Hamstrings 2 – 1 Sevenoaks O50
Women’s 5s 1 – 1 Surbiton Wolves
Tough match against Surbiton Wolves today in the cold and drizzle at Oaken Lane. They started very strong and dominated the game for the first quarter. We had a few attacking runs but struggled to retain possession. However, despite being up in our D a lot of the time and getting some shots at goal they failed to score, mainly due to our sterling efforts in defence – some great play from Paula, Lucy, Tash, Sarah and Bryony and excellent saves from Michelle in goal.
Still we kept pushing back and just before the whistle went for half time we managed to get a great goal – a lovely little touch in front of the keeper from Bernie off a straight hit outside the D from Freya. And so, against the run of play, the first half ended 1-0 to us.
After a nice bit of coaching at half time from Molly and motivational chat from Paula we started the second half much stronger. It turned into a far more equal game with some great end to end play. Some strong performances in the mid from Lizzie, Jess and Chloe, and some lovely attacks up the wing, particularly from Hildegard (voted player of the match), who put in some fantastic runs and got it up in the D countless times. Freya, Bernie and Nicola all had some good chances at goal and we managed to secure lots of short corners, but as the minutes ticked away we just couldn’t seem to get that elusive second goal.
They kept up the pressure on our defence as well, who really had to work hard to keep the clean sheet. It felt inevitable they would get at least one and, sure enough, not long before the end, they managed to equalise.
We ran our socks off for the last 10 minutes trying to claw one back but failed to do so. The match ended with us having a short corner, which would have been a fantastic end if we’d converted it, but sadly it wasn’t to be. Final result 1-1.
It was disappointing not to have won the match, but a good strong effort all round, and we retain our place second in the table, on equal points with first.
Player of the match Hildegard Davies.
Written by Zoe Jones
Women’s 3s 5 – 0 Teddington 5s
The Ladies 3s gathered this afternoon to take on Teddington Women’s 5s. Despite some delays, everyone was ready and raring to go by the time the game was about to start. With the pressure feeling less intense after our big 6-point win last week, we were ready to let loose, have fun, and go for another win. We had already won early doors with the team huddle, our ‘3-2-1 OCs’ loud, powerful, and very team-spirited, as usual.
Once the whistle blew, we began the game. Clearly the stronger team from the start, we moved together up and down the pitch, playing to each other’s strengths with ease. After a few early attempts at goal, defending as a team worked in our favour. With space to play with, Holly made a break and ran up the pitch, passing the ball to Molly, who then ran, with ease, past the few opposition players positioned to challenge her, reaching the top of the D. She crossed the ball perfectly for Holly to (as worked in training!) deflect it into the goal.
With our heads now high, Anna was subbed on and quickly got a goal, working the ball past the goalkeeper and scoring after a lovely pass in from Holly. Teddington, now under pressure, did put up a fight, but they were shut down by our defensive powerhouse—Ele, Helen, Elle, Jess, and Alina. There were a few Teddington long corners, but the whole team worked together nicely, and they couldn’t do anything with them. After another 10 minutes of us continuing to challenge their defence, Holly took a shot that beat the keeper but looked to be going slightly wide. Sam swooped in with a reverse stick tap-in to score our 3rd goal.
A positive halftime talk followed, with only a slight distraction as we discussed the suspicious shape of Ailsa’s sweets. We then re-did our huddle (as has become tradition)—and, of course, won it again.
In the second half, we were hungry for more goals while still having a lot of fun. Celebrations were creative, with quick quips and laughs shared between teammates. The atmosphere was fantastic. After a slower start and a bit more defending, Jenny scored with a slap to the inside post from the left of the D. One spectator (who will remain nameless, so you don’t find out it’s Jenny’s boyfriend and doubt the integrity of the statement) said it was ‘the best goal of all of them’.
Towards the end of the game, we had a bit more to do defensively—I even had my one touch!! After some great team defending, we had a few more shots on goal but no additional goals for a while. Then, Teddington got their only short corner of the game. Thankfully, Ele stopped their plan before they could get anywhere near the goal and passed the ball up the pitch to Holly, who passed it to Jaques, who then gave it to Ailsa. She had a shot, which was saved, leading to a bit of a scuffle (Helen WAS definitely involved). The ball came out to Sam, who took a shot and banged the ball into the net.
Overall, we won 5-0. Everyone played some lovely hockey that complemented our individual skills, and we had fun doing it. We’re now top of the table going into half-term, 3 points ahead and 14 goal difference ahead of 2nd place!
Special shoutout to Holly and Molly for Man of the Match, but everyone on the team deserves a mention for some great play. It was a really good game all round.
Ladies 6s 1 – 0 Old Kingstonian 2s
The Ladies’ 6’s claimed a 1-0 win in a tightly contested match on Saturday morning. In spite of the opposition having no GK and 11 outfield players, we had to maintain focus and intensity throughout.
