Ladies League Hockey 20/3/10
Middlesex Premier
ASHFORD 1st XI 1 v TEDDINGTON 3rd XI 3In their last game of the season Ashford Ladies were at home to the team three places above them in the league, Teddington 3rd XI. Ashford were able to welcome back regular, diamond sweeper EMMA HYNES, midfielder BRYONY SMITH and last week’s debutant WENDY BAKER was retained for another game. However, the Red & Blacks were again without key striker LUCY UTTLEY and still injured skipper PHIL WORSFOLD, in what was coach MANDY WAIN’S last game due to her relocation in the summer to the south coast. The midday start seemed to suit the visitors a lot better than it did Ashford, and as usual Teddington had a large, well oiled squad of players who played with great determination from the start. The continual pressure from the young Teddington side resulted in them gaining a penalty flick early in the game. They duly converted to it go one nil ahead. As the Red & Blacks gradually settled and started to play some good hockey, they got a lot more into the game, and despite having several shots on goal, they were unable to get an equaliser. Teddington held strong, and two breakaways saw them getting two more goals to go three nil up by the half way stage of the game.
Although things looked bleak for Ashford at the start of the second half, the whole squad upped their game and the moves started to flow well, with defenders EMMA HYNES, SARAH APPLETON, ELINE SIBIA, goalkeeper SAM GRANT and SOPHIE SMART all prompting things intelligently at the back. The versatile WENDY BAKER was also having another good game, whilst all the squad were trying their best to get back into the game and give coach MANDY WAIN a good performance to finish off with, and Ashford managed to totally commanded the play for the first fifteen minutes of the second half. The combined efforts of Ashford midfielders BRYONY SMITH, ANNA PROTHEROE, JACQUI BASHFORD and KELLY TAYLOR then continued to put the Teddington youngsters under pressure, resulting in the Red & Blacks gaining several short corners and some more good shots on goal from Ashford strikers SHARON McGLINLEY and MARIA CAVILLA. Eventually the Red & Blacks got the goal they deserved from a short corner. ANNA PROTHEROE injected the ball to JACQUI BASHFORD, who pushed it across to SHARON McGLINLEY who put a good shot in, which player of the match ANNA PROTHEROE hit home to grab a goal back for Ashford and make the score 3-1 to Teddington. The Red & Blacks tried to maintain their high level of play, but as the game came to a close they tired and weren’t able to add to their goal tally. Thus the final score was 3-1 to Teddington, exactly as it was in the equivalent fixture before Christmas. Ashford will now finish eight out of ten teams in the Premier League with four wins, three draws and eleven defeats in an injury strewn season. Coach MANDY WAIN will be missed by all Ashford Club members, but especially the first team squad who have all benefitted greatly from her guidance, great hockey knowledge, natural enthusiasm and endless patience.
Team: S. Grant (GK), S. Smart), S. Appleton, E. Hynes (Skipper), A Protheroe, J. Bashford, W. Baker, E. Sibia, S McGlinley. K. Taylor, B. Smith, M. Cavilla
