Great start to season for Lancaster Hockey Club teams

Here are the latest match reports for Lancaster Hockey Club.

23rd September 2023

Lancaster 2s 5-1 Longridge 2s

Lancaster 2s took on Longridge 2s in their first league game of this season. Lancaster started brightly with some great link up play earning Lancaster a flurry of attacks.

Five minutes into the first half Carla Bleasdale ran the ball down the wing taking on a number of players before hammering it across the D to Emily Verden who calmly tapped it home, earning Lancaster the lead.

Six minutes later Longridge equalised with some great solo play by their forward on the by line before a quick flick back to a waiting attacker who deflected the ball home. Making the score 1-1.

Longridge continued to attack with the game being very end to end. The Lancaster defence of Cath Foy, Carla Bleasdale, Molly Chapman and Frances Archer remained strong. Goalkeeper Rebecca Halliwell made a number of saves to keep the game level.

Four minutes before half time Lancaster struck again, some great link up play down the right between Carla Bleasdale and Molly Chapman saw the ball be smashed into the D into a swarm of bodies. Beth Fletcher remained calm and smashed the ball home.

At half time Lancaster led 2-1. The half time team talk worked as four minutes after starting the second half Lancaster saw Emily Verden latch onto a long ball played by Cath Foy, using her speed she ran at the Longridge defence making them back track further and further back, before she passed the ball to Lauren Allwood who pushed the ball past the outstretched keeper.

Longridge pushed back and earned a number of short corners, but the Lancaster defence remained strong. Ten minutes before her end of the game Izzy Liver found herself with the ball in the byline. She calmly hit the ball which hugged the line all the way towards the goal, due to the power and accuracy no one dared touch it or intercept it in case it fired into the goal. Everyone stood and watched as the ball curved at the last minute and rolled into the goal earning Lancaster a 4-1 lead.

Despite the lead Lancaster didn’t give up, and a minute before the end of the game the ball was worked forward through some great link up play between the midfield. Izzy Liver found herself at the top of the D with the ball, she calmly ran forward and struck the ball. The ball went towards the top right corner of the goal, the team held their breath as the Longridge keeper jumped to try and save it. The contact the keeper got was not enough and the ball landed in the D, earning Izzy her second and Lancaster a 5-1 lead.

A minute later the final whistle was blown. Lancaster were elated by their 5-1 winning start to the season.

Team: Lauren Allwood, Frances Archer, Emily Bamber-Dowthwaite, Carla Bleasdale, Molly Chapman,

Beth Fletcher, Cath Foy, Rebecca Halliwell (C) (GK), Izzy Liver, Naomi Osbourne, Emily Verden and Ellen Wills

Goal Scorers: Emily Verden x 1, Beth Fletcher x 1, Lauren Allwood x 1 and Izzy Liver x 2

Players of the Match: Cath Foy, Lauren Allwood and Izzy Liver

Lancaster 3s 3-1 Preston 3s

Preston started brightly and scored a well worked passing goal within the first 10 minutes.

Lancaster settled into the game and Maisie and Hope ran their socks off upfront trying to win the ball high up the pitch.

Lancaster were still trailing into the second half but pressed Preston over the pitch putting them under pressure. Esther and Georgia were tackling well and Chloe and Molly kept it tight at the back.

Lancaster won a penalty corner after great play from Liola and Kathryn and after a great shot from Emily, Ali hammered home the rebound.

With 15 minutes to go Lancaster kept running with Jemima and Rose little work horses to keep Lancaster going forwards. After winning another penalty corner it was the same result, an Emily shot was saved and Ali fired home the rebound. Preston kept going to try and find an equaliser but with only five minutes to go Molly won the ball on the half way line and drove the ball into the D winning another penalty corner. This time Emily got her goal when she fired a first time strike inside the near post.

A great result and a great three points to start the season.

Player of the Match: Liola Walmsley