Hamble Ladies 1st vs Ladies 1st
Hamble 2-2 Gosport
28th November 2009
A second trip in as many weeks to one of the top teams in the league, but this time with different results.
After last week’s events and eventual loss it was another away game against one of the division’s stronger sides. With the return of both ‘Crazy’ Claire Saunders and Carra-Jayne Beames up front there was some renewed optimism that we might actually put one in the back of the net for a change….
Two minutes in, and after confirmation from the oppo umpire that they had ‘the best player in the league’ playing for Hamble, it proved to be a bit of a learning curve. The talented blonde no.3 duly weaved between two defenders, took the ball to the by-line and pulled it back for a forward to put the ball away via a deflection over Julie’s head (GOAL 1-0).
Five minutes in and more of the same. The shell-shocked Gosport defence decided to watch again as the Hamble no.3 waltzed through and scored (GOAL 2-0). Was this going to be another long day of hockey torture? Were the Gosport team going to wake up and smell the coffee? Were any of them actually going to gain possession of the hockey ball and not pass it to a blue shirt??
Not for the first time this season the bench began to watch on fearing a massacre. But it was not to be. Suddenly, like the wakening of Mike Higgins in a McDonalds restaurant, the whites became hungry for the play. Interchanges across the pitch, runs by both Christina and Georgia down the wings, and good hold up play by Carra and Crazy bgan to take affect. One such play lead to a PC just before half time. Hannah to AJ, shot, deflected off Hannah’s stick into the roof of the net above the despairing oppo keeper. GOAL 2-1 half time.
With greater hope and expectation in the second half Gosport went searching for an equaliser. Amber, playing her first hockey match ever with actual astros on, began to take up some good positions up front (and subsequently missed a hat load of chances~?!). Joni started to show ‘the best player in the league’ how to play, with tackle after tackle and growing frustration form the home team. Eventually a break away from the whites left an interchange between the forwards, with Carra slipping the ball right passed the rushing keeper for Claire to slot home at a stretch.
With 20 still to play the whites went searching for their first away win of the season, but a combination of bad luck and a few wayward final balls showed it wasn’t meant to be. Full time 2-2.
MOM – Joni Duffus
