Page 25 - QARANC Vol 14 No 6 2013
P. 25
Unit News 16 Medical Regiment
• Commanding Officer Lt Col Steve Tracy RAMC
• Senior Nursing Officer Maj Simon Rothwell QARANC
• Regimental Sergeant Major WO1 Justin Harris RAMC
16 Medical Regiment Hockey Success –
Marrable Cup 2012
In the Midst of monsoon season teams from across the AMS would do battle on a cold but dry day in late November for the Marrable Cup. The tournament is the annual inter-Unit 11-a-side AMS hockey competition.
16 Med Regt were drawn in a pool with 34 Fd Hosp and 2 Med Regt. The first fixture, against 34 Fd Hosp, saw 16 Med Regt getting off to a flying start and early pressure was applied to the opposition goal. After some early half chances had come and gone Pte Richard ‘Chappers’ Chapman settled the nerves with 2 goals from successive Penalty Corners. The pattern of the game was now set with constant pressure being applied and further goals from Chappers x 2 and Cpl ‘Big Dave’ Whittaker x 2 which saw 16 Med Regt run out 6-0 winners.
The final game of the pool saw 16 play 2 Med Regt, who had beaten 34 Fd Hosp 5-0, for top spot in the pool. In a tightly contested opening it was 2 Med Regt who blinked first as Big Dave opened the scoring, a second from Chappers gave a cushion before 2 Med Regt got one back on the stroke of half time. The start of the second half was cagey and some ragged hockey was played by both sides before Cpl Stu Rycraft and Sgt Rob Williams settled 16’s nerves with a goal a piece to make the final score 4-1.
16 Med Regt, having topped their pool, were to meet the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) in the semi final, a re-match of last years final. Against a strong opposition 16 Med Regt’s team flourished. The preceding 2 fixtures had settled the team and given confidence and an understanding in the system of play that was evident from the first whistle. Going forward the team was slick and dangerous and defensively they were solid. As a result, after the opening exchanges, 16 Med Regt began to assert their dominance and goals from Chappers and Pte Andy Gibb gave 16 Med Regt a 2-0 half time lead. RCDM
Cpl Fran Muir and Cpl Abi Horton (both QARANC) defend a rare short corner.
were powerless to change the game in the second half and further goals from Chappers and Big Dave saw 16 Med Regt run out 4-0 winners.
The final would be played against the winners of the other pool, 4 Med Regt. Both teams started sharply and after 16 Med had good early chances saved 4 Med Regt had a shot from a penalty corner saved on the line by Cpl Fran Muir. From this point 16 Med Regt started to apply concerted pressure and broke the deadlock midway through the first half. This was quickly followed by a second and as 4 Med Regt pushed more people forward gaps appeared at the back which were exploited meaning a 3-0 lead was taken into half time. The second half started frantically with 4 Med Regt trying to regain a foothold in the game, throughout this concerted push the 16 Med Regt defensive unit stood firm and slowly the team asserted their dominance on the game scoring a further 3 goals in the second half. Goals were scored by Chappers x 2, Big Dave, Capt James Eppleston, Capt Cheryl Valentine and Cpl Stu Rycraft before 16 Med Regt ran out 6-0 winners and retained their title as Marrable Cup champions for another year.
Capt R G Wise Adjt 16 Med Regt
16 Med Regt
16 Med Regt
2 Med Regt
41
34 Fd Hosp
W
D
L
F
A
GD
Pnts
60
2
0
0
10
1
9
6
2 Med Regt
50
14
1
0
1
6
4
2
3
34 Fd Hosp
06
05
0
0
2
0
11
-11
0