This season could prove to be a bit of a revelation for Southgate’s ladies’ 1s. For a start, we’ve actually done a pre-season, one that has involved plenty of running against some giant elastic bands; the stuff of nightmares (or dreams – depending whether you ask Jonty or Rowey). We’ve played a lot of pre-season matches and are actually playing some really nice hockey – people look fit and excited which is always nice to see (especially whilst we still have to wear those snug fitting Reves shirts), and there’s a lovely balance of youth, the slightly less youthful (over 30s), and those who are somewhere in between.

So on Saturday, free from the constraints of our resistance bands, we faced Staines at home. I’m not very good at remembering who scored or when, but the game finished 3-2. It was more than a bit hairy at times and not the prettiest game of hockey, but it never was going to be against Staines. The most important thing is that we dug deep, stuck together, and didn’t have a major team meltdown (or a fight) which has been known to happen in previous seasons. 3 very well battled points for Southgate.

On Sunday we fared less well, travelling away to Lewes to play in the cup. The combination of a hard game on Saturday, the loss of our youthful legs to an U18 cup game and a 5 hour round trip meant things perhaps didn’t go quite as well as they ought to have done on paper. The final score was 3-3 after extra time and we lost 5-4 on penalty flicks; the only positive being that we didn’t have to do those new-fangled dribbly penalty things which could have been a shade embarrassing. What was positive is that we were always a goal down throughout the game and we managed to pull back each time, equalising in the dying moments of the game. For those of you who have watched (and suffered alongside) us over the years will know what an exciting turnaround that is for our team. So watch this space… I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a pretty good season for the ladies’ 1s.

Caroline Rowe L1s