0-4 Win
Match Report by Miriam D

“Three points, have beer, we win.” Thus was Ronan’s half-time match strategy accomplished yet again by the Women’s 2s in a 4-0 victory against West Herts. We matched the scoreline from the first half of the season when we faced them at home, although we play so many teams beginning with ‘W’ that it is difficult to keep track.

Southgate had comfortable possession for the majority of the game and the goals were only a small fraction of the attempts on target. We played aggressively for the whole match with speedy counter-attacks and menacing free hits. Jennie S was so determined to get the ball up the pitch that she launched her stick through their players as well. Despite slotting in four goals, a certain coach lamenting that “today was not a day for scoring” is a testament to the performance of the opposition keeper. Shot after shot after shot was saved by the goalie, with help from the defenders and (at one point) Caitlin H-C.

The West Herts defence may have been solid but their offence was hardly so. Only one or two shots on target threatened the score line as opposed to our dozens at their end. A small handful of defensive shorts for us were easily batted away, and although West Herts grew more determined in the closing minutes there was no consolation goal. The swarms of flies darting around the D were really more of a hassle to our defence than the oppo.

The W2s continued to utilise their novel skill of successful short corners with yet another two finding a way through the defence. Jess B achieved the first with a slidy-slap to the bottom right and later Ella D deflected the second over the keeper and into the netting. Portia D scored once after Caitlin magnanimously (and surely deliberately) offered the ball to her, and Ella lifted herself to joint-top scorer in the team with a goal that eventually found its mark after several denied attempts by all forwards. Emily R-H narrowly missed the scoresheet after a DoD-worthy loopy shot nearly found its way over the fence and into the cars behind.

A chance for one last goal opened up as the whistle went during the final short corner. The whole team pushed up, but an opposition stick deflected it off the pitch agonisingly close to the left post. Nevertheless, Southgate were happy with their three points and it was broken hearts for West Herts once again. The Women’s 2s haven’t conceded a goal for three matches and we challenge ourselves to extend this to four when we play Surbiton 3s next Saturday. They are third in the league, only five points ahead of us, and last time we met the score was a tight 1-0 to them so it will be a tense game to watch.