HC Knole Park’s teams experienced several goal fests this weekend as their teams racked up some big wins in their respective competitions. The biggest winners were the U16 Boys who beat Folkestone 14-0. The Men’s 1s scored 10, and Women’s 1s and 2s both scored eight respectively in big wins for the club!
The U16 Boys were back in league action on Sunday as they took on Folkestone HC. In a one-sided match the boys got off to a flying start and never looked back. Isaac Dale opened the scoring in his usual style before Louis van den Rijse played in Oscar Osbaldeston for the second goal.
Van den Rijse then scored to make it three after good work from Dale. Osbaldeston completed his hat-trick with assistance from Mack Copp, Harry Lewis, and van den Rijse once more.
Dale and Noah Marsden Powell completed the first half scoring to make it 7-0 at the break. The second was almost identical as Folkestone struggled to get to terms with the quality of the Knole Park U16 boys. Dale again opened the scoring for one of his five second half goals. James Parker superbly batted home another and Marsden Powell scored his second and the team’s 14th for a comprehensive win.
It should be noted that the Folkestone goalkeeper was incredible as he must have made close to 50 saves in the match too. This moves the boys up to second in the U16 South East Tier 1 Championships.
The U14 Girls lost 3-4 to Woking HC. Woking were excellent in the first 10 minutes, and this is where the match was lost for Knole Park. Conceding two soft goals meant it would always be an uphill struggle. Just before the break things got worse and Woking scored another after they produced some good work on the right-hand side. Thankfully just before the break Emily Bingham gave the team hope as she scored a penalty corner.
The second half was a complete domination from Knole Park. First Evie Whitehead scored, before Mali Nicholls struck with about 10 minutes to go made it 3-3. However, a misplaced pass from defence meant the fast Woking forward could burst through for her hat-trick and to break Knole Park hearts. 4-3 it finished, but the effort and quality of the Knole Park girls should be commended. The only other scheduled match saw the U18 Girls receive a walkover from Sevenoaks U18s.
The Men’s 1st team were also big winners this weekend as they beat Sevenoaks 5s 10-1. The Knole Park Men’s 1s have gone from strength to strength over the start of the season and are now up in third place following this win. Duncan Parnis opened the scoring with an excellent strike, before completing a first half hat-trick with two penalty corner strikes.
Louis van den Rijse also scored a sublime backhand from a very acute angle to make it 4-0 at the break. In the second half, the team continued to press and Parnis scored another hat-trick of goals to make it six for the day. Isaac Dale scored twice, and van den Rijse scored again for the big win. David Gough-Cooper was unlucky to concede in goal as he played very well, including expertly saving a penalty!
The Women’s 1s continue their charge at the top of Invicta Division 1 with an 8-0 win over second placed Gore Court. Providing Knole Park’s Women’s 1s with their sternest test so far this season Gore Court had come to win, and it took Knole Park 18 minutes to break the deadlock.
The silky skills of Boadicea Cannon proving too much for the Gore Court defence as she beat several players before smashing in a great backhand strike. Biba Mills then doubled the lead almost immediately with a well taken rebound.
Just before the break both Charlotte Watkins and Alessia Turner flicked in penalty corners for a 4-0 lead. The second half was a similar pattern as Knole Park continued to dominate. Amelie Allen scored the fifth, before a Summer Knight-Thompson double made it 7-0. Josefina Hippe scored a beautiful solo goal to make it 8-0 and secure all three points.
The Women’s 2s also won 8-0 and they are also top of their league. Evie Whitehead opened the scoring after good work from Emily Bingham. Bingham then scored herself after Mali Nicholls burst through the Holcombe defence. The second half was all Knole Park as they scored six unanswered goals.
Imogen Smith scored two rockets from penalty corners, Nicholls, Bingham, Whitehead, and Ella Walker also all scored for the big win.
This weekend is a rest weekend for all, but the hockey training continues over the October half-term with lots of training, internal matches, and holiday camps.
