Less than one month into 2025 and we’re already running out of superlatives for this incredible team – the Men’s Sevens, or The Mighty Sevens™ as they are affectionately known throughout the club, is a name almost whispered in reverence. These bastions of club, county and country are putting Folkestone well and truly on the hockey map and this weekend, keen to protect their top spot in the league, they once again proved why with a breathless display away to Marden with some true smash-n-grab action.

With a familiar formation lining up, they may have been missing the praying mantis like action of Gizmo or the wayward, Rowley Birkin QC style play of self-appointed player-coach Woody, but were once again joined by an eager Norvall, clearly relishing his time amongst these club galacticos, a golden generation of players that any player would feel honoured to be part of.

However, from the pushback, Marden clearly hadn’t read the script and were keen to press the home advantage, taking the game quickly to the visiting superstars and obviously out to turn the tables from earlier in the season. With the majority of play in the Sevens half, this was causing the back line work in efforts to close down the advances of the home side. However, Marden’s persistence – and the Sevens inability closing down one or two key players paid off as they passed through the centre for a relatively pedestrian play underneath the sizeable advancing frame of Stuart Tray for an early lead.

Well, this wouldn’t do, and it was perhaps just what the visitors needed as they woke up and began to shift the ball around with more purpose, whilst closing down more of their opponent’s play more efficiently. With some great work from the stalwart backs of Sebby and HB and tireless work from Tumble as well as some of the usual antics from Luce Cannon meant that more opportunities were starting to materialise pushing the ball through to the mids of Beemian and Messy to seek the lethal forward strikeforce of Mjolnir, White Line, and, of course, the talisman Skipper Muledenny.

This persistence paid off with the first of a number of short corners which yielded a number of the Sevens goals. The first was a delightful pass cross goal from Mjolnir after Messy injected for Beemian to dive and connect to rifle into the top corner. The second, an almost mirror move some five minutes later saw Beemian again at the far post to tap in his second: 2-1 to the visitors with the play turning in the visitor’s favour and clearly grating on the home side whose initial confidence was being sorely tested.

The second half saw a more focused and determined Sevens step out, keen to put the game out of reach of the home side and stamp their authority once more. The subs of the legendary OG and fives regular young Kaya Barka were making their presence felt as was White Line, whose earlier pre-match apple facts had both enlightened and informed the squad way beyond the mere Russet as a type of apple; fascinating stuff.

Back to the game: more concise play through the field, out to the wings and back in saw once more a short corner awarded with another great pass from Mjolnir this time to the black-toed centre of The Blade who calmly controlled the ball and picked his placement as he verily stroked the ball into the home side’s net: 3-1.

With their tails up, the next goal was a mere formality as once again, the imposing form of Mjolnir – now becoming a real irritant to the home side, familiar with the threat he presented – received the ball from a mêlée in the D and deftly flicked up into the roof of the net: 4-1.

The entire team was now putting in a shift, eager to keep pushing and tireless runs on the wings from Tumble and Skipper Muledenny were always threatening and creating opportunities, with the fifth coming from such a foray. Having evaded his defender, Muledenny’s reverse swing cross failed to connect – a swing reminiscent of the fabled ‘Beeswatter’ employed regularly by Beemian – to then look at other options; picking out Messy hovering on the edge of the D, he rifled a perfect pass for the latter to strike an unplayable delivery; destination – back of the net.

Now coasting at 5-1 and with the game safely taken care of, the Sevens thoughts turned to goal difference, mindful of second-placed Sittingbourne 4’s pressure and goal scoring prevalence. Keeping the pedal to the metal, their persistence – much to the home side’s frustration – was relentless.

The final coup de gras came from yet another short corner: some pinball in the D saw the ever-present White Line clear on the P spot to flick the ball confidently to the reassuring thunk of the backboard as it received the strike.

With final whistle blowing at 6-1, this means the The Mighty Sevens™ remain in Pole at the top of Division 8, two points clear of Sittingbourne. At the post-match packed press conference, the enigmatic skipper Kennedy was once again full of praise for his team but recognised there’s some work to do: ‘It’s always great to notch up another win, but we had a bit of a wakeup call early in this game which frankly we needed to kick us into action, but, with some tricky games ahead, we can’t afford to let teams in like that, try and play through players or not be quick enough to regroup when a decision is awarded against us, so some things to work on there.

However, the lads dug in and began to start connecting and playing as we know we can, but also as we’ve been working on in training. It’s credit to the work rate that’s being put in – I’m pretty sure Tumble and Beemian covered every inch of the pitch several times and, aside from the early goal, our back line and Tray were solid once more. It’s also good to see a spread of goals among the forwards with both scoring and passing support; although Mjolnir is running away with the Golden Stick this season and providing some great assists, and often the write ups understandably shine a light on the skipper, we’re clearly not a one-man team and to a man, everyone is playing their part and truly making this our best season in recent memory. I’m extremely proud to be associated with this rag-tag band of beauties as we continue our quest for the season double’.

And may that come to pass.