15.10.2023 Ashford Antiques 045’s(AAs) 3 v Old Cranleighans 045’s (OC’s) 1

London Area Masters 045 Premier League

For the second league game of the season, the AA’s were at home to Old Cranleighans. Both teams were suffering with late injuries and sickness and had the bare eleven players. Nevertheless, the Short Lane sunshine, meeting of old friends and rivals, along with a clutch of spectators set the tone for the game. The opening exchanges were fairly even as both sides settled down and played some neat, open hockey. As the first half progressed, the Red & Blacks three strikers Gillian Clegg, Jackie Parsons and Nicky Davis started to pressurise the visitor’s goalmouth. Midfielder dynamos Nicky Benedict and Kelly Roberts were supplying some good through balls and urgency to the attacks, supplemented as ever by Jacqui Bashford and veteran Lynne Morgan. A combination of passes between Morgan and Parsons set up Gillian who fired across the face of the goal and the ever ready Nicky Davis tapped the ball in on the far post to give the AA’s a 1-0 lead after twenty or so minutes of play. The goal certainly fired up the opposition, who then started playing their best hockey of the game and peppered the Ashford goal with shots, one hitting the base of the right post and an aerial shot being saved on the line. The AA’s keeper Jo Lawton was certainly kept busy, but bravely protected her goal to keep the score at 1-0 to the AA’s until half time.

Despite the AA’s plan to score a quick second goal after the break, O.C’s had other ideas and defenders Christine Delacoudre. Tina Clarke and playing her first AA’s game of the season Vanessa Law, worked tirelessly to keep the visitors at bay. Eventually the Red & Blacks got more into the game and spurred on by Tina, Kelly and Nicky B they started to take control of the game again. Following a short corner, Jackie showed some of her neat stick skills to set up some shots on goal and after a bit of a melee Lynne hit the ball goal wards and Kelly deftly twisted and flicked the ball on the goal line for the AA’s second goal. Further pressure on the visitors saw some excellent moves by Ashford and Nicky D went close, as did several others, but it wasn’t until near the end that the AA’s got a third when a short corner strike by Lynne was steered in by Nicky B at the foot of the upright. The game still wasn’t over though as O.C’s rallied and probably scored the best goal of the game with a good shot into the top corner to make the final score 3-1 to the mighty AA’s.

Thanks are due to our umpires, Lesley Mitchell and Shane Smith, the latter of whom was officiating his first, and hopefully not his last, AA’s game, Also the our supporters who cheered us on. The clear Player of the Match was Tina, who ran selflessly during the whole game and got through a lot of work, with both Nicky’s and Kelly also getting votes.
Team: Jo Lawton (GK), Jackie Parsons, Vanessa Law, Lynne Morgan (C), Nicky Davis, Tina Clarke, Kelly Roberts, Gillian Clegg, Nicky Benedict, Jacqui Bashford-Hynes, Christine Delacoudre.

Umpires: Lesley Mitchell and Shane Smith

LM 18/10/2023