This Sunday the 21st of February we have the games rearranged after the heavy snow closed Epsom College and led to the cancellation of fixtures.

The matches scheduled for Epsom College are;

13:00 - Nomads 3 v Croydon 3

14:00 - Nomads 5 v Nomads 6

Prior to these Matches the Seconds and the Firsts are at Trinity in Croydon to take on Mitcham (Match preview to follow later this week)

10:15 - Mitcham 2 v Nomads 2

11:45 - Mitcham 1 v Nomads 1

Also, on Monday the 22nd of February there is an additional game replacing Monday Senior training, this is

20:30 - Nomads 6 v Croydon 4

A successful weekend for the London League sides saw a clean sweep of wins only being prevented by the fact that we were playing ourselves in one of the games!

The Seconds brushed aside Croydon 2 with a comprehensive 18-3 win, Terry Forde top-scoring with six goals. The result takes the Seconds up to Fourth spot and two points off the top in an exceptionally tight league.

The Third team continued to break free from their jittery start to the season with an 11-3 win over table toppers Woking. Matt Sellwood comprehensively won his duel with ex-Nomads player James Magowan to hit four and hat-tricks from league top scorer Ian Burrows and the influential Helen Grinyer plus a goal from the consistently impressive Kate Hotton rounded off the scoring for the reds.

The Fourths took on Trojans who were forced to play short and with two First team players dropping down to their lowest team, however, despite an early show of scoring power, the extra player told and it was Andy Stockwell who was left with a pleasant afternoons shooting practice, netting a superb 8 goals in the 15-10 win.

The final game was between our Fifth and Sixth teams, since they both compete in London 4.

Any expectations of a dull exhibition were soon forgotten though as a well fought contest ensued, Nick Williams (6ths) and Thomas Gosling (5ths) cancelled each other out with three goals each and Bec Bell (6ths) showed some quick thinking to score her two close range goals. New boys Tony Perkins and Rees Miller hit the other two Sixth team goals and Zoe Tudor and Duran Grant made it onto the Fifths scoresheet. Final score 7-5 to the Sixth team.

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Apologies for the late reports.

The resurgence in Nomads season hit a stumbling block at Epsom on Sunday as they fell to defeat against Nottingham. Going into the game with a chance to take second spot in the league if victorious and a decent run of form behind them there was every reason to hope for further success.

The game started very evenly with early exchanges of goals between the two sides and a good contest emerging, Nomads were at one point 4-3 up but when that lead slipped it never returned. Two goals from Notts sent them 5-4 ahead before an Olds penalty levelled the game at 5-5, the duelling continued with Notts regaining the lead and Ean Irwin levelling for Nomads with a neat goal from under the Korf.

Then came the turning point in the game, the Nomads players suddenly finding themselves feeling sympathy for the Kingfishers players who visited Epsom a fortnight previously as their luck and shooting form deserted them whilst their opposition continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Five goals without reply before half time put Nottingham in a near unnassailable position as Nomads shooting form seemed to have gone for a Sunday stroll on the Downs. Anywhere but where it was needed in the hall at least!

The second half began with Nottingham stretching their lead further to 6-12 before Irwin got the scoreboard moving for Nomads again.

It was not however to light the blue touch paper on a recovery as Nottingham, revelling in the goals of Rob Mann, Alistair Knight and Heather Ikwuemesi, extended their lead with four more goals before Sytze Bijker mustered a lone reply for Nomads.

Sensing the obvious need for a change, not so much motivated by individual failings but the sense that something needed to change for the scoring to return, Nomads made a double substitution.

Simon Cole made way for the looming stature of Alex Bell who was making his first team and HSKL debut and Jess Beale made her Nomads debut in place of Kim Jones.

Nottingham added two more their tally before Nomads finally returned fire with some vigour, Bijker, Irwin and Beale pulling the reds into double figures and the game to 11-18.

Two more in reply followed for Nottingham as they added further misery to Nomads day, Emma Cole then added a Nomads twelfth before an instant Notts reply, another for Olds and a final Notts goal to finish the game at 13-22.

The win put the visitors three points ahead of fourth place Nomads and reasonably secure of a play-off berth come the end of the season.

Nomads on the other hand will have to battle on, with Kingfishers, Bec and Kwiek all waiting to pounce on any further slip ups.

The first team next play on the 21st of February as they travel to play Mitcham and if the coming match up is even half as exciting as the last Nomads v Mitcham game we are in a for a stormer.