Hampstead & Westminster 3rd XI 3 v Ashford 1st XI 4
Ashford travelled to Paddington on Saturday to face the team two places below them in the League Hampstead & Westminster 3rd XI. Two of the main Red & Blacks first eleven squad were unavailable and with defender SOPHIE SMART fully recovered from her neck problem, coach MANDY WAIN took a pool of twelve players to play, on what turned out to be a cold, raw day weather wise in west London. On a slightly bumpy and rather patchy water based artificial pitch, the home team started more swiftly and played the better hockey as Ashford adjusted to the pitch and pace of the game. Hampstead & Westminster easily controlled the first fifteen minutes or so and took the lead with a good strike from a short corner. The Red & Blacks were settling into their game though and once again the team work started to flourish as the players found their rhythm and upped their work rate. They were soon rewarded as starlet ANNA PROTHEROE netted the equaliser from an Ashford short corner. The Red & Blacks were then put under pressure, but ever improving goalkeeper SAM GRANT coped well with any threatening attacks. The game then turned Ashford’s way just before half time, when veteran sweeper JACKIE (Yip, Yip) PARSONS converted another short corner with one of her trade mark bullet strikes from the edge of the circle. Thus Ashford went into the break 2-1 up in what was proving to be a fast and intriguing game of hockey.
The second half followed the pattern of the first in that both teams were giving their best and both goalmouths were under threat and Ashford’s player of the match goal, tender SAM GRANT, was once again bought into action. However, even she was unable to stop Hampstead & Westminster netting an equaliser soon after the restart. Ashford soon retaliated though, when the ever green midfielder ANNIE NEYTON did one of her mazy dribbling runs which left the home team’s defence for dead and she rattled in her first goal of the game and Ashford’s third to put the Red & Blacks back in the lead by three goals to two. Ashford went further ahead when ANNIE NEYTON put a good pass through to ANNA PROTHEROE who beat the home team goalkeeper with somewhat of a fumbled shot on the goal line to make the score 4-2 to the Red & Blacks. Once again the home team hit back with a strike from a short corner to take the score to 4-3, but Ashford stayed calm and retained their well deserved lead until the end of the game.
The victory and three more points keep Ashford in fourth place in the League and next week the Red & Blacks are at home to second placed Eastcote 2nd XI Ladies at twelve noon. It will be a tough match, but coach MANDY WAIN is relishing the challenge with the team being in fine form and working well for each other, a another victory is certainly possible.
Team; S. Grant (GK), E. Hynes, J Parsons, S.Smart, A. Neyton, L Young, L. Quinn (Skipper), S. Kenward, N. Benedict, K. Fry, A Protheroe, J Bashford
