Old Cranleighan 1s 1 – 2 Spencer 2s
Venue: Emanuel School
Old Cranleighan 1s got their season underway against Spencer 2s at Emanuel School, late afternoon on Saturday. OCs came flying out of the blocks, winning two short corners in the first few minutes. From the second, new signing Harriet Naismith stepped up at castle two and fired a clean strike past the keeper to put OCs 1–0 ahead.
Despite the early dominance, OCs began to lose their grip on the press, allowing Spencer to find gaps and threaten on the break. Goalkeeper Molly Warner was called into action several times, making crucial saves to keep the lead intact. On her league debut, Saskia used her speed to zip past Spencer and find her way into the D on several occasions. The forwards tried hard to find the goal, with several baseline drives and shots on the keeper, but angles weren’t quite right and OCs couldn’t find the back of the net. Spencer pushed hard towards the end of the half, earning a series of short corners. One eventually found its way in at the right post, levelling the score at 1–1 despite OCs’ best defensive efforts.
At half time, coach Molly’s rallying words reminded the squad to raise their effort, move the ball quicker, and avoid leaning solely on “super Harriet” in midfield to create the play. A formation change followed for the second half with the idea that OCs would be more fluid. Early short corners looked dangerous, with Gabby’s slap across goal nearly finding a deflection on the right post. However, as the game wore on, OCs struggled to maintain their structure, and Spencer capitalised with fast breaks that put the defence under heavy pressure. Rosie impressed with some superb distribution up the flanks, creating promising opportunities in the final third, but OCs couldn’t quite convert their build-up into goals.
Spencer’s pressure told in the closing stages with two more short corners. The first was expertly defended, with Gabby clearing off the post. The second saw Molly make another strong save, only for the rebound to creep agonisingly over the line and put Spencer 2–1 ahead. That proved decisive. Despite flashes of quality and some encouraging linking play, OCs couldn’t find an equaliser. It wasn’t the opening result the team had hoped for, but with several new faces and passages of bright hockey, there’s plenty of promise to build on as the season progresses.
Full-Time: Old Cranleighan 1 – 2 Spencer 2s
Goals: Harriet Naismith (PC)
Player of the Match: Molly Warner (GK)
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Women’s 5s 0 – 0 Sunbury Women’s 3s
OC opened their season with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Sunbury in a closely contested match that saw both sides create chances but ultimately cancel each other out.
Despite it being the first game of the season, OC showed promising signs across the pitch, with solid defensive organization and moments of attacking flair. The midfield worked tirelessly to control possession, while the backline stood strong under pressure, especially during a tense final quarter.
Sunbury also posed a consistent threat, but OC’s goalkeeper and defense remained composed to keep the clean sheet intact. Though the goals didn’t come, the team can take plenty of positives into the next round, particularly the team cohesion.
Player of the Match: Lola Cesari
Match Report by: Paula Dormer
