Ladies 1st XI Vs Beeston 7

South Notts Ladies team sprinted out at the Nottingham Sports Centre to encounter an on-form Beeston Ladies side, (“The Mighty Bees”,) knowing that this would be a highly competitive match. Not unexpectedly, but sadly for South, Beeston broke through quickly with a goal and tried to establish a dominant position. 0-1. But they clearly did not expect South’s positive response!

This Beeston opener served only to fire up our Teamwork. Soon Evie (Shooting Star) Bates ghosted through, picking up a very clever pass from Sammy (the Arrow) Markwick. The lively Evie made a subtle but decisive equaliser by a thunderous strike from just inside the Beeston D. 1-1. Phew.

Stand-in keeper Gemma Robinson valiantly dominated her D and provided a “force-field of resistance” to Beeston’s ever-increasing pressures. That is, if Beeston could get past Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) as sweeper, after evading the tackles and creative support  of Freya ( Meteor ) Beaumont, Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw, Louise (Poacher turned Gamekeeper) Price, and Fiona (Greyhound) Sweetman. Thrilling hockey by all, heavily flecked with flair.

With the match’s ebb and flow, Beeston failed to notice and mark tightly, South’s ever-dangerous, lurking, Becky (Comet) Humfris picking up a penetrating pass from Louise Price . Beck took fast advantage of this lapse to make it 2-1. The Team always has fight and our control and movement were excellent.

Then South’s Ruby (Rocket) Ryan accelerated in from the wing with a surging run, and rattled Beeston’s backboard. 3-1.at half time, but not a very big cushion against a likely Beeston resurge. After play resumed, Beeston quickly created a well-crafted goal, 3-2. Again, this gave ever-increasing upwards-impetus to South, who did not buckle.

Lucy (Strike Force) Lloyd picked up a clever through ball from Caroline Brackenbury. If Caroline is playing, we always know that we have a better chance of winning.

Lucy skilfully bobbed, weaved, and danced her way through what seemed like a solid wall of Beeston defenders to make it 4-2.

Then Sophie (Bounding Leopardess) Runciman, after a well-crafted 9-phase attack, started by Sophie (Tigress, Swift to Pounce) Atkinson, powered her way through a series of extremely vigorous tackles and rifled the ball into the near corner to make it  5-2. Both Sophies performed consistently on a very high level, but so did everyone else in our team.

The Mighty Bees came back with a pre-planned, brilliant, set-piece goal. 5-3.

The band of loyal, noisy, South Notts supporters fell silent as Beeston clearly thought they were  “on a roll”. South disagreed, at every level. “Proof of the pudding is in the eating” and all that. There began a frenetic final quarter as Beeston created a tidal wave of attacks, but our team’s fighting spirit meant that Beeston had to play most of the remaining 15 minutes on the back foot

Soon it was a Beeston 16m hit out. South’s Alex (the Spear) Stevenson was standing 5m away, ready for when Beeston moved the ball. The defender moved the ball 6 inches, (so deemed by the laws to have taken the hit), so Alex ran at her before she could pass. Alex slipped it away from her and was past their line of defence. Accelerated into the D with it to encounter the fast-moving Beeston keeper. Alex shimmied, dummied and pushed it in to the near corner to make it 6-1. Goal of the season so far. More phew. Much appreciative noise from the band of South Notts supporters.

Jest

This is very similar to the later Wales-England rugby match where Owen Farrell had the ball kicked away by Wales before he could kick to convert a try. Do you think that Wales had heard of Alex’s dramatic efforts and used her idea?

While the Mighty Bees were shaking their heads, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening to them, Evie Bates found herself unmarked and calmly slotted a second to make it 7-3.

A stunning final quarter, one that demonstrated the growing confidence running through our veins.

South’s Captain Eleanor Wallace said: “The goals were a sign of how committed we were and are. The result was a priceless 3 points against a really good opponent. Pulsating exciting stuff. Despite the score line, the match was fairly evenly balanced throughout”.

Newly promoted South Notts Ladies, with 30 points, are now placed 5th in our League division, just ahead of a closely-chasing Boots Ladies, with 28 points.