Ladies 4s dig deep for the win - 07.02.15

Ladies 4s Dod and WOMoM

PHC Chiswick Ladies 4s v Winchmore Hill and Enfield Ladies 2s.

The ladies 4s went into this match knowing it was going to be a tough one. They were facing a strong opposition, who had beaten some of their biggest rivals. So therefore the plan going in was to remain calm and hold possession, waiting for the right time to strike, as well as staying as tight through the defence as possible.

The match started as planned, with a few early breaks into the D and a couple of attacking plays. However the ladies 4s were correct and Winchmore Hill did put them under pressure in their own D. Goal keeper Alice Taylor-Bennett had to make some crucial saves within the first 15 minutes of play, and Alex Joss made some game saving tackles and intercepts as she took on the role of sweeper and aimed to ‘steady the Chiswick ship though turbulent seas’.  It was through this defence that the ladies kept Winchmore Hill scoreless in the first half, although unfortunately Chiswick also remained scoreless and went into halftime at 0-0.

Going into half time Chiswick knew that their fitness was ultimately going to win the game for them, so they planned to come out all guns blazing. They also discussed getting more of a link established between the midfielders and the attackers to make the most of any turned over ball. Finally they aimed to close down any gaps in the field to eliminate the opposition getting a breakaway.

The ladies 4s definitely stood by their intentions, right from the first whistle Chiswick moved the ball up the pitch and were confidently attacking the opposition’s goal. The midfield combo of Emma Milton, Stacey Nevin and Chloe Hole worked tirelessly to provide support for the forwards, but also tracked back and recovered any lost ball. It wasn’t long until Chiswick heard that satisfying sound of the ball striking the backboard. This came from Grace Glendinning, she worked the ball into the D with the support of Sophie Green. Grace’s first shot was saved with a dive by the keeper, however in typical fashion, she wasn’t fazed, and calmly scooped the balled up and flicked it over the keeper, putting Chiswick 1-0 up. At the restart the ladies tried to remain calm, and aimed to play with the same drive, however they quickly found themselves on the back foot as the opposition came back strongly. It was only a matter of minutes until Chiswick were defending a penalty corner. A well worked corner routine from Winchmore Hill saw them equalise, and Chiswick were back under pressure. Luckily the ladies 4s are not a team to go down with out a fight, they continued to attack and with 5 minutes left to play they managed to find a defenders foot in the D and cause a penalty corner. A straight strike from the top of the D from Grace Glendinning was saved by the keeper, however they were not prepared for the follow up and Grace managed to slip another one nicely in behind the goalie, giving a full time result of 2-1.

Chiswick were delighted with the hard fought win, and are happy to remain top of the division two table by a four point margin.


Win 2:1

Goal Scorers: Grace Glendinning

Man of Match: Alex Joss

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