If any team was going to be defined as the underdogs it was the women’s 3rds hockey. The team have only played one practice match together in total and were put together at some point in the last month. However, that was not the scene in the opening stages as both teams looked remarkably even. Both teams had their opportunities to score but neither converted.
York played a brilliant attacking routine- With quick passing the ball fired from Perry to Winnan to Cox who flew the ball wide. Lancaster had a player warned for cheek and another warned for violent play shortly after. York’s Maddie Bushell played a brilliant match at the back- she really came into her own at this point and saw off many Lancaster attacks.
York created a lot of attacking opportunities but struggled to convert them, Kathy Cox was particularly instrumental as centre mid controlling the play. Both teams had a similar playing style- relying on passes to create play instead of dribbling and both extensive forays into the opposing team’s D. York also won many short corners but couldn’t put them away, they perhaps should have mixed up their routine, they relied on the straight strike which became easy to predict.
Lancaster got their third warning of the match- this time for bad tackling. Jess Winnan for York also got green carded for a supposed bad tackle as the second half began. The referee was incredibly quick and free with her carding all day.
Lancaster came out stronger in the second half; they made vast inroads into the York territory and refused to budge. The York defence struggled to clear the ball and move play out of their half for a while. Their perseverance paid off and they scored the first and only goal of the match. It resulted from a scrap on the goaline, Milena Kaestner put up her best fight but could not prevent the final slam into the backboard.
Both teams pulled out all the stops in attack but Lancaster remained the stronger team. York had their opportunity with a fantastic run down the left wing and ended it with a glorious reverse sweep across the D which didn’t find a stick. Lancaster had another goal opportunity and the ball bobbled quite slowly across the goal mouth before wobbling off the side.
Seconds before the whistle blew York were awarded a short corner. In hockey, this is allowed to be play after time has elapsed. The crowd were jubilant about this last minute opportunity but it wasn’t to be
Captain Cat Johnson commented that she was ‘incredibly proud’ of the team’s performance and ‘didn’t think [we] deserved to lose’ especially since we ‘have only played one game together’.
Vision MOTM: Kathy Cox
