This week South Berkshire entertained Amersham at Cantley Park.
Last year’s fixture produced an 8-5 win for South Berks and a 4-3 win for Amersham, so again goals were expected in this fixture.
Number one stopped David Baines was back between the posts, as well as fullback Connor Eatwell and forward Jack Baveystock returning after missing last week’s match. South Berks were without utility player Neil Bennett and the still-injured pair of Alex Gray and Rob Badley.
The match kicked off under a Gray sky with South Berkshire happy to hold the ball with some controlled passing for the first couple of minutes. On three minutes an Amersham attack broke down on the edge of the South Berks D. Quick thinking from midfielder Ravi Patel took the free hit and passed to Paul Kaplanski who was just inside his own half, in a flash he accelerated past the Amersham defender on his shoulder and raced clear into the Amersham D before firing a shot high into the Amersham net from his usual horizontal position,1-0.
Just three minutes later Kaplanski was at it again , robbing an Amersham playing in midfield sprinted into the Amersham D and sent a shot goalward, the goalkeeper blocked the shot but with both players on the floor,Kaplanski was first to recover and knocked the ball out from his feet and dived forward to knock the ball into the empty net ,2-0
This now stirred Amersham into action, with four short corners on the South Berkshire goal in the next ten minutes. Keeper Baines making two saves and with one shot wide ,the South Berkshire defence stood firm with yet again Tom King marshalling his defenders of Zak Brayshaw, Connor Eatwell, Sam Piller and evergreen Mark Burley in the rear-guard action.
The Paul Kaplanski show now started again with a goal-line knock-in after Alex Skyes shot was blocked by the keeper and with the ball just a few inches from the goal line Kaplanski completed a first half hattrick 3-0.
Just before halftime, Amersham had another short corner which Baines once again saved, which brought about the end of the action. South Berkshire 3-0 Amersham at Half time
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 32](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Wokingham-1st-vis-Amersham-1-st_Paul-King-300x298.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 33](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Wokingham-1-st-vis-Amersham-1-st_Paul-King-300x242.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 34](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Wokingham-1-St-player-gets-stuck-into-a-hard-game-ahead_Paul-King-282x300.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 35](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Two-Amersham-players-try-hard-to-ambush-Wokingham-player_Paul-King-300x165.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 36](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/This-Wokingham-player-Yellow-carded_Paul-King-286x300.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 37](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/This-Wokingham-Hockey-player-was-yellow-carded-and-send-off-Wokingham-vis-Amersham-on-Saturday-300x254.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 38](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Man-down-for-Amersham-as-Wokingham-show-there-true-colours-on-Satuday-300x144.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 39](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Head-to-Head_Paul-King-300x182.jpg)
![South Berks Hockey Team Hits Five in the Park 40](https://mywokingham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Amersham-Goal-keep-tryed-in-vain-to-stop-Wokingham-putting-the-ball-into-there-goal_Paul-King-300x166.jpg)
The game began in the second half with Amersham a lot more positive,but again South Berks repelled all of the attacks. With rain now going down and the pitch getting faster Amersham got their reward on 50 minutes when a shot from the top of the D flew into the South Berks net.
A few nervous minutes passed as last time the two teams met ,South Berkshire threw away a 3-0 lead to lose 3-4 . South Berks now got back into the game with a series of short corners ,with the Amersham goalie keeping them in the game.
On the hour South Berks nerves were settled when Peter Swan driving from midfield found Kaplanski on the top of the D, he flicked the ball to an unmarked Patel who’s shot was well saved by the keeper, the ball then bounded out to Swan who calmly passed the ball to a marauding Sam Fox-Harvey who flicked the ball into the back of the net ,4-1
Four minutes late Fox-Harvey put the game out of Amersham’s reach with a fantastic solo goal , running from midfield with two defenders in close attendance, he arrived at the top the D stopped let the two defenders run past him turned and shot through them and the keeper for his second and South Berks fifth ,5-1.
The last ten minutes passed with Berkshire holding on to the ball well and ran the clock down for a 5-1 win . South Berkshire now lay 3rd in the league going into a two-week break .
The Men’s 2nd went down to Reading at home 1-3 with Michael Amor scoring for Berks
The Men’s 3rd losing at Oxford 3-1 , Mike Longson with the goal
The Men’s 4th winning again at home to Amersham, Mark Andrews ,Tom Scott with two each, Duncan Clarke and Jack Hitchens with one . Its now 24 games without defeat .
The Men’s 5th earning a 2-2 draw at Eastcote after being 2-0 up, Tom Ellwood and Pat Diplock scoring
The Ladies lost for the first time this season ,going down 3-2 at Reading , Sarah Kelly and Erin Begley netting.
The Ladies 2nd drawing 2-2 at home with Amersham, Edie Harrison and Eve Kelly with the goals
The Ladies 4th beating Newbury at home 3-0 ,Kat Smith with 2 and Bea Dunne hitting the goals
The Ladies 5th winning at Windsor 1-2 , Yvonne Brown and Corunna Payne with the match winning goals
The Men’s vets had a hard fought 0-1 win away at Haslemere
The league now has a two week break so the action restarts on the 5th of November
Men’s 1st away at Haslemere
Men’s 2nd away at Abingdon
Men’s 3rd at home to Henley
Men’s 4th away at Eastcote
Men’s 5th home to Wallingford
Men’s 6th away to Staines
The Ladies are
1st home to Aylesbury
2nd away at Bicester
3rd at home to Banbury
4th away at Windsor
5th home to Yateley
Men’s vets’ home to Oxford
Photos by Paul King