U12 Boys Enjoy More Success

Both boys U12 squads had another strong weekend.
The Pirates continued their unbeaten run and went top of Division 1 with three wins from three.
They began the afternoon with a 1-0 win over a resolute St Alban's B. Despite dominating the majority of the encounter, they found the home goalkeeper in inspired form and although they created numerous chances, they were thankful to Frank Bursell for his solitary goal that proved critical. In the second game against Amersham & Chalfont the Pirates found their form, playing some great hockey in a 6-0 win. Rufus Barnes opened the scoring in the first half, Frank Bursell weighed in with a brace and Trystan Jones netted a second half hattrick that included a fine back hand finish. Their final match was a superb game of hockey against St Alban's A, a team they had drawn 1-1 with in the last round of matches. The Pirates missed a couple of chances to take the lead and as a result found themselves 1-0 down. However, they showed great spirit and resilience, their immediate response, a superb team goal finished off by George Emerson to bring scores level. In the second half, Buckingham created a couple of clear chances to score but they failed to convert them as the game looked destined for a draw but a superb late strike from Zeb Hodgson resulted in a hard fought 2-1 win, sending the Pirates to the top of the table.
The Buccaneers went into their matches looking to stamp their authority on life in division 3 after recording four draws in the first round of matches earlier in the month. After promotion to division 3 and an unbeaten opening weekend, the boys faced stiff competition from the off running out narrow 2-1 winners against Amersham & Chalfont, with Charlie Baker and Joe Burgess scoring. Another close game followed, with a 1-0 win over Southgate, Burgess again on the scoresheet. Buckingham then lost 3-1 to a strong Milton Keynes side, Henry Richardson replying from a short corner late on. The final game saw an entertaining encounter between the Buccaneers and Berkhamsted & Hemel HC which ended in a 1-1 draw with Richardson scoring once again. The results over the two rounds sees the Buccaneers have finish on eleven points and cement their place in the division. The boys have come on leaps and bounds throughout both weekends and will no doubt improve further as they head into 2020.