Ladies 1st XI Vs Arnold 1

Umpires   Elliott Dixon  and Ben Walker

Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) Wallace  was told just before the game was due to start  that Arnold were 2 players short but the two were “on their way” and the game  could (and did) start with Arnold having 9 players.   Because of rolling subs, not everyone below was on the pitch at the same time.

South Notts did not hesitate to take advantage of the situation.   Louise Price on the left wing darted out of nowhere through the packed Arnold defence to rifle home a first goal. No wonder we call her the ‘Poacher’.

Eleanor created   a slightly different tactic this week in that she and Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw pressed slightly further up in support of midfield to enable them to press more closely in support of our forwards. After all, Arnold being 2 short, had no long-range up front forwards for our Team to keep an eye on.  Probably.

This left Elizabeth (They shall not pass) Turner potentially exposed to breaks but she was (as ever) at the scary top of her keeping game.

Sophie (Tiger)  Runciman  stepped up (as if to the manner born) to take control of midfield  and  outside her were Liz (the Fleet-Footed, the  “Half-Time-Heroine” from last week)  Foster, Sophie (Swift to Pounce) Atkinson, Fiona (Greyhound) Sweetman  and Katrina (the Shrewd) Franklin.  

Given the extra support behind them, they were able to press up and put extra pressure on the packed  Arnold defence. Sophie A was pouncing swiftly on any loose ball, Liz Foster’s consistent  strength and speed  must have rattled Arnold,  Fiona S was seen racing up to collect reverse passes  and press to their D.  Katrina F was shrewdly and consistently creating new opportunities. Their skills at shutting down attacks by clever reading of the game were prodigious.

And all the time Sophie R  was tigerishly collecting and distributing passes to where they could (and did) cause most damage to the Arnold defence. Subtle inter-changes, keeping possession hockey, creating open, unmarked spaces for opportunities. Our tactical plan was to create “possession hockey”. Clickety-click, short, accurate passes, keeping possession.

By half time we were 5-0 up  with Becky (the Comet)  Humphris scoring 2, Louise (the Poacher) Price  1,  speedy Ruby (the Rocket ) Ryan) 1  and  crunch-time Evie  (the Shooting Star) Bates 1. Only one of the two Arnold reinforcements had appeared and Arnold tried (very well indeed)  to match our clever possession hockey, trying to keep our dynamic athletic forwards at bay.

Gemma (the Jet-Propelled) Robinson kept slicing open the Arnold defence  and slipping the  ball sideways,  opening up to other forwards. Alex (the Spear) McCusker-Stevenson kept moving like lightning for diagonal return passes and making more, as she kept piercing the defence. Louise (Poacher) Price kept up the impetus from the left wing,  Ruby (the Rocket) Ryan  from the right;  Becky (the Comet ) Humpris was like a lurking sentinel at the head of the D,  for any casual clearance by Arnold.

By full-time, Becky had scored 2 more (4 in total) and Alex 1   to make it 8 goals. It is a good habit for our Team to be known (and feared) for scoring hat-tricks regularly, and not all by the same player each week.

It could have been more, but for a superb performance by the amazing Arnold keeper who (it later transpired) had never played in goal before!

What about Arnold fight-backs?  Too much concentration by South Notts in making and supporting attacks, led to a 3-pronged breakaway attack by Arnold against a solitary Elizabeth Turner who could do little about it.

Final score 8-1 to South Notts and we kept our place at the top of our league division table.   Very well done, everyone.

And thank you to our vocal, much-valued, supporters on the touchline and to the wonderful umpires.