Match Report: Ladies 3rd XI 18 Nov

Yateley 9-0 Scarlett Runners

YHC L3’s set off for ... our home pitch (!) to play Scarlett Runners who are currently above us in the league and having a bit of a run of success to place them 3rd overall.

We gathered in the cage for our warm up which started with team positions and a chat from Nicki with her white board before moving onto the pitch.

A quick bootlace, ball collect, and we were off ...

Well Emily was off. Literally within 3 minutes Emily had scored our first goal, 3 minutes later Emily scored our second goal and then 2 minutes after that Emily slotted the ball into the back of the net to score our 3rd goal!!!!

Happy days, that’s a nice score line so early in the match.

The oppo weren’t giving in lightly and made some dangerous runs starting from some long passes which made it into our D and had a shot a goal which Helen just managed to reach at a stretch and clear with the very end of her kicker.

It was a team effort with lots of assists, some amazing runs and ball carrys from Tanya to the left of Lyss “The Wall” and Izzy to the right.

Then 14minutes after Emily’s last goal Megan scored her first goal of the match and we went into half time 4-0 up.

We talked about our amazing press with Emily calling front centre, we were throwing triangular passes into the mix effortlessly.

In the second half the oppo were a bit more determined to try and break through our ranks and managed to pull two short corners out of the bag, but both were defended well and the ball sent flying back up the correct end of the pitch.

And then Megan decided to continue the goal fest she started in the first half and slotted her second goal into the oppo net and then her third goal 11minutes later.

Then her fourth and then her fifth which technically went in off the keeper but it was Megan who put it there.

We also managed to win three short corners ourselves and Nicki went up to the oppo D and scored our last goal of the match from a multi chuckle reverse stick!

If it wasn’t for our trusty Team Manager on the side lines notching up the goals, scorers and times (Zara) then I think we may have lost count.

9-0 win sounds like a walk over but it wasn’t. It was very much a well oiled machine from YHC L3’s.

We had players moving up and down the pitch but all in position, supporting each other, pre-scanning for passes, setting immovable presses, winning back the ball quickly, defending short corners were well defended.

Niamh and Martha were a power house as left and right inners. Sharon battled beautifully in the oppo D and had some near misses and it was a shame not to see Sharon’s name on the score sheet.

Carole had some amazing blocks and clearances in our half, in and out of the D.

Charlotte was so dependable as always and had some lovely picks from the oppo and moved the ball towards the oppo D so many times.

It was simply a team effort and a team win. The score line is a huge bonus but collectively is how we got there.

MOM – votes for Izzy, Nicki and Emily
MOM Winners – Megan and Tanya

DOD – votes for
Izzy (for saying she knew her left from her right this week and then heading off to the wrong side of the pitch)
Niamh (for waking India up 5 hours too early for hockey .. India played 2’s this week)