Ladies 1st XI Vs Ashfield Aztecs 2

Aztecs from Sutton in Ashfield are always challenging but delightful opponents. Win or lose, the result in the past often depends on a 1 goal difference either way. At the moment, they are top of our league division, but our Team’s effort  was undiminished

The South Notts team always has fight and we want to win the first ball of the game. Our control and movement were excellent. As a Team v Aztecs, we showed personality and great character. And true to form, Lucy (Strike Force) Lloyd and Evie (Shooting Star) Bates opened up by peppering the Aztecs goalmouth with every variety of shot, but their keeper had an outstanding game and kept foiling us.

It was “Land of the Giants” stuff with bullet passes from Aztecs coming into our D to no effect and our wicked crosses into their D from Alex (the Spear) Stevenson and Ruby  (Rocket ) Ryan, with better (but not much  better) effect as frequently cut off by the defenders. Each team tried to find a way to get it over the opponent’s line. To no avail.  0-0 at half time.

A brilliant piece of home dominance with Sophie (Tiger) Runciman and Rachael (Unseen Raider) Grupping buzzing around the Aztecs’ defence, like consistently highly irritating, wasps.

But Aztecs were unyielding , and indeed took the battle to the South Notts D. A thunderous effort by Aztecs at our goal from just inside our D was skilfully foiled by an on-form Elizabeth (They shall not pass) Turner. Again and again.

At sweeper, Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) Wallace was soaking up an enormous amount of skilful punishment from the Aztecs forwards. No small part of her brilliance, is that when the Team needs her, she is always there.

Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw, the Fleet-footed Liz Foster, and Freya (Meteor) Beaumont were soaking up no less pressure from a very well organised Aztecs midfield and creating new opportunities of their own for our forwards. It was pulsating, exciting stuff with frequent swings of momentum and switches of emotion across both teams. They showed solid, unyielding, showing the all-seasons dependability, of a weatherproof fence

Caroline (the Incomparable) Brackenbury nearly scored by virtue of taking advantage of a deflection but a brilliant save by Aztecs’ keeper kept the score at 0-0. Caroline’s game is all about game reading and minimising, by her skilful positioning, the number of times in a match when she has to move flat-out, thus creating opportunities for us, at the same time as trying to shut down those of the opposition.

Sophie (Swift to :Pounce) Atkinson, Rose (the Crafty) Cartwright and Sammy (the Arrow) Markwick kept up purposeful pressure in support of our forwards, demonstrating the sort of controlled, constricting, and ultimately clinical performance by all our players that has become characteristic of our Team this season. Thrilling hockey heavily flecked with flair.

The metiers of Sophie (Tiger) Runciman, Alex (the Spear) Stevenson and Ruby {Rocket) Ryan  are, as the song has it, running down the wings without, it seems, running down their tanks. Their blistering speed and attacking hockey show each to be some of our very best attackers, each an undimming, undiminished force.

Each shows explosive elasticity, the ability to stop and twist, to dip and shift, to whip the ball from one side of a bamboozled defender to her other.

Evie (Shooting Star) Bates and Rachael (Unseen Raider) Grupping also demonstrated the loveliest examples of hockey art, passes showing ease of timing and trajectory, the vision to see 3 moves ahead, the touch to lash the ball with perfect weight.

It seemed clear to the spectators that the first team to score a goal was likely to win the match, and not long before the end, Aztecs scrambled a lucky deflection to make it 0-1. The next game on was our Men’s 4s who arrived early and shouted support of our Ladies XI till they were hoarse. But the result was still a 0-1 loss,  but it could so easily have been the other way.

Thanks to Andy Wallace and Elliot Dixon for their  skilful consistent umpiring

Midlands League positioning

Hockeyfixtures.co.uk/league/view/455

As at 10 December

We have played 9 won 5, lost 4, until this weekend, having won the previous 5 matches after a slow start in a higher division.

Then we lost a much tussled game 0-1 against top of the league Aztecs on 9 December

Goals for             28

Goals against     15

Points                   15

We are lying 7th out of 12,

But we have games in hand.

Boots            have played 10 and got 17 points. 5th

W Bridgford have played 11 and got 16 points. 6th

South Notts  have played 9  and got 15 points.  7th