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A final trip to Swansea for the year in glorious sunny conditions set the scene for Carmarthen’s M1s this week. The dry pitch took acclimating for both teams, with penalty corners on both sides being mis-injected. Swansea settled into the game early, winning several short corners, but the fearsome running duo of Jamie Pitman and Osian Evans saw to it that debutante keeper Steffan Gardner was well protected. Gardner faced some power shots however, and made his saves well. Carmarthen rode the pressure early and were first to score, with midfielder Tom Ferguson finding a key pass to captain Jonti Merry, who opened his account with a fierce shot that whistled through the nets. With the lead now theirs, Carmarthen grew in confidence and ramped up the pressure, with numerous chances ending in a penalty flick being awarded. Young forward Josh Richardson continued his 100% success rate at the penalty spot this season with an impressive shot to the corner. Knowing that a win would provide them mathematical safety for the season, Carmarthen drove on and wingback Josh Gwynne delivered a powerful strike to triple the deficit.  Fresh legs in the form of Anselm Brand and Sam Bolton ensured Carmarthen kept up the intensity, and a 4th goal would arrive before the interval - Bolton using his length and athleticism to force his way deep into the opposition area before freeing up Jonti Merry for the goal. Coach Kate Williams’ decision to pack the midfield this week had paid tremendous dividends, with Carmarthen dictating play for most of the 1st half. She encouraged her players to keep moving the ball and warned against complacency. Her words were taken on board, as Carmarthen scored their 5th within minutes of the 2nd half’s opening - a late run to the top of the D from Luke Dunning was rewarded with good service, and he fired a strike to the bottom left corner. Dunning was not done yet, doubling his tally from a long corner by picking up a clearance after a probing ball in from left back Cai Morgan. Swansea attempted to launch counter attacks but the defence held firm, with centre back Danny Mardell marshalling his troops effectively to snuff out any chances, whilst making some key challenges of his own. Carmarthen kept the foot on the pedal. Mardell played the ball wide from his own 16, where Morgan found Gwynne at the halfway line. Gwynne lost his marker with a single touch and went on one of his trademark runs to the top of the D, where he fired in a thunderous ball - a goal emblematic of Carmarthen’s ability to exit their own half seemingly at will. The game entered the final quarter and Carmarthen appeared intent on going for the jugular. Wingback William Heath, who had been rampaging to the baseline irrespective of whoever was sent to mark him, tortured another defender to find Merry in the area. A barnstorming run to the P spot from Steffan Walters on the opposite wing took the attention of everyone in the area, including the Swansea keeper who allowed Merry to slip the ball in at his near post. A run worthy of an assist in the stat sheet, if there ever was one. Carmarthen continued to move the ball at will, from defence to the midfield, and from midfield into the final third, with the central triumvirate of Evans, Ferguson and Dunning sniffing out attacks upfield and finding the wide men in space. Tenacious defending from Jamie Pitman out wide won a turnover, with Anselm Brand releasing the ball to find Josh Gwynne. Gwynne’s shot seemed destined for the goal, but a poacher’s helping hand from Josh Richardson at close range denied him his hat trick, but doubled Richardson’s tally in what could be a crucial goal in the top scorer competition. The final whistle came with Carmarthen 9 goals to the good, and their future for next year in division 1 secured. A true team performance by all 14 men, but Man of the Match was awarded to Steffan Gardner for his outstanding debut in goal, keeping the first clean sheet of the season. At 13 years old, he has made his mark as one to watch. Carmarthen welcome Swansea 3s to their home ground next week, as they look to squeeze extra table position out of their last remaining fixtures.

Icy conditions risked a second cancellation of this fixture, but an early confirmation that the pitch was playable sent our Mens 1sts east for their furthest away game of the season. Arriving rested, if not a little less fit from a lengthy christmas break, Carmarthen looked to build on an impressive last 5 games that had yielded enough points to secure 9th in the table. Gwent began the game with first pushback and promptly settled into a patient passing game, utilising 4 players at the back to push and pull Carmarthen’s press left and right. Both teams exchanged early periods of pressure, with chances on both sides. Gwent broke the deadlock from a short corner with a phenomenally placed strike beating keeper Lee Jones at his left post. Carmarthen dug in and despite winning multiple penalty corners through forwards Duncan Ecclestone and Josh Richardson, were unable to convert. Gwent attacked again, with Jones called into action for multiple saves and some crucial deflecting touches from centre back Russell Horsey kept the men in orange at bay. Carmarthen entered half time a goal down with work to do. Adjusting their tactics and pulling captain Jonti Merry slightly deeper, Carmarthen started the 2nd half at blinding pace, with the wingback rotation of Josh Gwynne, Ryan Carvey, William Heath and Anselm Brand providing constant options out wide and plenty of leg work in defence. Carmarthen erased the deficit early in the half when rightback Steffan Walters took a long corner and found Merry at the top of the D, who fired a reverse strike into the bottom left corner. Carmarthen’s momentum began to build, with the midfield triumvirate of Merry, Luke Dunning, and Osian Evans asserting more control over the game, with fresh legs from the bench in Logan Mackenzie Jones ensuring the frontline press kept the pressure on. They were duly rewarded when an overlapping run from left back Cai Morgan won a long corner. Evans took it quickly to release Merry, who beat his man and hit an impossibly angled reverse strike into to the top right corner to give Carmarthen their first lead of the game. Gwent were up to the challenge however. They equalised from an excellent team goal before restoring their lead with a carbon copy of their opener, their talisman striker once again finding the same corner of the goal from a set piece. The game entered the final minutes and with Carmarthen desperately seeking an equaliser, Coach Kate Williams elected to throw players forward to try and create one final chance. In the dying seconds, Carmarthen forced a foot in the opposing D, and were duly awarded a penalty corner. The umpires whistled for full time - this would be the game’s final play, and Carmarthen’s last chance. Carmarthen elected for a dragflick attempt from Evans which deflected onto a defenders foot, thus forcing a re-take. The second attempt saw Josh Richardson inject the ball to Merry, who slipped a pass to Evans to evade the charging defenders. Evans’ pushed attempt was denied by the Gwent keeper. The ball rebounded to a waiting Josh Richardson, who flicked the ball over the prone keeper, off the shoulder of the covering defender, and into the goal. The final whistles sounded as Richardson was mobbed by teammates, having snatched a draw at the death. A phenomenal team performance showing a dogged unwillingness to be put away, Carmarthen’s M1s were smiling every inch of the 70 mile drive home, having secured their point and distanced themselves further from the relegation zone. Man of the Match went to captain Jonti Merry for two scintillating goals. They host  Penarth 2s at Carmarthen next saturday, looking to avenge a narrow defeat in the away fixture, and reach double digit points on the season.

JUNIOR COACHES WANTED FOR THE 2024/25 SEASON‼️ With a continually growing junior section, we need your support🫵🏼 We are looking for junior coaches on Wednesday evenings from 5 - 7:30pm for different age groups and also on Sunday for tournaments (monthly / every other month). Juniors are the future of our club and without assistance from others, we will not be able to keep giving young members a chance to play hockey and progress in our club! If you are interested or require further information, please get in touch 🏑🌟

Carms Hockey Club Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club https://carmshockeyclub.wixsite.com/carmshockeyclub/volunteering Volunteer With Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club **Be part of what makes hockey happen.** Volunteers Are the Lifeblood of Our Club From the Chairperson and coaches to those who collect match fees, wash kits, or simply hold a first aid kit on the sidelines—**every volunteer plays a vital role**. Our club only runs because of people like you. Whether you can offer 5 minutes or 5 hours a week, we need your help. **Be a Club Hero and complete form here ** Why We Need You Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club is powered by passionate volunteers. Every training session, fixture, and club event happens thanks to a dedicated few who give their time freely. But right now, they're stretched to the limit. Most juggle day jobs, family life, and other commitments. We can’t sustain our club without your help. Get Involved — Big or Small You don’t have to be a hockey expert. Or even a club member! Mums, dads, grandparents, partners, friends - if you’ve got enthusiasm or a helpful skill, we’d love to hear from you. Here are just a few ways to help: Micro Volunteering (5–30 minutes) * Put covers on dugouts * Wash training bibs * Wash the playing kit * Take match-day photos * Hold the first aid kit * Help with set-up or clear-down on match days * Register attendance at training (on spond) * Tuck shop volunteer at home junior tournaments * Tournament day fee collector via SumUp card machine 🔵 Regular Help (1–2 hours a week) * Collect match fees via Spond * Coordinate transport for fixtures * Liaise with parents and/or players * Help to organise a raffle or social night * 🔴 Key Roles (Ongoing commitment) * Umpiring or youth coaching (you don’t need to be a hockey player to do this) * Session lead or assistant (only skill or prior experience needed for this is bags of enthusiasm) * Fixture coordinator * Club administration * Sponsorship lead Have Skills or a spare 15 minutes? Let Us Know! We’re especially keen to hear from people with skills in: * First aid * Social media and comms * Graphic design * Finance/bookkeeping * Safeguarding * Event management * IT systems or data handling 😊**Be a Club Hero and complete form here **😊

Carms Hockey Club Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club https://carmshockeyclub.wixsite.com/carmshockeyclub/match-photo-galley Welcome to the Club Match Gallery Here are a small selection of photos taken by local photographer Steve Percey (see link to his website below). This gallery is a selection of photos from a few of our home matches of both the Men's & Women's teams. There are many more photos available capturing some of the hockey action on pitch. Steve is able to provide high quality prints up to the size of A3 so please if you are interested in purchasing a print then please contact him direct. The price quoted will be to cover the cost of materials. More Photo's here...

Management Team - Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club Club Management Carmarthen Athletic Hockey Club is a club run by members for it's members Key Roles... ***Hover mouse over photo/logo and click for more info on their profile*** ***If active, then a profile box will be displayed *** Treasurer Tom Ferguson Email Chairperson Ffion Dart Email Vice Chairperson Kate Williams Email Secretary Anna Knuckles Email Safeguarding & DBS Ruby Breeze-Lewis Email Ellie Routley Chair of Women's Playing Committee Email Chair of Men's Playing Committee Duncan Ecclestone Email Charlotte Harries Chair of Junior Playing Committee Email Data Protection (GDPR) Steffan Walters Email Social Media Megan Henry Email Club Membership Steffan Walters Email Club Kit Charlotte Harries Email Website/Spond App Bryan Greatrick Email Social's & Fundraising Laura Massocchi Email Volunteer Coordinator Kate Williams & Charlotte Harries Email Sponsorship Rep Josh Williams-Davies Email Women's Fixtures Sec Ellie Routley Email Men's Fixtures Sec Duncan Ecclestone Email Women's 1st Team Captain TBC Women's 2nd Team Captain Ffion Dart Women's 3rd Team Co Captain's Laura Massocchi & Alice Lumb Men's 1st Team Captain Jonti Merry Men's 2nd Team Captain Duncan Ecclestone Coaches Kate Williams, Charlotte Harries, Ffion Dart, Ellie Routley, Alice Lumb, Anna Heath, Janet Heath & Anselm Brand, Bethany James, Simon Williams, Jason Bells, Catrin Davies, Scarlett Mackenzie-Jones, Siriol Richards, Osain Evans & Bryan Greatrick Umpires Julian Evans, James Merchant, Kate Williams, Ffion Dart, Charlotte Harries, Osian Evans, Laura Thomas, Scarlett Mackenzie- Jones, Jack Brenan, Tom Ferguson, Adam Poole, Anna Heath, Catrin Williams, Emily Stibbs, Josh Richardson & Roger Dear