Men's 3rd XI Season Review

I’ve been meaning to write this for some time now, but it seems that by the end of the hockey season I have such a backlog of domestic stuff that I’ve put off “until the end of the season” that I’ve simply not had time until now. But I did want to just try to sign off on what has been a thoroughly memorable season, to thank you for all your efforts in making it so, and to wish you all a good Summer and hope you all arrive back in September fighting fit and ready for a repeat performance.

This season really was payback for the previous one. As I have noted before, we did very well to keep things together through that last season in Division 5, and we really reaped the benefits this season from having done so. Our younger players have all improved immensely, we have had new players come in and strengthen the side, and us oldies have managed to hold back the inevitable decline for one more year. All of which has given us a really good blend of youth and experience, and I am really pleased that this has shown through in the results and in the final table. Very well done to everyone this season, you should all be proud of what we achieved.

Our season in many ways is summed up by comparison with Ely City. In 2012-3 we finished 12 points behind their 3rd XI; in 2013-4 we finished ahead of them by one goal. It is no exaggeration therefore to say that we improved in real terms by 12 points compared to last year. In addition, it is our two visits to Ely that I look back on with most pride, and which really sum up what we were about this year. A truly epic victory against their 3’s, in what was beyond doubt the best match of the season, and a game which we simply refused not to win. Then an 8-0 hammering of their 4th XI, in a game which we could have strolled to a 2-0 win but instead chose to keep the hammer down for the full 70 minutes and secure the goal difference which would in the end get us third place instead of fourth. Two fantastic wins in two very different games, which to me sum up the team’s determination and improvement over last season.

Not to mention other great wins: 4-0 over South 4, in the strongest Nomads 3rd XI I have ever played in, 5-0 v St Ives, 2-0 at St Neots 4, 5-0 v St Neots 3, 4-0 v South 5, most of which were part of that famous six match winning streak. Even that embarrassingly poor 2-1 over South 5 in the final game showed that we can dig deep and win ugly when we have to and when things are not going well. Man, that was a good season!

Reasons behind our success? First and foremost, the improvement in our younger players that I have already mentioned. Very well done to all of you, you have really repaid the trust and the investment we made in you last season. Some of you have moved up to the 2’s, either temporarily or permanently, and I fully expect to see more upward movement next season. Makes life more difficult for us, but it is what makes running this team worthwhile.

Secondly, we started scoring goals. Obviously discovering Alex the Goal Machine helped (“I don’t mind having a go up front if you like, might be able to make a nuisance of myself”) but goals really came from all round the park this season. We look much more dangerous going forward now than we have for some time, with forwards making great runs, taking up good positions and moving the ball between them nice and quickly and creating openings. 41 in 16 games, great stuff, and let’s keep it up next season.

And finally, and just as importantly, we don’t let many in either. Our back line may frequently have a combined age comfortably north of 200 – and not far shy of it even with Henry at right back – but we do by now know how each other play, and we do generally manage to keep a good discipline and not let too much through. When anyone does break through our Maginot Line we have been very lucky to have had two exceptionally good keepers for this level behind us (though not at the same time unfortunately), and the net result is that we really don’t let many in. 26 in 16 is pretty good anyway, but if you take out a ridiculously strong City team we conceded only 13 in 14, which is phenomenal.

So there you have the Jarvis formula for success: trust in youth, score goals, don’t let any in. Simple really.

And so to the Player of the Season award. Honourable mentions for Jake and Jordan, who both picked up votes, but it quickly developed into a two horse race between Tom and Alex. Tom has great genetic advantages obviously, but what has impressed me and those who voted for him is his maturity and his ability to play in multiple positions as required. He shows a discipline and adaptability to whatever role he is asked to play which I do not believe I have any right to expect of a 13 year old, and he was fully deserving of all the votes he received. Alex meanwhile, well no surprises as to why he figured so prominently. We have lacked a reliable goal scorer for a while now, and Alex has filled this gaping hole admirably. 10 goals for us and 1 for the 2’s, and it is easy to see why he is a contender. It was a close race, but when you score as many goals as Alex did you are always going to be tough to beat, and so it proved. So many congratulations to Alex, 3rd XI Player of the Season for 2013-4.

And finally, to the season stats. I am fully confident that the goal tallies are accurate, but I couldn’t always be arsed to update my records for late cancellations or Arthur taking players off me on a Friday night, so the appearance statistics may be slightly inaccurate. They do however include Mike’s two minutes against South 5 before the hammy went :). So your appearances may not be strictly correct, but if you could see my face right now you would be able to see that it don’t look bovvered. But either way, feast your eyes on the table below and marvel at the skipper’s dedication to the cause. Would have been a perfect 100% record but for my wife inconsiderately turning 50 on the first weekend of the season.

Hope you all enjoyed the season as much as I did, and hope to see you all in the Autumn.