Match Reports 2021-22

29 June 2022

U11 A vs Ipswich
HH won by 5 wickets

15 June 2022

U11 A vs Felsted – 167-7 versus Felsted 26 all out
Holmwood won by 141 runs

U11 D vs Felsted – won by 6 runs

8 June 2022

27 June 2022

U9 A vs Finborough
Holmwood’s sixth  and final match of the summer term was the fixture against Finborough. Holmwood won the toss and chose to bowl.

20 June 2022

U9 A vs Littlegarth
Holmwood’s fifth match of the summer term was the return fixture against Littlegarth.

Aquathlon Fixture, 7 June, vs St Mary’s, St. Margaret’s and Colchester High School
What an afternoon!  For once the weather was kind and the conditions were perfect for racing.

16 March

Boys’ U13 1st vs RHS – Lost 5-1
A fantastic final match despite the score line. It was an end to end game with several scoring opportunities that we failed to capitalise upon. Our one goal was an absolute cracker from Noah K and every member of the team played their hearts out. The improvement in skills and understanding of the game has been phenomenal and it has been a great pleasure to witness such progress.

Mrs Goldring

Boys’ U13 2nd vs RHS – Lost 6-0
A good game was had by all and another learning curve for the Holmwood team.

8 March

Boys’ U13 1st vs Ipswich High – Lost 4-1
Another test of resilience from every member of the team. Ipswich we’re bigger and more skilful but the Holmwood boys put up an amazing fight. Alex B and Donovan B made numerous tackles and Noah K tried again and again to distribute the ball around the pitch. Theo C’s cracking goal was the highlight of the match.

Mrs Goldring

U13 2nd vs Ipswich High – Lost 4-2
Holmwood tried hard throughout the match, and despite two very good goals by Captain Kingsley B-B, and some good opportunities to score at least two other goals, the team were unable to convert and lost to Ipswich High School U12A team by 4 goals to 2.

Mr Earley

2 March

Boys U13 1st vs Barnardiston Hall – Lost 4-1
Another tough match against a strong team. Holmwood worked incredibly hard in defence and Thomas C made some outstanding saves. We had very few attacking runs but Noah K tried incredibly hard in midfield and scored our only goal from a well timed short corner strike.

Mrs Goldring

Boys U13 2nd vs Barnardiston Hall – Won 4-1
Holmwood tried very hard throughout the game and Leo M scored with a lovely break upfront in the 2nd half. Leonardo U had a great game in defence. Unable to score anymore the score was 4:1 in the end and the team learned a great deal from the experience.

Mr Earley

23 February

Boys U13 1st vs Orwell Park – Lost 4-1
A valiant effort against a skilful team. Orwell scored in the first minute and this was a good wake up call for the boys. Defensively we got stronger and stronger with Alex B and Donovan B making numerous tackles. Thomas C was again outstanding in goal and before half-time Freddie M scored a cracking goal from the edge of the circle. The second half was dominated by Orwell but the boys did really well to keep the score down.

Boys’ U13 2nd vs Orwell Park
The 2nd team played a hard and well drilled Orwell Park side on Wednesday. Despite a high scoring win from the opponents the team played well and showed skill and great teamwork.

A special mention to Leo, Rufus and Hugh, who all linked up well together when attacking.

Tom Brown

9 February
Boys’ U13 1st & 2nd vs OBH

With a greatly depleted team, the combined As and Bs put up a strong fight against OBH. It was with great excitement that Noah K scored first but it was a short lived lead and by half time we were 3-1 down. Unfortunately capt. Donovan B injured himself but Alex B rose to the occasion in defence making numerous tackles. The whole team really pulled together in the second half with Noah scoring his second and Kingsley BB scoring his first. Thomas C was again outstanding in goal and the final score of 6-3 was a fair result.

Mrs Goldring

12 January
Boys’ U13 Hockey vs South Lee – Lost 4-0

23 March
Girls’ Netball vs Framlingham Prep and Town Close

Our final match of the term saw us travel to Framlingham for a triangular fixture. It was a lovely sunny afternoon.

We played Fram first and we were slow to find our stride with the opposition scoring a couple of goals early in the match. Fram had a lot of the possession and at times we were caught sleeping with our marking. As the match progressed our passing and moving up the court was much better and we got ourselves on the score sheet thanks to goals from Ottilie W and Olivia B.

Holmwood 6 Framlingham 13

Our second match was against Town Close. This was a much more even match with the ball travelling end to end. We got off to a great start scoring within the first minute. This lifted our spirits and we found our flow. It was great to see the movement off the ball to find space that we had practised in training. In the second quarter, Town Close started to have more opportunities leaving the scores tied at half time. We again took the lead in the third quarter but Town Close were able to secure a draw in the end.

Holmwood 7 Town Close 7

Well done to Bea A for being named player of the match in both games today, her defending was fantastic.

Laura Sharman

16 March
Girls’ Netball vs South Lee

This was our second trip to South Lee this term and another close match for the girls. In the first quarter we started strong, taking the lead within the first minute. Bella E played centre, in the absence of Autumn K, and it didn’t take her long to find her feet. There was some great passing and movement between Ottilie W in goal attack and Bella E. It was certainly a very even first quarter with the score 9-9.

The second quarter was equally as exciting, with the ball travelling end to end. Olivia B’s shooting accuracy was amazing, scoring almost every opportunity she had. Ruby P played well as goal keeper, intercepting the opposition’s passes on many occasions. At the end of this quarter we were up by one goal.

The next quarter was more defensive, with Bea A and Bea B working well together in defence. Danielle B was excellent at marking her player effectively, and intercepting passes. Lana B played well in wing attack, finding good positions to be in to receive the ball. Unfortunately South Lee were just that bit quicker at moving and passing than us.

In the final quarter, we lost our momentum a bit as we started to get tired. However, it was great to see the determination the girls showed. Elsie B and Bea A were great at winning the 50/50 balls and making quick passes up the court. Cassie also had a turn at playing centre and distributed the ball well.

Lots of great netball on display today, and it is great to see the girls improving and taking on board all we have done in training.

Holmwood 22 South Lee 28

Laura Sharman

9 March
Girls’ Netball vs RHS

We had a great afternoon of netball at RHS today. In the first quarter it was really even in possession but we only managed to score one of our chances (which only took 12 seconds!) and they were very accurate, scoring 5.

2 March
Girls’ Netball 1st VII vs Barnardiston

A tough match this week away against Barnardiston. With only 11 players we were able to rotate around and try different player combinations. The first quarter saw both first teams go head to head. It took us a while to get into our stride, not surprising as the girls hadn’t played a match in a few weeks. Barnardiston took advantage of this and were very quick with their passing and movement around the court. Bea A and Ava B were pulled into action in defence, but unfortunately Barnardiston took the lead.

The second quarter was a lot more even against their second team. We had a mixture of first and second team players and the Holmwood girls were starting to find their flow and pass the ball around better. There was some great passing from Autumn K and Lana B. We were able to find the net thanks to some great shots from Ottilie W meaning we drew this quarter.

The third quarter saw us on the defensive end again, with Barnardiston always one step ahead of us (and a lot taller!). The final quarter was closer with us playing their second team again, Cassie G playing well in centre finding Olivia B in goal attack.

A tough match, but well done girls for showing great resilience on the court today.

Holmwood 3 Barnardiston 24 

Laura Sharman

23 February
Girls’ Cricket – Lady Taverners Cricket Tournament

The Under 13 girls had a tournament at Chelmsford Indoor Cricket School. They played their first game against Bancroft school.

Bancroft scored 85 for 0 from their allocated eight overs. Holmwood then had eight overs and it was very close. They sadly got out on their last ball.

The next match was against Bower Park. We batted first and got 117 for 2. They then batted second and we got all of their batters out.

Bower Park and Bancroft played the last game, Bancroft won.

We came second and sadly didn’t get through to the next stage of the competition. At the end though we all thought it would be fun to play a friendly match against Bancroft.

We all had a really good time and played really well.

Bea A

2 February
Girls’ Netball 1st & 2nd VII vs Finborough

The girls put out a great performance today and showed excellent determination, resilience and a desire to improve. We had 11 players so we were able to rotate and try out some new player combinations.

12 January
Girls’ Netball 1st VII vs South Lee – Holmwood 18 South Lee 21

Our first netball fixture of the term was away against South Lee. It was a well contested, even game, with lots of goals from each team. The girls started strong, with some excellent attacking play from Ottilie W and Autumn K. This led to a run of goals from Savanna M, putting Holmwood in the lead at the end of the first quarter. South Lee came out strong in the next quarter, testing the girls in defence. Bea A and Danielle B took some great interceptions, and Bella E stepped up to play as goalkeeper for the first time.

The final quarters were end to end, and the girls were running their socks off! The girls’ quick passing was the key to making progress up the court. Autumn K and Elsie B had a lovely run of passes and an overhead pass to Ottilie W secured a great goal. The match could have gone either way, but unfortunately South Lee took the win by 3 goals.

Well done on your efforts today girls, a great afternoon of netball!

Laura Sharman

23 March

U11 A vs Colchester High
Holmwood’s final football match of the term was our second fixture of the season against Colchester High. On a warm, almost summer-like afternoon the boys tried to play a good style of passing football. They tried to pass out from the back and at times it did not always work but the boys kept trying and at times put some good passing combinations together. Heston K dominated the midfield and looked to play with minimal touches and bring the wide players into the game. It was pretty much one way traffic throughout the whole of the first half with Holmwood creating chance after chance without putting the ball into the net. It was Ethan M who opened the scoring with a fine finish from a tight angle after Heston K hand unleashed a shot from distance which the Colchester High goalkeeper had parried into the path of the oncoming Ethan.

11 March

U11 A vs Littlegarth
Holmwood travelled to Littlegarth for their second meeting of the term. Holmwood started slowly and struggled in the first half. Oscar B in goal made a string of outstanding reflex saves to keep the score down. Heston K and Ruben both suffered recurrences of old injuries and had to be replaced.

9 February

U11 A vs Gosfield
A team comprising of Year 6s travelled to Gosfield to play them in a return fixture after the B team had played them a few weeks earlier. Jesse O was in goal and had a quiet game thanks to the outstanding defending of B Clarke and Hamish D. Ruben S controlled the midfield and William K played with his back to goal well and brought others into the game. Oliver C provided good width on both flanks as did Heston K. Thomas B worked hard in both left midfield and left defender demonstrating good positional awareness.

U11 C vs OBH
A last minute team change led to a brisk warm up learning some new positions and the Holmwood team quickly learned how to work together to get the ball closer to the opposition goal.

Holmwood moved the ball around the pitch well and OBH defence was solid and they had strength in numbers. OBH had some periods of sustained pressure that eventually led to the ball ending up in the net.

Well done to all involved.

Final Score: Holmwood 0 OBH 3

Mr Cook

16 February

U11 B vs St Josephs
As we walked off the bus the weather was fair and the warm winds were blowing in from the south. The warm up was sharp and the team were moving the ball between them accurately at pace. Almost as soon as the whistle was blown the clouds rolled in and then a light drizzle filled the air.

Holmwood struggled to get the ball out of their own half and the strong attacking players from St Joes were keeping them pinned back. In the second half Holmwood moved the ball down the wings and utilised the width of the pitch to their advantage. Holmwood controlled the ball in the middle of the pitch however the strong midfielders in the St Joes line up were excellent at tackling and pounced on any loose balls that were quickly moved onto their striker who had a powerful long range shot in his armoury.

Final score: Holmwood 2 – 5 St Josephs

Mr Cook

2 February

U11 A vs Littlegarth & Finborough
Holmwood travelled to Littlegarth to play in a triangular. Holmwood missed out on playing Finboroughs A team when they played earlier in the term as they were playing at Portman Road. Matches would be 10mins each way resulting in the normal 40 mins of football.

U11 B vs Kings Ely
A sharp warm up filled with positive comments and support from every player set the tone for a solid team performance. 

Holmwood won the toss and decided to let Kings start with the ball. Holmwood soon won the ball back and with controlled passing put the pressure on Kings. Holmwood scored two goals in the first ten minutes, with long periods of dominance with the ball. Ethan M and William U had very consistent games, holding the ball in the middle of the pitch and releasing the wingers to gain position on the field. Will K took advantage of the small amount of extra space near the Kings goal. Often finding his way to get a shot away and finding the net on several occasions. 

The Kings defence had strength in numbers. Holmwood’s shots being deflected from distance and the ball getting caught up in the middle of many players all determined to get possession for their teams. Holmwood’s sustained pressure on two occasions was so strong that the post and then the cross bar were the only things saving the score line being increased. 

Well done to both teams.

Final score: Holmwood 7 Kings Ely 1

Mr Cook

26 January

U11 B vs U11 A Gosfield – Holmwood 0 Gosfield 4
Playing on the largest football pitch on Colts Field was something that the Holmwood boys had to adjust to fairly quickly. Gosfield carried the ball well, and Holmwood struggled to put enough pressure on to win the ball back in key areas. Holmwood found themselves playing most of the football on the back foot, in front of their own goal, not being able to gain any momentum in attack.

In the second half, the Holmwood players managed to find some space and use the width of the pitch to their advantage. Holes started to appear and shots on goal started to creep closer to the target, with a couple of deflections leading to continued pressure on the Gosfield goal.

Mr Cook

19 January

U11 A vs Finborough – Holmwood 5 Finborough 1
Holmwood’s second match of the term was against Finborough. Unfortunately, Finborough’s A team were playing in a Tournament so Holmwood played their B team. Holmwood started well and some good crosses from Ben R on the right set up some good chances. Holmwood took the lead thanks to a calm finish from Alfie M, Heston K  added a second, passing into an empty net after the ball was charged down. Finborough pulled one back after a defensive mistake was capitalised upon.

Half time: Holmwood  2- 1 Finborough
The second half saw Holmwood playing some excellent football with some good switches of play, this created some good scoring chances that Holmwood capitalised upon. Ruben S was dominating the centre of the pitch and Jesse O and Hamish D looked composed on the ball in defence. Alfie M displayed some excellent footwork when in attack and Winston L worked tirelessly on the flanks. Goals in the second half were scored by Ben R and another two from Alfie M to complete his hat trick.

U11 B vs Finborough – Holmwood 3 Finborough 3
A cold afternoon on a muddy Colts Field meant the boys had to keep moving to stay warm. The performance throughout the game was one of control from Holmwood. The players moved the ball smoothly between themselves and made the Finborough boys work hard in defence.

Holmwood had some excellent opportunities in front of the goal that were made from the calm build up play. Ethan, Thomas and Will were excellent in linking together up front and driving towards the Finborough goal.

Mr Cook

U11 D vs Finborough – Holmwood 2 Finborough 4
A home game today against Finborough. A close first half, with Leo P and Sumedh K playing well in midfield moving the ball up the field. At half time the score was 2-1 to Finborough. Holmwood came out strong in the second half. Harley H led the attack with some strong passes through to Ethan H to score his second goal of the match, making the score 2-2. Nikhil and Roux displayed some great defending, clearing the ball many times. Taylor J and Grace A took turns to play in goal, both taking clinical saves for the team. Unfortunately we were caught on the break a few times in this half which helped Finborough take the lead.

Laura Sharman

12 January

U11 A vs Colchester High – Holmwood 4-2 Colchester High
Holmwood’s first match of the term was the traditional curtain raiser against Colchester High. Holmwood started well and looked to move the ball playing with as few touches as possible. Alfie M was looking a threat up front and Ruben S was controlling the centre of the field. Holmwood went three goals up after some good  square passes set up goals for Alfie M x2 and Ruben S. Colchester High pulled a goal back towards the end of the half.

23 March

U11 A vs Ipswich Prep and Woodbridge Prep
What a way to end our term of competitive netball!  The girls played amazingly from the first whistle to the last and it was a pleasure to watch.  Every one of the girls was both very competent and confident on the court and we played the best netball of the term.

U11 B vs Ipswich Prep and Woodbridge Prep
The U11 girls headed off in the mini bus this sunny afternoon with Mrs J and Mrs S to the Rushmere ground, behind the Ipswich Town FC training centre, to play matches against both Ipswich and Woodbridge schools.

We had a little time to warm up before our games started, then the B team were on court vs Ipswich school playing three thirds of 6 minutes each. Ipswich won the toss and had the first centre pass. Ipswich went one goal ahead in the first third and scored a further two in the second and third thirds of the game. Hannah had a great attempt at goal in the second third…the ball skimmed tantalisingly around the rim before bouncing off court. Lucinda scored two fabulous goals in the final third and was named ‘player of the match’ by the Ipswich team.

Hannah had several more attempts at goal in our second game against Woodbridge school, and was able to get the ball in the net in our last third. Lucinda and Eleanor also scored, and Stella was named ‘player of the match’ by Woodbridge.

The girls did struggle a bit with concentration this afternoon, but were able to maintain their pattern of cohesion, communication and perseverance. Well done girls!

Holmwood House 2; Ipswich 5
Holmwood House 3; Woodbridge 7

Mrs Spencer

16 March

U11A vs St Margaret’s
This was a really even, exciting match until half time and then it went slightly downhill not helped by the drizzle and slippery courts.

U11B vs St Margaret’s 
Well, we had an unexpected and slightly unwelcome change in the weather this afternoon for our home matches vs St Margaret’s! But it was lovely to host so many children and so many parent supporters for both teams despite the conditions. Thank you! All the girls put on a super performance on both courts so there was a lot to cheer.

One of our regular B team players was absent today so our other Holmwood team loaned us a player, Sadhika, who was awarded the title of ‘player of the match’ by the St Margaret’s team. Sadhika scored three goals in the second quarter of the game, she marked her players extremely effectively, she covered the court quickly, she passed the ball accurately. Terrific play, Sadhika! Eleanor scored two further goals in the third quarter, and one more was scored by Hannah in the final quarter.

Every girl in the team played extremely well today, with just the right balance of courtesy, confidence and competition. Our parent supporters commented on the cohesion of the team, their determined effort, and the improvements in skill level. Fantastic play Orla, Elle, Eleanor, Hannah, Sadhika and Stella!

Elle played her best game of the season so far, coming very close to scoring and staying with her player. She also captained the side this afternoon. The partnerships between Centre, Goal attack and Goal shooter in each quarter were a very strong feature of the game today. I was particularly happy about this as we had practiced this in our warm up.

After the match it was super to be able to have a match tea INSIDE together, alongside the football teams!

Holmwood House: 6, St Margaret’s: 10

Mrs Spencer

11 March

U11 A vs Lexden Primary School
This is always a lovely match to be involved in. Lexden Primary are always so pleased to come to us for a match and the game is always played in the true spirit of sportsmanship.

9 March

U11 A vs Littlegarth
This was by far our toughest match of the term against a team that were national finalists in a nationwide schools competition! Yet despite the daunting task ahead of us the Holmwood spirit was definitely in evidence and the team battled hard and did not let their heads go down at all.

2 March

U11 A vs Barnardiston Hall
Barnardiston were certainly the strongest team we have played this term and after being slightly overwhelmed by their ability in the first quarter we did then settle into the match.

23 February

U11 A vs St Mary’s
The first quarter caught us napping and was strongly dominated by our opposition. Our defence, Saling B and Sadhika R, were put under immense pressure but continued to battle hard and communicate with each other for the full 10 minutes.  Yet despite the defensive nature of play we were only 3 – 5 down going into the second quarter.

11 February

IAPS Small School Tournament at Framlingham College
On Friday 11 February, a group of Year 6 girls travelled to Framlingham College Prep School for a Netball Tournament. We played six matches in the group stages and this decided which competition we would progress to; the cup, plate or bowl. Matches were only 5 minutes each way so we had to make sure we were switched on from the start.

Match 1 vs Widford Lodge 3-1
This was a great start to the day with the girls taking the lead early in the match and not allowing Widford the chance to come back. There was some fab shooting on display from Evie D and the girls took their chances well.

Match 2 vs St.George’s 1-2
This was a closer match and unfortunately the girls conceded two goals fairly early in the match and were unable to come back. I was impressed by the way the girls moved the ball around in the circle and Annabel B often put the bounce pass to good use.

Match 3 vs Orchard House 1-8
Our third game was against the eventual winners in the tournament. We scored first but it didn’t take long before Orchard House were putting lots past us. However, the girls did not give up, and I couldn’t be prouder of them for this.

Match 4 vs Wisbech Grammar 0-4
After a short break we were on again vs Wisbech. This was another tricky match and we faced some very strict umpiring. But the girls again were very resilient and Saling B and Lucie B were very strong in defence.

Match 5 vs Broughton Manor 3-4
This was a fairly even match with goals from both sides. Darcy C and Olive W displayed some fab attacking play, but unfortunately we ran out of time to come back.

Match 6 vs St. Ives 3-4
Another close match, we were unfortunate that this one did not go our way either. Millie S was on the score sheet early on and the girls were very close to scoring on several occasions. But a good result against the eventual third place team.

We had a longer break for lunch after the group stages. Massive thanks goes to Tom for the lunch delivery. After this the girls had a new burst of energy and were ready and raring to go for the last match. We had been placed 7th in our group, due to goal difference in the end. This meant we progressed to the bowl competition and had to play one last match.

Bowl Final vs Beeston 3-2
This game was the best netball I had seen the girls play all day. They were moving the ball around well and thinking about all the points I had given them to work on. It was great to end on a win and take away gold medals in the bowl competition.

Well done girls on all your effort and hard work today. You never gave up and that is all I could ask for!

Laura Sharman

9 February

U11 A vs OBH
A dominant performance from the girls today. We were playing an OBH team of just year 5s due to their year 6s being away on a trip. The girls were strong from the start, displaying some great passing, moving the ball quickly up the court. After the first quarter we were 8-1 up so for the remainder of the match I only allowed one Holmwood player to be allowed to shoot. This meant the girls had to work hard off the ball and try to move the ball around in the circle. Fantastic effort from the girls today, let’s bring the same energy to the tournament on Friday!

Holmwood 17 OBH 1

Laura Sharman

2 February

U11 A vs St Joseph’s
Today’s match saw us travel away to St. Joseph’s. After a very excitable bus journey, the girls were ready and raring to go. The match got off to a close start with the ball going end to end but neither team scoring. The ball was moved around the court well by Darcy C and Millie S. This led to Holmwood finding the net towards the end of the first quarter. Only seconds later St. Joseph’s scored to make it a tie after the first section of play.

In the second quarter the girls found their flow with four goals being scored this quarter, Annabel B scoring three of these. There was some fantastic attacking play and superb centre pass routines. It was great to see the practice paying off for these. The third quarter was close again with Olive W and Saling B having to do lots of defending. Evie D shone in attack this quarter, scoring an excellent shot from just inside the circle.

The final quarter saw us defending again with Lucie B intercepting their passes superbly. St. Joseph’s were able to score two in this section of play, but we were able to hold the lead.

A very enjoyable afternoon of netball, well done girls!

Holmwood 8 St. Joseph’s 5

Laura Sharman

U11 B vs St Joseph’s
Another lovely afternoon for U11 netball! Our Year 5 and 6 girls took the minibus with Laura and Mrs Spencer to Ipswich for their matches today. 

The most outstanding thing for Mrs Spencer was the improvement the girls were able to make throughout the game. Their understanding of where they needed to be on court, and how to partner effectively with other positions was tremendous.

The St Joseph’s girls were able to go 3-1 ahead in the first quarter by moving the ball quickly to their excellent goal shooter. Hannah scored our only goal in the first quarter. But Holmwood then scored two goals in each of the following three quarters, with St Jo’s scoring just one more during the game. 

The teams were very evenly matched but Holmwood’s determined attacking play won the day. Our Holmwood girls also showed that they are beginning to mark their players more effectively…so effectively, in fact, that we gave away a few penalty passes by getting a little too close!!! Let’s work on that!

Eleanor scored two, Lucinda scored two and Hannah scored a further two goals taking her tally to three and making her our top scorer! Orla also came extremely close to scoring this afternoon. Hannah and Orla demonstrated a very supportive and unselfish partnership in the scoring circle, with Lucinda playing an excellent quarter in her centre position.

Stella was named ‘player of the match’ by the St Jo’s team in recognition of her determination in every area of the court. 

Well done girls for an excellent match!

Holmwood House 7  St Joseph’s College 4

Mrs Spencer

26 January

U11A vs Gosfield
This was such a lovely match to be involved with from the moment Gosfield arrived. They were so pleased to be playing a match and this was reflected in their enthusiasm which rubbed off on our girls.

U11 B vs Gosfield
It was a home game today against a well-matched Gosfield team. The girls got off to a good start with all the play in our attacking third. Sadhika R and Lucinda B worked well together and Lucinda was able to find the net, leaving the score 1-0 after the first quarter.

The next two quarters were more end to end, with Gosfield taking their chances well. There was some good defending on display, but we were not able to stop Gosfield taking the lead going into the final quarter.

A fantastic last quarter saw some great passing and moving. The girls worked well together to move the ball up the court. I was particularly impressed with the use of the bounce pass to get the ball to players in the circle. Lucinda B scored twice more this quarte, securing the win for Holmwood.

Well done girls!

Final Score: Holmwood 3 Gosfield 2

Laura Sharman

19 January
U11 A Triangular vs Finborough & Langley

12 January

U11 A vs South Lee
The conditions for the first match of the netball season couldn’t have been better and the girls made the most of the mild, dry weather.  This season we are playing High 5s, as determined by IAPS, instead of the usual 7s meaning the girls have to adapt each quarter as they rotate and change positions. The first match is always a bit of a baptism of fire but it does always give us an idea of what we need to work on!

31 January
U9 A vs Woodbridge Prep

Holmwood’s second match of the term was against Woodbridge. Holmwood tackling from the get go was consistent and strong . Some good individual tries were scored and all of the boys made some good contributions. The half time team talk was based around the defensive line, trusting your team mates to make the tackle and not hanging back is an on going work in progress as is the supporting runs for the ball carrier.

19 January
U9 A vs Finborough

Holmwood’s first contact match was against Finborough . Both teams made some strong tackles from the off set . It was Holmwood’s pace and determination in the tackle that stood them apart from there opponents. Holmwood manage to run in 7 tries to Finboroughs 1.

17 March

U9A vs Littlegarth
Back to Littlegarth again this week for our last match of the term and it was a lovely sunny afternoon. Unfortunately we were a few players down, but we borrowed two year three’s Darcy T and Charlotte M to help us out. Littlegarth were very strong from the start, and we were defending for most of the match. The girls battled hard and it was a real test of the team’s resilience today. On a couple of occasions we were close to scoring but their defence was difficult to pass.

Holmwood 0 Littlegarth 12

Laura Sharman

10 March

U9 A Littlegarth Festival
On Thursday 10 March, a group of Year 3 and Year 4 girls travelled to Littlegarth to play in the hockey festival. It was a lovely afternoon with the sun shining. The festival had a round robin format, so we played four matches against the teams in our group.

Match 1 vs Nayland 1-0
We got off to a great start winning our first match 1-0. We put the pressure on from the start with lots of attacking play from Annie B and Isabelle S-C and the ball stayed in our half for most of the game. We held our positions well and had lots of possession in the D. Daisy L playing in goal did not touch the ball once!

Match 2 vs Littlegarth 1-1
This was a much closer game, with the ball travelling end to end. Roxy J and Emily W were putting in some great tackles to stop Littlegarth from scoring. We were able to move the ball up the pitch thanks to some fab dribbling from Eva H and we took the early lead. However, before long, the ball was back in our defending D, and Littlegarth managed to find the equaliser.

Match 3 vs St. Margaret’s 0-1
This was a tougher match with the girls required to do a lot more defending. Daisy L was getting stuck in making some great tackles, and Beatrice W did some great dribbling forwards up the pitch. However, this was not enough to stop St. Margaret’s from scoring and taking the win.

Match 4 vs St. Cedd’s
Our last match was another end to end game, with the girls running their socks off trying to attack and defend. Daisy L and Sophie R were superb at tackling and distributed the ball well. Fortunately they were able to find a pass through to Jessica B who then scored a great goal. Roxy J also made a superb run up the pitch beating several defenders but we were unable to score on this occasion. We started to lose our structure towards the end, and despite all our efforts the opposition equalised leaving the score 1-1.

Having won one match, drawn two and lost one we ended up with 8 points. Our group was very close, with three other teams also on the same number of points. Therefore 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions were decided on goal difference. This meant we finished in 4th position.

A very enjoyable afternoon, well done girls. It is great to see the progress you have made this term with your hockey.

Laura Sharman

7 March

U9A vs Woodbridge
This week’s match saw us travel away to Woodbridge. After a short walk from the Prep school over to the senior school pitch we were ready to go. Woodbridge put the pressure on right from the start which caught the girls by surprise leading to the opposition scoring. As the first half progressed we started to put our skills to good use, with Emily W showing some excellent tackling in defence. Unfortunately this was not enough and they managed to put a few more goals past us in the first half.

After a team chat at half time, we had a lot more success at passing out to the sides, and were more confident in our dribbling. This led to a few more chances but the Woodbridge defence was hard to beat. In the end, despite our best efforts at defending, the opposition kept up the pressure from the first half leading to more goals and extending their lead.

A tough match today girls, well done on all your hard work.

Holmwood 0 Woodbridge 7

Laura Sharman

28 February

U9A vs St Joseph’s
A very enjoyable afternoon of hockey for the year 4s today. We were playing at home against St. Joseph’s so back playing on grass again. The game started very evenly with the ball travelling end to end! Towards the end of the second half we were opening up more opportunities with Jessica B and Isabelle S-C passing the ball well up the pitch to Annie B playing forward. It was nice to finish the first half one goal up thanks to a great goal from Jessica B.

We found our flow more in the second half, with some fantastic passing out to space and staying in our positions well. Emily W and Sophie R did some great tackling stopping St. Joseph’s getting close to the D. Two more goals from Jessica B saw us extend the lead, and a last goal from Eva H gave us the win.

Well done girls, great to get a win today. Some excellent progress in your hockey!

Laura Sharman

24 February

U8/9 A vs St Margaret’s
This was a great opportunity for both year 3 and 4s to play together in a match. It was a very cold afternoon, with even a couple of hailstorms! The match got off to a really good start with the first quarter of play very even. It was really lovely hockey to watch and probably the best hockey I have seen the girls play all term. The girls were staying in their positions successfully and trying to pass out into space. We were close on several occasions with Annie B and Eivissa M in good positions in the D. Eva H, Isabella C and Jessica B also held the midfield well.

As the game progressed, we did start to tire and once St. Margaret’s had scored a couple of our heads went down and we weren’t playing as well. We were required to do a lot more defending. Roxy J, Beatrice W and Emily W did very well in defence putting in some strong tackles. However, one of the St. Margaret’s player’s had an excellent slap so used that well to put a few goals past us.  Daisy L made a terrific goal-line save when a shot came at her off the ground!

Great effort today girls, it is great to see the progress in your hockey! Shame the score did not reflect how close the match was.

Holmwood 0 St. Margaret’s 5

Laura Sharman

U8/9 B vs St Margaret’s
An excitable group of predominantly Year 3s made the journey to Braintree Hockey Club for the match.  Playing a team of Year 4s was always going to be a tall order.  Throw in the speed of a match on astroturf and we really had to battle hard for the full 40 minutes.

21 February

U9A Hockey vs Finborough
This week saw the U9 Hockey team travel to Finborough. We were playing a very well-drilled Finborough team, so the pressure was put on from the start. The girls worked really hard to defend and make some effective tackles. However, Finborough were able to find the net with some strong shots taken from the top of the D, so we were behind at half time.

As Finborough had such a large squad of players we decided to borrow a few of their players in the second half. This allowed some of the girls to have a rest and time off. In this half we were working the ball up the pitch much better and were close to scoring on many occasions, with a couple of shots just going wide of the post. The improvement throughout the game was fab, with the quality of hockey improving as the game progressed.

Well done to all the girls for their resilience today, especially Sophia T for playing in goal for the first time. Considering we are not used to playing on astro the girls did superb!

Holmwood 0 Finborough 10

Laura Sharman

7 February

U9 Hockey vs Gosfield
This afternoon’s match saw the Year 4 girls travel away to play Gosfield. We arrived promptly so the gate to the pitch was locked, but a quick game of ‘I Spy’ kept us entertained before our opposition arrived. We had plenty of time for a good warm up. This was particularly important as it was the first time the girls had played on astroturf. It was certainly a lot faster than what we are used to on grass!

Due to numbers, we played a 5-a-side game on a smaller pitch and without goalkeepers. The girls started strong and dominated most of the game. Jessica B did some great passes often finding Annie B who held the middle of the pitch well.  Sophie R and Isabelle S-C did well in midfield, moving the ball successfully up the pitch. Some strong tackling from Emily W and Beatrice W in defence, stopped Gosfield from scoring on many occasions.

There was some fantastic hockey on display today and some great improvement on our passing and spacing, as well as lots of goals scored, well done girls!

Holmwood 6 Gosfield 2

Laura Sharman

31 January

U9 Hockey vs Woodbridge
Another home match this week for the U9 hockey team against a strong Woodbridge team. We were under pressure immediately but there was some great tackling from Sophie R and Emily W. Roxy J was also solid in defence, clearing the ball many times up the field. However, we were not able to stop Woodbridge from taking an early lead.

The second half saw some more attacking play from Holmwood with Annie B and Jessica B working well getting the ball up the field. Eva H and Isabella C stayed strong in the middle and were not afraid to get stuck in. The girls did not give up and were very close to scoring towards the end.

Well done to everyone and thank you to Freya S for playing in goal for the first time.

Holmwood 0 Woodbridge 7

Laura Sharman

24 January

U9 Hockey vs Finborough – Holmwood 3 Finborough 1
This was the girls first hockey match of the year, and we had some very excited Years 3 and 4. We played four quarters as Finborough had two teams, so we played each team twice. All the girls were not afraid to get stuck in, making some superb tackles. There was some good dribbling on display, and the girls did not stop running! At times the pitch became crowded with lots of players around the ball, but this is something we will work on more in training.

It was great to come away with a win for the all the girls’ hard work. Well done to the goal scorers; Eivissa M, Jessica B and Annie B. And a fantastic effort from everyone today, well done!

Laura Sharman

24 February

U8 B vs St Margaret’s
A great game of rugby, incredibly enjoyable for everyone. Theo B saved 4 tries, Hugo P scored 2 tries, Max W, Marek F, Freddie T and Stanley W all scored 1 try each. Lucas and Isaac L tried hard throughout and both ran with the ball very well.

Holmwood won by 10 tries to 4. Well Played, boys.

Mr Earley

3 March

U8 vs Felsted

On Thursday afternoon the year three girls, Mrs Earley and Laura took the journey to Felsted for their second netball match this year. The girls were split into four teams of three for the afternoon and each team played four matches of 10 minutes.  The format of netball we played meant the girls had no formal positions so any of the girls could attack, defend and shoot.

All four teams got off to a great start and there was some excellent passing and some great shooting on display. At the halfway point we had a quick team talk, and our aim for the last two matches was to ensure we stuck ‘like glue’ to our markers. This being said we went from strength to strength on all four courts with the girls attacking and defending well. We came away winning the majority of the matches which is superb!

It was great to see such lovely netball being played and the girls’ attitude and behaviour was exceptional. Well done girls, a very enjoyable afternoon of netball.

Laura Sharman

15 March 2022

Swimming Gala vs Colchester High School

1 March 2022

Swimming Gala vs St Margaret’s

Wed 17 Nov – 1st XIII vs Framlingham Prep

On Wednesday, the Years 7 and 8 Rugby team took on two matches again Framlingham and Barnardistan. The first game was a tough match and the Holmwood boys only lost by three tries. Theo Cs quick feet led to one try in the first game.

In the second game Holmwood had to transfer some boys to Framlingham but we still won convincingly – 6 tries to 2.

Tom Brown

Wed 10 Nov – 1st XIII vs Finborough

On Wednesday 10 November the Under 13 A rugby team took on Finborough school in very wet and challenging match. The team fought well despite Finborough being the more dominant team. The overall score was 9-1.

Tom Brown

Wed 3 Nov – 1st XIII vs RHS

On Wednesday 3 November the under 13 A team took on a strong U12 RHS team. The boys played some great rugby and had improved a lot from their last game. Theo C scored three brilliant tries and took the opposition by surprise with his speed. The overall result ended up as 12/3 but the boys should be proud of their strong performance.

Tom Brown

Wed 6 Oct – 1st XIII vs Ipswich Prep

On Wednesday 6 October the Under 13 1st team took on a well drilled Ipswich school side. The boys fought hard with a couple of great tries from Theo C and Donovan B. The overall score was 12 tries to 2. We look forward to more games this season as we develop our skills further.

Tom Brown

Wed 29 Sept – 1st XIII vs Felsted

On Wednesday 29 September the Year 7 and 8 A rugby team travelled to Felsted for their first game of the season. It was a fantastic game with many tries from both sides. Noah Ks quick feet helped to get some points early on the board and Donovan B just could not stop running through the opposition. The team should be very proud and we look forward to next weeks game against Ipswich School.

Tom Brown

1 Dec – 1st VII vs South Lee

24 Nov – 1st VII vs Barnardiston Hall

Having played Barnardiston last week we knew this was going to be a tough match. The opposition had several strong players so within the first few minutes the girls were under lots of pressure. The girls battled hard but unfortunately this was not enough against such a skilful team. However, the girls showed great resilience, kept battling and managed to score just before the half time whistle.

Laura Sharman

For the second half we mixed the teams and played with a selection of Barnardiston and Holmwood players on each side for a bit of fun!

24 Nov – 2nd VII vs Barnardiston Hall

17 Nov – 1st VII vs Framlingham Prep

3 November – 1st VII vs RHS

22 Sept – 1st VII vs Felsted

15 Sept – 1st VII vs Finborough

An excellent first match for the girls. Finborough put out their B team against us as we were unsure of our ability at this early stage but it would have been interesting to take on their A team. Autumn K scored in the first 20 seconds and morale was high. At half time we were 4-2 up with goals from Isabel D, Ottilie W and a second for Autumn. We started the second half with a completely different team regarding positions and it was great to see how adaptable the girls were. A final goal for Olivia B and one for Finborough ended the game with a 5-2 win. As fantastic as the field players were, Finborough had numerous attempts on goal and Bea A made several stunning saves, having kindly offered to play the position.

Holmwood 5 Finborough 2

Mrs Goldring

24 Nov – U11 B vs St Joseph’s

Holmwood’s final match of term was an away fixture at St Joseph’s. Holmwood would play U9 rules as they would be playing against St Joseph’s U10 A team, this meant no rucking and the ability to tackle by holding onto a player for 3 seconds. A very small pitch resulted in a pulsating end to end match with lots of tries for both teams. Holmwood tackling was tested due to the lack of space as was their ability to run straight lines. Holmwood kept the ball moving and off loaded well to keep the attacks moving.

17 Nov – U11 A vs Felsted Prep

The U11s came into their game against Felsted on good form after their convincing victory the week before. The game started pretty hectic with tries at either end. The boys showed great professionalism in defence when the opposition were committing countless high tackles.

At the break the two teams were pretty evenly matched with some brilliant battles on show. We spoke about remaining physical and winning more rucks. The boys came out for the second half on fire implementing the points we spoke about at the break, but sadly the final score was 7-10. However, the result should not go against the boys efforts in the match.

Sean Montgomery

17 Nov – U11 B vs Felsted Prep

Holmwood faced a strong Felsted team on a lovely sunny November day. Holmwood were looking to improve their tackling height and running lines. Felsted started well with several unanswered tries. Holmwood were competing well but were making little progress over the gain line due to lots of sideways running. Harley H was the stand out tackler of the first half with several try saving tackles.

10 Nov – U11 A vs Barnardiston Hall

The U11As hosted Barnadiston in prime rugby weather. The team came into the game in fine form after a great performance vs Woodbridge prep. The game started thick and fast with some brilliant runs through the opposition’s defensive line from Heston and Jesse. Tries continued to flow through out the first half with some beautiful rugby being played. In the second half, Holmwood dominance resumed with further tries scored from brilliant ball handling, with the tries being scored by the whole team. All in all a very convincing victory by a large margin for Holmwood.

Final score was 18-1

Sean Montgomery

10 Nov – U11 B vs Barnadiston Hall

Holmwood started strongly with some direct running from Harley H. Holmwood tackled well and showed improvement from last week. We moved the ball well and off loaded to keep the attacks moving. Holmwood tried to move up as a team at Barnardiston’s free passes and take responsibility from making tackles. Holmwood’s try scorers were Harley H x 2, Ben B x 2, Evan C and Ethan H.

3 Nov – U11 A vs Woodbridge

The U11’s came into their game against Woodbridge in good spirits after finishing the first half term well. The boys started with great intensity and strength in numbers in their defensive line, special mention going out to the tackle machine that is Jesse! The first half was well dominated by Holmwood ending with a six try lead scored by Jesse, Freddie, Ruben and Ben R. At the break the team spoke about making more support runs and winning more rucks. The boys came out for the second half on fire implementing the points we spoke about at the break, rounding off a very impressive victory with some beautiful breakaway tries.

Final Score was 12-6.

Tries:
Ben R: 3 (Whippet),
Jesse: 3 (Machine)
Freddie M: 2
Ruben: 2
Charlie P: 1
Thomas: 1

Sean Montgomery

3 Nov – U11 B vs Woodbridge Prep

6 Oct – U11 A vs Littlegarth

The U11As turned up to Littlegarth in fine form after excellent focus in training and in their last match. The boys were playing on a pitch slightly larger than expected. This led to a flurry of tries from both teams, 5 in the opening 5 minutes. Some brilliant powerful running from Holmwood led to Jesse getting a hat-trick in the first ten minutes. The Littlegarth winger found space out wide on a number of occasions allowing Littlegarth to gain a commanding lead going into half time. In the second half, Holmwood came out with a serious fire in their belly in order to pull the game back in their favour. Some further brilliant rugby from the boys led to tries for Ruben, Hamish, Freddie and Benedict in a hard fought second half pulling their lead back to only two tries. The very quick winger ran in two tries towards the end but the team never gave up hope and finished the game with a Ben R try in the corner after a superb series of passes. 

Great praise should go to the team for their high standard of rugby and for playing the game the right way.

FT: Littlegarth 75 – Holmwood 60

Mr Cook

6 Oct – U11 B vs Littlegarth

Holmwood travelled to Littlegarth to play their third match of term. On a sloping pitch Holmwood started well and scored several tries without an answer. The off loading and support runners were all of a good standard and Holmwood’s tackling stood strong.

29 Sept – U11 A vs Framlingham Prep

29 Sept – U11 B vs Framlingham Prep

Holmwood’s second match of the term saw them play U9 rules at the request of Framlingham. This meant no rucking or scrums and a 3 second hold counting as a tackle.

15 Sept – U11 A vs Finborough

What a feeling it was being able to watch live sport and competitive rugby again! I am not sure who has missed it more, myself or the boys! The first game back was a big one. Both teams were incredibly physical and this took its toll on the players.

Holmwood moved the ball over short distances to begin with and met the contact head on. Their rucking was completed at a slow pace but this was aided by the supporting players being close to them. Finborough had some strong runners that had to be tackled before they were able to get their speed up. This was something that Holmwood identified and excelled at in the second half.

Holmwood had one of the most exciting and expansive passages of play that I have seen in ten year of Under 11 rugby. Starting from a strong run into the opposition half, with the ball being offloaded in contact. Holmwood set up a ruck and quickly recycled the ball to then spread it into the mid field. One more explosive ruck and the ball was passed to the touch line with a beautiful two on one that we have worked on in training. A true team try and a coach’s dream to watch training ground moves working on game day.

Well done boys!

Finborough 35 Holmwood 25

Mr Cook

15 Sept – U11 B vs Finborough

1 Dec – U11B vs South Lee

Holmwood’s last fixture of the term was at home against South Lee. After a slightly late start, the girls were straight to business scoring within the first few minutes. It was a strong first half with Holmwood not giving South Lee any opportunities. The defence showed strong tackling preventing the opposition from entering the D.

As the second half got underway, we were faced with a heavy hail storm which luckily passed very quickly but left the girls very wet and cold. However, this did not dampen spirits and the girls showed great perseverance. I was particularly impressed with the passing the team displayed today. The girls were much better at looking to find their pass and it was great to see a string of accurate passes leading to a goal.

As the girls started to tire towards the end of the game, South Lee had more chances, but Grace A displayed some excellent goalkeeping to prevent them from scoring.

It has been a very enjoyable term of hockey and it is great to see the progress the team has made. Well done girls!

Holmwood 9 South Lee 0

Laura Sharman

17 Nov – U11 A vs St Mary’s

17 Nov – U11 B vs St Mary’s

A very dominant performance from the U11Bs against St Mary’s this afternoon. Some excellent shooting skills on display, as well as strong tackling giving the opposition very little chance of scoring. It was a great opportunity for the girls to practice in different positions, with lots of the girls scoring goals! Thanks to Orla R for kindly stepping up, at the last minute, to play in goal.

Well done to the whole team, great to get another win!

Holmwood 17 St Mary’s 0

Laura Sharman

10 Nov – U11 A vs Barnadiston Hall

This was a tough match for the girls as the opposition was quite strong, however Millie ensured that the ball just did not cross the line into our goal. With Katie directing from the back the ball regularly went wide for the wings to go and have a shot. Olive really showed off her skills on the last goal with real grit and determination which was lovely to see (want to see more of that Olive). The girls all played for the team and were a credit to one another. Well done.

Holmwood 3 Barnadiston Hall 0

Mrs Earley

10 Nov – U11 B vs Barnadiston Hall

First win for the U11B team today against Barnardiston. It was a grey afternoon but this didn’t dampen the girls spirits. A close first half, with Barnardiston taking an early lead. We were soon to equalise though with some great passing and moving from Lucinda B on the forward line, and Sadhika R in midfield. A fantastic strike from Saling B meant we were in the lead at half time.

There were more goals from both teams in the second half. Some strong defending on display from Eleanor B and Stella C allowed the ball to be cleared effectively away from the opposition. This allowed the midfielders; Hannah J, Elle S and Orla R lots of opportunities to progress up the pitch. It was great to see the girls getting stuck in and not being afraid of the ball! Much improvement from last week. Also another excellent match from Grace A in goal.

A fantastic afternoon of hockey, with lots of goals scored! Well done girls!

Holmwood 5 Barnardiston 3

Laura Sharman

3 Nov – U11 A vs Woodbridge

Due to a navigation error we arrived for this match a little later than planned which meant that the girls had very little time to warm up and the match was shortened. This was a real shame as this was a very exciting match to watch. Holmwood had some great attacking opportunities but just couldn’t put the ball into the goal. We definitely need to work on our goal scoring technique. Our defence is very solid and allowed Woodbridge no room to manoeuvre which was fantastic and one of our real strengths. Would have been lovely to have played for a little longer as I am convinced we could have had a win here but none the the less well played girls. Great game.

Holmwood 0 Woodbridge 0

Mrs Earley

3 Nov – U11 B vs Woodbridge

6 Oct – U11 A vs Littlegarth

A tough game for the girls this week against Littlegarth. It was a defensive match with the pressure put on us right from the start. Katie B and Elise C displayed some excellent tackling but unfortunately we were unable to hold them off. The second half ended with an impressive backhand shot from Littlegarth from a very tight angle.

The girls came out strong in the second half with lots of opportunities in the first few minutes. Some excellent dribbling from Olive W on the right wing which nearly led to a goal by Lucie B but unfortunately was just wide. Littlegarth caught us on the break a few times and were able to find the net. An unlucky result, but good resilience shown by the girls today.

Holmwood 0 Littlegarth 5

Laura Sharman

6 Oct – U11 B vs Littlegarth

A very one sided game against a strong opposition. Littlegarth dominated the first half and Holmwood made several defensive errors and struggled to make headway up front. The second half was much closer with Grace A and Stella C marking well and tackling strongly. Sadhika R was consistent as centre half and Lucinda B made some good forward runs. Lana B, on loan from the seniors, scored our only goal and Eleanor B played superbly in goal making endless saves. A brave team effort with a huge improvement in the second half.

Holmwood 1 Littlegarth 6

Mrs Goldring

22 Sept – U11 A @ Framlingham Festival

15 Sept – U11 A vs Finborough

This was the girls first match back of the season and for some, their first match. The girls absolutely smashed it. It is always nice to start the season with a win and even better when it was a convincing one. The girls dominated from the start with some lovely passing between Annabel and the front line players, this lead to the first goal being scored by Lucy. From that point on the girl really wanted to score another and they didn’t have to wait long till Annabel scored again. At this point Finborough made a bit of a comeback and started to put pressure on our defence which was no match for Katie, Evie, Elise and Millie. At the end of the game, the coach from Finborough came and spoke to me and said how impressed she was with the girls’ positioning and how well they played together as a team. A real compliment girls, well done. Great start to the season.

Holmwood 2 Finborough 0

Mrs Earley

15 Sept – U11 B vs Finborough

After such a long break from hockey, it was great to see the enthusiasm and eagerness the girls showed for their first match of the season. It was a strong start with Matilda P-R scoring the first goal with a strong hit inside the D.  As the first half progressed Finborough came back scoring two. But the girls fought back, displaying some great passing. Sadhika R found the net leaving the score 2-2 at half time.

The team battled hard in the second half with some excellent defending. Unfortunately we were unable to secure the draw with Finborough scoring in the final few minutes. A fab effort from all the girls, and a special mention to Orla R who played in goal for the first time.

Holmwood 2 Finborough 3

Laura Sharman

17 Nov – U10 B vs Felsted Prep

For Holmwood House boys tried incredibly hard led very well by Sumedh. Roux tackled amazingly and was fearless throughout the game. Sumedh Leo and Shani or scored a try each but Lawrence came on in the second-half and scored five tries. The standard of rugby has risen in the team and all of them have made impressive progress. Although they were defeated by Felsted they learned a great deal.

3 Nov – U10 B vs Woodbridge Prep

6 Oct – U10 A vs Littlegarth

On sunny afternoon the under U10 played Littlegarth away. The boys showed great resilience against a strong Littlegarth team. Try’s from Alfie M, Arron M some strong  tackles from Oscar B, Oscar A and Winston L

6 Oct – U10 B vs Littlegarth

Great come back by HH after losing the first half they were led well by Leo P Sam C and Noah S scored three tries each, Roux score 2 and Sumedh K scored 1. The other players supported well which was great to see their learning and progress throughout the game.

15 Sept – U10 A vs Finborough

15 Sept – U10 B vs Finborough

Holmwood learning a great deal about rugby and did get better and better as the game progressed. Leo P was man of the match with 3 tries and some excellent tackling. Good first game, great effort!

Holmwood 15 Finborough 45

Mr Earley

9 February
U9 vs OBH

It was lovely to welcome so many parent supporters to cheer on the teams in their matches vs Old Buckenham Hall today. And the girls put on a wonderful show, scoring eleven goals over four quarters and demonstrating both the huge improvement in skills they have achieved this half term and the fantastic team spirit they have developed.

With six Year 5 girls in the squad again this week, only one player needed to take an off court role in each quarter. We spent some time before the match practicing the roles and the partnership of the centre, goal attack and goal shooter positions and I was delighted to see the girls working the partnership really well during the game. They were very focussed throughout the match on moving the ball quickly and directly into the shooting circle. The team scored eleven goals but had many more attempts and all the girls were willing to share the shooting unselfishly. 

Hannah scored four in the first quarter and another four in the last quarter. Incredible play, Hannah! Hannah shared the shots with Orla who came so close to scoring. Eleanor scored two in the second quarter and, along with Stella, played a fiercely competitive game. Lucinda scored one in the third quarter. Elle also made her mark on the game with a great effort marking the OBH goal shooter in the final quarter. 

Lucinda was named ‘player of the match’ this afternoon by the OBH team in recognition of her enthusiasm, her speed around the court and her goal scoring. Lucinda also played the captain’s role today, collecting the OBH team, organising the pre match ‘toss’ and the post match cheers. Very well deserved!

Well done all of our girls! And happy half term!

Holmwood House 11 OBH 0

Mrs Spencer

29 November
U9 B vs Gosfield

The last fixture of the term was at home against Gosfield. Due to numbers we played a 3-a-side match with the team consisting of Beatrice W, Isabelle S-C and Sophie R. The girls worked really well together as a team and the movement off the ball was fantastic. The goals were shared between the team, and there was some brilliant shooting on display. Well done girls for your perseverance despite the cold weather!

It has been great to see the improvement the girls have made throughout this term. The progress with positioning and movement around the court is superb!

Holmwood 7 Gosfield 2

Laura Sharman

25 Nov – U9 vs St Mary’s

see below – U8’s Netball

22 Nov – U9 A vs St Joseph’s

1 Nov – U9 Littlegarth Netball Tournament

1st Match vs Littlegarth Holmwood 1 Littlegarth 6
A tough game to start with against a well-drilled opposition. The girls took a while to switch on which allowed Littlegarth the space to move up the court at pace.  However, the girls didn’t give up, and it was great to see Jessica B scoring for Holmwood.

2nd Match vs Finborough Holmwood 0 Finborough 6
Our second match was against the eventual winners of the tournament Finborough, and was another defensive game. However, after a quick team talk and slight change of positions the girls showed much improvement in their marking from the previous game. Emily W and Sophie R ensured they were always glued to their players stopping them from receiving the ball.

3rd Match vs St. Margaret’s Holmwood 0 St. Margarets 3
This was a much closer game, with the girls understanding how to make space and progress quickly up the court. Some great dodging was evident from Eva H and Beatrice W to lose their defenders. We were unfortunate not to score in this game, whilst St. Margarets took the chances they had.

4th Match vs Woodbridge Prep Holmwood 0 Woodbridge 3
An unlucky match against Woodbridge to finish with. After taking a tumble in the first few minutes, Annie B showed superb resilience, taking it all in her stride and showing some great movement on the court. Some good passing from Lucia C and Eva H led to a few chances. However as the game progressed the girls started to tire having played four back-to-back matches!

An enjoyable if slightly frustrating afternoon of netball for the girls.

Laura Sharman

11 Oct – U9 A vs Littlegarth (Lost)

This was only the third match the girls have played and there were some lovely moments when everything seemed to be coming together nicely. There was some lovely passing up the court and the girls are really starting to grasp the importance of marking and the difference it makes to the game. Although the girls lost I feel that it was a lovely training match and allowed the girls to learn some very important lessons. Well done girls you kept going and played very well as a team, plenty to practice on. Well done.

Mrs Earley

11 Oct – U9 B vs Littlegarth

This week’s match for the year 4s was home against Littlegarth. The first half was close, with Littlegarth only leading by a couple of goals, Jessica B and Sophie R scoring our goals. The girls showed some good marking and were beginning to move the ball effectively down the court. However, in the second half tiredness kicked in and this led to a run of goals from Littlegarth. A good effort from the girls and lots to take away to practice in training.

Holmwood 2 Littlegarth 16

Laura Sharman

4 Oct – U9 A vs Finborough (Lost)

This was a very close match with the scores being very close. This was only the girls second match so there was still plenty to learn but the girls played their socks off with some fantastic goals from Emily and Eva. They played 4 aside on a full sized court which was a lot to ask but they kept it going and made it look easy. A really exciting match to watch and has given us plenty of things to work on in training! Well done girls.

Mrs Earley

27 Sept – U9 A vs Finborough

The score does not reflect the exciting game the girls played. Holmwood went from strength to strength showing a better understanding of defending and attacking roles but were a little slow to mark their players and the height and strength of the opposition got the better of them. They won the third quarter 2-1 but tiredness took hold in the last quarter and Finborough scored 4 goals to Holmwood’s one. A good overall team effort.

Mrs Goldring

27 Sept – U9 B vs Finborough

An excellent game where the girls took their marking roles very seriously and began to understand how to spread out in attack. The game was very close but Holmwood had more shots and were able to keep a steady momentum of one goal a quarter. It was the superb marking from all the players that won the game for them. Well done girls.

Mrs Goldring

23 Sept – U9 A & B vs St Margaret’s 

18 Nov U8 A vs Colchester High School

The Year 3 boys second match of term was the  return match against Colchester High. This would be a good opportunity to measure their improvement over the last 6 weeks or so. The boys again battled well and certainly had more possession of the ball and created a lot of attacking situations. Theo B was in goal for the first half and distributed the ball well to his outfield teammates. Josh M, Hugo P and Joseph R defended well and held their positions. Ralph R and Sebastian C looked dangerous on the wings and Josh C and Stanley S were strong down the middle.

7 Oct U8 A v Colchester High School

After several weeks of training the boys first match had arrived. Positional work had been the main focus and it would be interesting to see if it would be evident when they kicked off.

25 Nov – U8 vs St Mary’s

A very excited group of twelve Y3 girls clambered noisily aboard the bus just after lunch on Thursday to join the Y4’s for the short journey to St Mary’s lower school for their first netball match.

Mrs Spencer, Mrs Earley and Laura were nearly as excited as the girls!

The Y3 girls had been divided into two teams and tasked with coming up with suitable team names. The chosen names were…’Brilliant blue butterflies’ and ‘Holmwood House koalas’.

The butterflies and koalas each played four 5 minute quarters on Thursday, and, as it was a chilly afternoon, the teams swapped over after each quarter.

St Mary’s had requested that we play the ‘High 5’ form of netball in this fixture so the girls had spent the previous three Games sessions learning about the positions they would need to play, and the rotations they would need to make after each quarter. Thanks to Laura for ensuring that the rotations were made correctly and that the girls were ready to come on to the pitch promptly while Mrs Spencer umpired.

Both teams were amazing! Mrs Spencer was so impressed with their netball skills and their teamwork. The girls passed the ball quickly, they found space to receive the ball, they marked the opposition players and they communicated with each other. They looked like professionals!

Captains Roxy and Isabella were confident and efficient, and both teams won their matches. Butterflies won 3-0, with two goals from Roxy and one from Freya. Koalas won 2-0, with goals scored by Imogen and Isabella.

 Well done Y3 girls! 

Holmwood House Butterflies: 3; St Mary’s: 0
Holmwood House Koalas: 2; St Mary’s: 0

Mrs Spencer