Ladies 3 vs Ladies 2 Match Report 30.09.23

On Saturday the 30th, Garstang Ladies 2nds played their second game of the season against own their 3rd team who were promoted in to their Division last year with 17 wins from 18 games with only 3 goals conceded. The 2nds had just missed promotion out of the Division. In their first match of the new season they had destroyed Leyland & Chorley 1s 8-0 and the 3rds successfully won 3 points over Lancaster Nomads 1st team. Both teams were minus a key players or two so it promised to be a classic struggle.

For the first eight minutes both teams were settling down with promoted players getting used to new partners. The 3rd team made the first serious attack on goal when a raised high ball across the goal was just reached and deflected by 2nd’s Keeper Amelia Mitchell. Keiry Horne on the left post then deftly cleared the ball to the side to complete the save. Encouraged the 3rds made more attacks with Maisie Rogers prominent in breaking forward at pace.

After ten minutes the 2nds pressed back hard and won a penalty corner after thirteen minutes. 3rd team Keeper Megan Ditchfield made a good save on her right post to end the corner. The balance of play then shifted in the 2nds favour but the 3rds always looked dangerous on the break. For over ten minutes Hattie Seed, Evie and Molly Parkinson and Zoe Dempsey pressed hard but the 3rds crowded defence;- marshalled by Keeper Megan Ditchfield, just soaked up the pressure with their five senior players always in the right place at the right time. The 2nds just could not get the momentum to take advantage of their superior pace. After twenty-four minutes the 3rds made a good attack but the 2nds then came back hard with some high-speed runs by Lucy Treaddell. After twenty-nine minutes Zoe Dempsey got a good raised shot off on the 3rd’s goal. Keeper Megan Ditchfield made a good body save but had then to immediately stop Kiery Horne scoring on her right post. Two minutes later Lucy Treaddell made a great break to the top left of the D but Nina Finlay intercepted her shot superbly. The 3rds then struck back with good work by Helen Mather, Becky Anderson, Nina Finlay and Maisie Rogers. 2nds keeper Amelia Mitchell made a desperate kneeling stick save right in front of goal but just spilled the ball to her right. Kim Lupton then did some great work clearing the ball to the left to frustrate a great scoring chance for the 3rds.

The second half started with the 3rds in the ascendancy winning a penalty corner after six minutes. The game then opened up more from the crowded defensive play by both sides giving the 2nds the advantage of using their greater pace to effect. After seven minutes Lucy Treaddell made a raised shot that Keeper Megan Ditchfield deflected with her body. The ball spilled back towards goal and she then made a superb kneeling stick save to deflect the ball outside the goal post. The 2nds ramped up their attacks with Kiery Horne, Evie Parkinson and Hattie Seed. Megan Ditchfield made a bold interception of a shot by Hattie right in front of goal stopping a good shot. Two minutes later at the other end Keeper Amelia Mitchell did well to stop a shot from Helen Mather on her right post. After twenty-four minutes the 3rds won a penalty corner. A second shot on goal by Liz Suddell on the right post saw Keeper Amelia Mitchell make a full stretch lunge to just deflect the ball across the goal line to safety but it hit a defenders foot to force a second corner. Maisie Rogers made a crash dive attempting to score and the 2nds cleared well. The last ten minutes saw the 2nds dominate play on the attack. Megan Ditchfield saved shots from Lucy Treaddell and Kiery Horne and the game wound down with repeated penalty corners for the 2nds. In the last few moments Megan Ditchfield intercepted Evie Parkinson outside her left post and the two collided. The 2nds appealed for another corner or flick but the umpire made no award.

This game was an end-to-end clash between two strong sides with high quality defences crowding their Ds. The 2nds advantage of youth and pace was nullified by the experienced senior players of the 3rds. Above all the tremendous performance of the 3rd’s Keeper Megan Ditchfield in making great saves and constantly encouraging and marshalling her defence was simply outstanding and showed why she played for Lancashire and the North of England U21 side a few years ago. It is early days but Garstang’s two teams already threaten;- with their strength in depth, to dominate the Division.

A great game of hockey and a just result.  

Author and Photographer: CH Jackman