Ladies 1st XI Vs West Bridgford 5

Report 25  March 2023  for club    from  South Nottingham Hockey Club 

South Nottingham 1 v West Bridgford 5’s    7-0 to South Nottingham  HC

West Bridgford Ladies captain Fiona Oliver led out her team at Bingham, all absolutely determined to topple South Nottm from our position as league leaders. If West Bridgford could win this match and next week’s, and South Nottm lose both, then it might be mathematically possible for West Bridgford to win our League Division. 

South Nottm were equally determined to stay in pole position and we arrived 45 minutes before the match to warm up and practice, yet again, the planned tactical moves.

Brisk usual pre-match pep-talk by Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar)  Wallace with an emphasis on developing and improving our inter-play. She re-emphasised our need to play wide.   Use our wing spaces to the full.  Our tactical plan must be to continue to create “possession hockey”. Clickety-click, short, accurate passes, keeping possession.

 West Bridgford are always swift to pick up and chase a loose ball. They are not chasing us so hard at the end of the season, and just behind us in our League Division, without having great ability.

Because of rolling subs, not everyone below, was on the pitch at the same time nor in the same position. This made it very hard for West Bridgford to deal effectively with player-to-player marking.

In the absence of Elizabeth Turner through injury,   stepping up as courageous volunteer today with the keeper’s pads was the valiant 14 year old Evie (normally our“ Shooting Star” in attack  but today also “They shall not pass my goal”) Bates. If Evie, when padded up, scares her own side, we can guess how her opposition must feel!  She kept the door to her goal Firmly Shut.

In front of Evie were Eleanor Wallace,   Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw, Liz (the Fleet-Footed) Foster ,  and Fiona ( the Greyhound) Sweetman .

Eleanor was calling and constantly guiding the team, as a captain should. Our Team’s admirable movement and control highlighted why we have been consistently over-performing during this season.

Our Team  kept moving into space, making ourselves available , everyone eager to take responsibility and determined to contribute. From the technical excellence of mid-field to the splendid finishing of our forwards, this  aspect  captured everything good about us individually and collectively. And these were backed up by our steady and resolute defence, showing flair and creative  imagination.  The clever reading of the game by Eleanor, Jo, Fiona and Liz enabled them to be assisting in defence, in midfield to be shutting down attacks, and to be up creating opportunities in support of our forward line.

But the start was very rocky indeed. West Bridgford crashed forward with equal flair and imagination, and it was evident that whichever team scored the first goal would create an enormous psychological advantage. West Bridgford  were for a while dominant but kept being foiled by our capable defenders.  We were a  fluid force, athletic and assiduous  in pressing, willing and  able to race up  forward, freely to support our  midfield.

  A very bitty first quarter until we marshalled ourselves and got our engine into formidable tune. We needed to lift our game to match this energy and indeed did so, to unexpected heights.

In midfield,  Sophie (Tiger) Runciman ranged wide and began to assert her capable control over the play-making. Whenever West Bridgford passed the ball skilfully across midfield, Sophie Tiger just “happened” to be there nearly every time to cut it off. Sophie Tiger’s “aiders and abetters” were Sophie (the Swift to Pounce) Atkinson,  and Kate (the Terrier) Parker.

Sophie A and Kate Terrier kept wide, (as per the Team’s Game Plan) but frequently drifted inside and linked up to our forwards, allowing Sophie Tiger to join the created overlaps in a first half of gathering stature.  They all pounced on any loose passes and created many new opportunities.  Their thoughtful, dynamic, intelligent play showed their skilled field-craft.  Ceaseless, purposeful motion by all.

But West Bridgford  did not surrender control of midfield to us; they contested every ball. Every time. And they had an experienced defence, with very capable plans to try to stop us scoring.

Up front, we had Gemma (the Jet-Propelled)  Robinson, Ruby  (the Rocket)  Ryan, Alex  (the Spear) Stephenson, Rachael (the Unseen Raider) Grupping,  Becky (the Comet),  and the inevitable Samantha (the Arrow) Markwick.

The clever plays of Rocket Ryan and Alex Stephenson were as usual a joy to behold, absolutely Rocketing and Spearing  down the wings, cutting inside,  slipping the ball sideways to  hoped-for unmarked colleagues, without slowing down or breaking stride. This caused mayhem in the otherwise solid West Bridgford  defence,  Brilliant. 

The powerful speed and ball-control skills of both are awesome, combined with their F-1 style acceleration.

By half time, Gemma (the Jet-Propelled) Robinson was seen cleverly keeping drawing defenders by hugging the far post, lurking intelligently to enable another of us to be unmarked.  Becky (the Comet) kept identifying weaknesses in the West Bridgford  defence  and her activity made life very uncomfortable for them. But West Bridgford held out.

With Gemma and Becky Comet  skilfully drawing defenders, the path was clear for Rachael  Raider to  zip though with her scorching pace, into the heart of the West Bridgford   defence, unseen and un-marked, to rattle the backboard, 1-0  to South Nottm after 17 minutes and probably against the run of play. Phew.

This gave an enormous boost to the Team.  Before half time, Sammy  Arrow had dropped deep again, switched the play to her right, and Arrowed firm, accurate, selfless passes  to  enable Becky to rifle one in, and then to Rachael Raider for her second.  A real Team effort.

At half time Eleanor Rock commented that to be 3-0 up at half-time against a such a team (second in our League Division) was formidable  but we must not be complacent.  Now was the time to try to refine our play, make the ball do the work, do less, do better. Relax and let it flow.

With us sitting on a 3 goal cushion, the ball comfortably in our possession, and the points (relatively) secure, we moved into an element of Cruise Control. Kate Terrier shimmered from nowhere twice, to score twice, Becky Comet a second goal and Alex Spear slid inside, to lob one past their unsighted keeper.

The final score was 7-0. It very nearly was not, as at least two breakaway attacks by West Bridgford were very nearly successful. And a loose clearance by Evie Bates into the path of the West Bridgford forwards caused palpitations in our touchline supporters, rescued in the nick of time by the awesome speed of our defenders.

Thank you to all our touchline supporters. Sophie A’s mum, Ruby’s dad and grandad, Evie’s dad, Gemma’s sister Lille, Alex’s boyfriend,  Eleanor’s dad and mum,   and injured  players Elizabeth Turner, Louise Price; not to forget the helpfully noisy crowd of supporters from the 3rd XI  led by Grozzy Croston and Club Captain  Neil Batty, all helped to revive tired legs,  particularly  in the last quarter.

Present position in our League Division after this weekend, with one match to go.

                             Goal Difference               Points

SNHC                                 106                        33

Boots  5                                 2                         24

West Bridgford 5                30                       23

Players                                 30                       17

Well done the Team.