SEMLA Fixtures for 2020-21 Season are now live - use links below for shortcut to the SEMLA website pages.
**Photo taken and re-used from pre-Covid game
SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST 2020
Camden 3s 2 - 17 Buckhurst Hill
Newly-formed Camden 3s invited Buckhurst Hill to Mill Hill Park for a friendly on a sunny Saturday - the first SEMLA match to take place since the 2019-20 season was cancelled in March due to COVID-19.
Following new COVID regulations including no face-offs, the game started with Bucks possession - this would alternate at every stoppage, something that players took some time to get used to.
Bucks started strongly picking up a few early goals courtesy of some bullish shooting from Chris Merritt and two fine cuts from Tom Dacey. Hibban Ali grabbed arguably the best goal of the game, executing a textbook roll dodge to leave two Camden defensemen stranded before finishing deftly in the bottom left.
The first quarter was almost perfect, however a lapse in concentration saw Camden grab a goal straight from the restart when their main shooter found the bottom corner.
A resolute Bucks defence, made up of Paddy Learny-Kiernan and George Faram and joined by part-time pole Pete Bowyer, ensured a shut out in the second quarter as Dacey and Merritt continued to score. Keeper Matt Cheney gobbled up any Camden shots as Bucks tried to dominate possession where possible. 9-1 @ HT.
Camden grabbed a second early on in the 3rd as Bucks started a bit slowly, but were soon extending their lead with a David Wiliams trademark finish Chris Clarkson grabbing two - the first a quite astonishing bit of improvisation as a one-handed pick up was slammed into the back of the net.
Bucks looked a bit fatigued in the final quarter, perhaps understandably given a 5-month hiatus from matches, but the D continued to dominate - the powerful George Faram bursting through many men in green to gather up ground balls.
Captain Newlyn chipped in with his customary back-handed goal, and Williams and Dacey capped off a fine performance as Bucks finished 17-2 winners.
Many thanks to Rob Ingham Clark and Travis Payne for reffing the game, especially in light of new regulations
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Goals:
Tom Dacey - 5
Chris Merritt - 4
Paddy Gilbert - 2
David Williams - 2
Chris Clarkson - 2
Hibban Ali - 1
Dom Newlyn - 1
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SATURDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2020
Buckhurst Hill 8 - 15 Camden 2s
Back on home soil, Bucks got the chance to challenge Camden's second team after a resounding win over the 3s in the previous month. This would be the final friendly before the season began and was a great chance to build on weeks of training and give a fair few players their debuts for Bucks.
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The result was not the one that we were after, but there were many positives to take from the game against a strong Camden side.
The Bucks attack were slow to get going and conceded possession too often in the first quarter, allowing Camden to break quickly and score some well worked goals.
From this poor start, Bucks were chasing the game and did finally kick into action in the second half, putting some passing phases together and scoring some nice goals through the likes of Merritt, Dacey and captain Newlyn.
The midfield, missing a few experienced heads, were outplayed on the transition and defensively, with not enough cover and support all round leading to a few too many Camden goals.
This is an area that will be looked at in following training sessions, but with three Essex Uni players playing their first game in many months, and a few key players missing, the team are not too disheartened by the result.
Many thanks to Camden for travelling and for a competitive, good-mannered friendly.
Excited for the first SEMLA game of the season next week!!
MOTM: Chris Merritt
Thanks to Pete Bowyer for refereeing the majority of the game!
SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2020
LOCAL LEAGUE FIXTURE
Hillcroft B 6 - 10 Buckhurst Hill
Match Report Pending!
SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2020
LOCAL LEAGUE FIXTURE
Buckhurst Hill 8 - 9 Spencer 4s
Match Report Pending!