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Photos: Emilien Tortel
York bounced back from Saturday’s defeat by producing one of their best displays of the season, as a sublime performance by Katie Penrose, who bagged a brilliant hat-trick, helped York to saunter to a crucial 4-1 victory against bottom club Otliensians 1sts.
Indeed it was Penrose who opened the scoring after only five minutes, with a superb individual goal, surging forward past two players and unleashing a pinpoint shot into the bottom corner of the net to give York the perfect start.
York produced some of their most precise hockey of the season, and when a York shot was blocked on the line by an Otliensians body, York were handed a penalty flick and a perfect chance to double their advantage. Izi Hutchinson stepped up and coolly beat the keeper, placing her flick into the bottom right hand corner.
York pushed for a third with both Hutchinson and Hermione Warmington threatening, but against the run of play, the visitors grabbed a life line on the stroke of half-time, as their best move of the game resulted in a cross being expertly turned in at the back post.
The second half saw vast periods of York dominance, as twice Joely Hartley was denied from short corners, whilst the Otliensians ‘keeper was in excellent form to deny Hutchinson. However Penrose’s second of the game and York’s third restored the two goal cushion, as she rounded off a flowing move.
At the other end Sally Warrington and captain Sally Dolton were in fine form, whilst ‘keeper Laura Porter made a superb double save to deny the visitors a second goal. Penrose then completed her hat-trick in the closing stages by capitalising on a loose ball from a short corner, and her fine display warranted all of the plaudits she received.
The win was York’s third of the season, moving them onto ten points and closing the gap to the teams above. More performances of the same calibre will be required over the remainder of the season, to help the side avoid relegation.