On Wednesday evening the Men took on a visiting Southampton University team. After going 2-0 ahead early on, Casuals allowed the University back into the game, and at half time the home team were leading just 3-2. But in the second half Casuals stepped up their attacking play to score 3 more goals and beat Southampton 6-2.

Yesterday the U18s travelled north to play Lousada. They missed a great opportunity to go ahead in the first 5 minutes with an air shot from close range, and then failed to convert a penalty corner. But at the third attempt, afetr 13 mins of play, they managed to score the first goal of the game. Lousada scored their first goal 10 minutes later from a fortunate deflection and, with 1 minute left in the first half, they scored again from a bullet shot, taking them in to half time winning 2-1. In the second half Casuals scored first, but Lousada scored two goals in quick succession to lead 4-2. Casuals, despite visibly tiring due to only playing with 9 players, fought hard to score two more goals to draw the game 4-4.

In today’s match against Casa Pia B, the U15s needed until a minute before half time to open the scoring. But they increased their lead after the break with an excellent volley from the middle of the circle. Casa Pia had few clear chances, and Casuals were able to add a further goal from a cross from the right to win 3-0.

Casuals established themselves as clear favourites to win their group in the U13 outdoor championship, beating the stronger Casa Pia B side at their ground yesterday. The game started rather messily with everyone running furiously after the ball, but Casuals soon managed to take an early lead with a well struck field goal at the end of the first quarter. After the interval, fatigue resulted in much more open play and Casuals’ well worked passing up the right hand side soon earned them second goal. They failed to convert a couple of short corners and missed an open goal in the fourth quarter but a solo run from the left wing in the last minute sealed a well-earned 3-0 victory.

Casuals Men and Ladies travelled up to Porto today to play Viso in their respective league fixtures.

The Men went a goal down early in the game, but a tip-in brought them level at 1-1. After the interval a scorching drive gave them a 2-1 lead, only for Viso to level from a penalty corner. The home side  were unable to convert a good cross to the far post, and Casuals had two good efforts blocked at close range by the keeper. But with 8 minutes left, they finally went ahead with a cracking backhand drive from the left. They even kept out a penalty corner in the last minute to seal a great 3-2 win.

The Ladies were 1-0 up at half time, but Viso came out strongly after the break and scored an equaliser from a counter attack. With Casuals wasting several chances from penalty corners, a draw seemed the most likely result, but cruelly Viso won the game 2-1 with a goal in the dying seconds.

The U13s played their first game after the restart of the outdoor season on Saturday, away against Casa Pia A. Casuals were a bit slow to start but managed to work a field goal to lead 1-0 at half-time. After the interval the they switched to a more attacking formation with a kicking back and the added pressure won them three short corner opportunities, one of which was duly converted with a well taken hit from the top of the area. Five minutes later they sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory with a second field goal.

The Men had a good victory against the Dutch side HC Ijsseloever today. The visitors went ahead, but by half time Casuals had equalised with a close range tip-in. After the Dutch conceded an own goal, Casuals scored again from a lifted flick into the roof of the net. Then a nicely worked move found a Casuals attacker on the bye-line, and his short pull back left his centre-forward with a simple lob over the keeper. Ijsseloever reduced the arrears on the break, but Casuals ran out 4-2 winners.

The U-13s started their Final Four campaign in good form yesterday, catching Lousada off guard with some strong defence and fast breakaways, to lead 3-2 into the interval. But their opponents came out determined to make amends, with strong attacking play and the byzantine substitution rules working against the Casuals, resulting in a 4-8 defeat.

The second game of the day, against CAMIR, saw an improvement in the substitution plan, with Casuals’ weaker formation going out first and holding its own to be 0-1 down; then the older payers pulled ahead after the interval with three goals in five minutes and defended that lead for the final 5 minutes, in spite of some strong CAMIR attacks.

This morning, in the deciding game for the 1^st/2^nd place against Casa Pia, Casuals could not get into the same rhythm they had achieved with CAMIR. Despite being 0-0 at the interval, our hometown rivals saved a penalty stroke and the Casuals failed to capitalise on a green card given to Casa Pia’s strongest player, who in the end scored a hat-trick to leave them decisive 3-0 winners.

The game for third place saw a repeat of the earlier win against CAMIR, but the team really came together with every member playing a minimum of 2 periods. The final score of 3-1 also reflected some amazing saves in front of goal by both the field players and the eventual Dream Team winning goalie. In the end two Casuals were voted on to the Dream Team, making for a generally satisfactory Final Four.

The U18s faced Juventude in their first match yesterday and despite scoring first, were 1-2 down at the break. Juventude pulled further ahead before Casuals could get into their stride, and eventually won 9-3.

This loss lead to a serious reaction in their second game, where they simply steamrolled the Casa Pia team 16-0 to give themselves an outside chance of reaching the Final. This however depended on them beating Lousada this morning: a thrilling game started badly, with the Casuals conceding 3 goals in the first 5 minutes. They pulled one back, but then conceded another right on the half time hooter. The second half saw Casuals gradually pull back to within 1 goal, and in the last minute their second penalty stroke should have taken the game into penalty strokes, but the Lousada keeper made a good save to give them a 7-6 win.

In their last game for 3^rd place, Casuals rotated all their players and were 0-4 down at the break. They then pulled back to 4-4 to take the game into extra time: when a nicely worked move hit a defender’s foot on the line, they finally put that stroke away for a 5-4 win.

Meanwhile the Men played MHC Drunen outdoors: after going a goal down to the Dutch team, Casuals equalised from a solo run, and then took a 2-1 lead. They were unfortunate (or naive) to concede 2 goals in the last 3 minutes to lose 2-3.