Doug Macklam reports on the weekend’s matches:

Mens 1st XI: Nuneaton 1 – BBCHC 0

Berkswell entered this hotly anticipated top of the table clash at Nuneaton knowing a victory would put the fate of the East Midlands Division 2 title in their own hands, with anything less leaving them relying on Nuneaton slipping up somewhere else in the final run-in.
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Report on Berkswell’s return from Iceland, from our man on the ground, Doug Macklam:
Mens 1st XI
Derby Asterdale 0 v BBCHC 7 (Oliver Stuart-Smith 4, Martin Cross 2, Andy Livingstone)

With captain Martin Stevens absent, it fell to vice captain Doug Macklam’s task to lead out Berkswell’s defence of top spot and their undefeated league record in East Midlands Division 2 after a three week break enforced by snow and frozen pitches! The team needed little rousing, given the side’s passionate focus for maintaining their rarefied position and went into the game un-phased by changes to the usual line up including Tom Ranner drafted in to support Simon Tite in central midfield and Martin Cross filling in at left half.

Berkswell had Asterdale pinned in their own 25m right from the start, successfully intercepting all their attempts to escape the danger area, such that it was only a matter of time before Oli Stuart-Smith opened his account, hammering the ball from the top of the D into the bottom corner. The second soon followed as Stuart-Smith slipped the ball to the left for Martin Cross to undercut the ball into the opposite top corner, whilst leaving defenders mesmerised, goalkeeper flailing and entire defence mesmerised and awestruck at the pin point accuracy and power of shot.
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Doug Macklam reports on Berkswell’s round of matches played on Saturday (20th November 2010):

Mens 1st XI (Saturday league game)

BBCHC (5) (Oliver Stuart-Smith 4, Martin Stevens) beat Worksop (0)

Top of the table Berkswell played host to the only other undefeated team in MRHA East Midlands Division 2 on Saturday. And visitors Worksop found themselves up against an in-form and heavily supported Berkswell brimming with confidence off the back of their 14-0 victory the previous week. Worksop seemed overawed by the situation as Berkswell set about them early on with the sort of vigour and passing skills you might find more akin to an AFC Barcelona outing.
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Doug Macklam reports on a full-house of weekend triumphs for Berkswell’s rampaging hockey section, with four wins from four matches:

Mens 1st XI
Long Buckby 0 – BBCHC 14
Berkswell scorers: Oliver Stuart-Smith 6, Robby Wells 2, Andy Livingstone 2, Rob Whisson 2, Martin Stevens, Simon Tite

Stop Press! Livingstone scores, not once but twice! [Unbelievable scenes apparently - Ed]

League leaders Berkswell and Balsall Common travelled to Long Buckby for a late afternoon match hoping for a good win to set them up for the club social that night.  However it was a slow start from the visitors and it was Buckby who almost took the lead in the early exchanges. But the Berkswell defence of Rich Haines, Dom Herring, Doug Macklam, Martin Cross and the returning Nick Turner stood firm at the back and allowed keeper Steve Cross a lazy game in which he didn’t touch the ball!
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Doug Macklam reports:

Mens 1st XI
BBCHC 4 (Oliver Stuart-Smith 2, Simon Tite 2) v Nuneaton 3

This hotly anticipated local derby and top of the table clash saw Berkswell come out on top on a sunny autumnal day at Westwood Astros. In a match which lived up to all expectations, two sides separated by goal difference, but with Nuneaton possessing a game in hand, set about each other at a frantic pace. The league results prior made this contest too close to call with both teams on the same goal difference, the key difference being Nuneaton’s game in hand.
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Doug Macklam reports on Berkswell’s 1st round victory in the England Hockey Association Vase on Sunday 24th October 2010:

Leicester 3 – BBCHC 4
Berkswell scorers: Oliver Stuart-Smith 2, Robby Wells, Chris Lomas

East Midlands Division 2 side Berkswell travelled to Leicester as underdogs despite their rich vein of form as they took on Division 1 opposition off the back of a 5-0 hammering of Kettering the previous day. Berkswell had developed something of an unwanted habit for getting knocked out of the Vase in the first round in a sequence of results stretching back years, but Bs skipper Martin Stevens held something of a conviction that his side had the resources capable of delivering an upset and with it, his first cup victory since joining the club some seasons ago.
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Doug Macklam reports on League matches played Saturday 23rd October 2010:



BBCHC 5 – Kettering 0
(Scorers: Oliver Stuart-Smith 3, Simon Tite, Chris Lomas)

Spectators at Westwood Astros were treated to fine encounter between two unbeaten promotion rivals on Saturday – one which saw Berkswell cautiously guarding against complaceny in the first half after a 23-0 win the previous weekend – before eventually witnessing a potent Berkswell side win at a canter.
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