phil Taylor, who has written nearly all the match reports this season despite his University work load.

Finally I would like to finish off where I started at last years AGM, by correcting myself in saying, Mid-table, you’re having a laugh…

Registering your card is easy and can be done in seconds online so you can start checking your points in your personal My Boomerang Card account page. Then when you have enough points, you can exchange them for great rewards, from queue jumping or a free burger, to VIP treatment, or a rugby top – or how about an entire venue dedicated to you and your mates for a night? The Boomerang card costs just £3, and gets you great value deals and offers, including 20% off all drinks! So you’ll soon save your money back, and then some! But don’t lose it, if you do you’ll have to buy a new one!

Start collecting points today!

Club Awards

Club Person of the Year – Rob Abbott
Young Player of the Season – Josh Payne
Newcomer of the Season – Kieran Harris

1XI Awards

Player of the Season – Kieran Harris
Top Goal Scorer – David Morgan & Ian Swaine
Man of Match Award – Nick Rainbow
Most Improved Player – Craig Brookes

2XI Awards

Player of the Season – Simon Allen & Simon Thomas
Top Goal Scorer – Simon  Allen
Man of Match Award – Simon Allen
Most Improved Player – Chris Hocking

3XI Awards

Player of the Season – Alex Diver & Adam George
Top Goal Scorer – Alex Diver
Man of Match Award – Alex Diver
Most Improved Player – Josh Hughes

Junior Club Awards

Most Improved Junior – Matthew Hood
Junior Player of the Season – Josh Payne