Victories for Lancaster Hockey Club over Neston and Lytham St Annes

Here are the latest match reports from Lancaster Hockey Club.

February 10

Lancaster 2s 5-0 Lytham St Annes 2s

Lancaster started the brighter of the two teams with Sophie Christopherson and Paula Miguel-Fosco controlling the midfield. Despite the early pressure Lancaster saw the Lytham goalkeeper equal to every shot.

Lancaster pushed on and after an initial shot was saved, the ball fell to Emma Wood who calmly reverse stick scooped the ball into the right-hand corner.

This spurred Lancaster on. Carla Bleasdale found herself in acres of space within the D, before she roofed the ball into the top of the net, for Lancasters 2nd in the 22nd minute. Four minutes later the ball rebounded of the Lytham goalkeeper to Carla in the D once again and she calmly pushed the ball home.

Lytham pushed back, trying to catch Lancaster on the counter attack. The defence of Mille Whitty, Kim Hicks, Molly Chapman and Rebecca Airey remained strong. Lytham were unable to get through or round them due to some great tackles and interceptions.

Lancaster started the second half inspired after the half time team talk by Nina Helme. Seven minutes into the half the ball was fired across the D, through bodies before finding Jess Dawson who calmly deflected the ball into the back of the goal.

A formation change saw Lancaster become even more attacking. Rebecca Airey found herself with the ball on the half way line, using her speed and skills she ran the entire half of the pitch, rounded the Lytham Goalkeeper who had left her line to try and stop the attack and smashed the ball home.

Lancaster were elated when the final whistle went. A well-deserved 5-0 win.

Team: Rebecca Halliwell (GK) (C), Kim Hicks, Molly Chapman, Mille Whitty, Rebecca Airey, Carla Bleasdale, Sophie Christopherson, Paula Miguel-Fosco, Beth Fletcher, Charlotte Bone, Jess Dawson, Emily Verden and Emma Wood

Goal Scorers: Emma Wood x 1, Carla Bleasdale x 2, Jess Dawson x 1 and Rebecca Airey x 1

February 3

Lancaster 1s 4-2 Neston 1s

Neston started the game brightly putting Lancaster under pressure from the start. Lancaster found it hard to keep possession as the low sun made it difficult to see the difference between the Lancaster maroon and the Neston pink shirts. Despite this Lancaster remained resolute. Leighan Bleasdale made a number of saves for Angie Evans-Hill and Hayley Standeven-Johns to clear wide.

Libby Thwaites was tenacious in her tackling but eventually succumbed to a trip to A&E after taking the ball to her hand three times in quick succession. The home side handled the pressure and mounted their own attacks but were more clinical. Ali Standeven-John’s broke the deadlock with a brilliant goal and debutant Kimber-Lee Hicks scored on her second touch of the match.

In credit to Neston, they earned a number of short corners but the Lancaster defence parried away everything that was thrown at them. It was 2-0 at half time.

Lancaster scored their third with an absolute worldie from Rebecca Worthington. At an angle so acute the Neston goalkeeper must have thought the bullet strike was going wide but it crashed into the corner of the goal.

Neston pulled a goal back after a deft deflection that made it past Bleasdale’s pads on a penalty corner.

Lancaster were determined for three points and again broke quickly down the right hand side of the pitch. Worthington again at the tightest of angles prepared to shoot. The goalkeeper pre-empted the same strike and dived to the floor but this time Worthington’s strike was skied into the roof of the goal.

The visiting side clawed back a consolation goal a minute before the full-time whistle.

Team: Leighan Bleasdale (GK) (C), Alice Boston, Angie Evans-Hill, Nina Helme, Lottie Horner, Holly Hunter, Ali Standeven-Johns, Hayley Standeven-Johns, Libby Thwaites, Julie Walker and Rebecca Worthington

GoalScorers: Ali Standeven-Johns, Kimber-Lee Hicks and Rebecca Worthington x2

Player of the Match: Rebecca Worthington