With a week off for all the teams for half term the ladies 2s and 3s caught up on previously postponed fixtures.

Whitchurch Ladies 2s 1 Wilmslow Ladies 5s 0

Whitchurch L2s got off to a good start in their game with a series of early attacks on the Wilmslow goal, the closest being saved off the line.

Whitchurch had almost all the possession in the first half with some lovely passing play around the middle between Molly Fry, Bella Morris and Lydia Jones and some good runs down the wings by Caitlin Edwards and Rachel Chesters.

Hermione Ball and Chloe Lloyd were very strong at the back and effectively swept up all of Wilmslow’s attempts to press forward

After half time the game really was in Whitchurch’s hands. With a lot of attacks on the Wilmslow goal. Jasmine Williams commanded the right and was consistently able to stop Wilmslow from clearing the ball past her and was able to feed some beautiful passes to Molly Fry, Caitlin Edwards and Tracy Tolhurst, but unfortunately a goal was still to come. Louise Whitley was unlucky not to score at the back post from a pass across the dee despite her amazing dive!

Wilmslow gave Whitchurch a scare with a counter attack that saw four attackers against just Ball who put in some amazing tackles but was unable to completely stop their advance. Goalkeeper Gwyn Thomas-Rees came off her line though and intimidated the forward managing to stop an initial shot and then saved the second attempt with her stick from the ground which enabled Ball to sweep the ball away to safety.

The resulting short corner was a further concern for Whitchurch to deal with, fortunately Captain Emma Stubbs took one for the team and got her shoulder in the way of what would have been a very strong shot on goal.

This brief run against play seemed to rally Whitchurch and some great teamwork led to Molly Fry hitting a very determined shot that struck the back board with some venom three minutes before the final whistle. Molly Fry was awarded players player and Whitchurch earned themselves a very well deserved win.

Runcorn ladies 2s 6 Whitchurch ladies 3s 0

Whitchurch 3s travels away to Runcorn with over half the team very new to senior hockey, the remaining four players carried plenty of experience with them.

Whitchurch won the toss and Lucy Chadwick took the first push back. Driving the ball into the oppositions half with speed and accuracy to Poppy Gilbert on the left.

For the first quarter of the match, Whitchurch’s inexperienced team held an extremely strong Runcorn attack. However, Runcorn broke through and whipped a fantastic ball in the air scoring in the top left hand corner, it was a seriously fantastic goal. But Whitchurch were not down heartened and kept the pressure on.

In the dying 10 minutes of the first half Runcorn were awarded a succession of short corners, forcing Whitchurch to bring Mable Hazelhurst in to defend her first ever shorts, which she did with great determination and speed.  In fact as a defensive team we were proud to not concede a single goal from short corner all match.

Despite our success rate being great for short corners, Runcorn attack allowed them to score a further four goals past Louise Cottrell in the first half.

After a rousing team talk by captain Cooper at half time and a box of jaffa cakes kindly donated by the opposition.  Whitchurch attacked Runcorn’s pushback with renewed enthusiasm.

From the off, sisters Lucy and Robyn Hearn fought hard on opposites sides of the pitch, to keep Whitchurch’s attack alive, with Heidi Carr being a nuisance to Runcorn’s attacking half, taking Runcorn by surprise. They well supported by Jess Hunt in mid-field.

Once Runcorn had regrouped they attacked with a vengeance, the halves of Jessica and Mabel valiantly protecting Whitchurch’s golden girls in Whitchurch last defence, Wendy Copper, Mel Reid and Emma Clarke.

Most of the play was in Whitchurch’s half of the pitch, Runcorn had shot upon shot at goal, which Whitchurch valiantly defended again and again over and over.  All the team just upped their game in the second half, marking players and supporting each other. Because the team gelled well and began to feel their positions Runcorn only managed to smash one goal in the second half.

Despite Whitchurch being defeated by Runcorn they played an extremely strong game even though the majority were very young and inexperienced, captain Cooper came away very proud of her team. Even the umpires and the Runcorn team commented on the strength and abilities of such young players.

Player of the match was given to Emma Clarke who totally deserved it, over GK Louise who didn’t get it as Emma is amazing and can’t understand why she has never been awarded this accolade before.

Next week Whitchurch 3s host Crewe Vagrants at home.

Macclesfield ladies 2s 3 Whitchurch ladies 1s 2

Through absence and injury throughout the club several players made their debuts for higher teams.

Ladies 1s played away against Macclesfield and from the off the ladies 1’s looked like they had the upper hand, with some great passing down the pitch between Molly Fry and Lisa Sullivan. However, an annoying goal from Macclesfield after 15 minutes knocked Whitchurch’s confidence.

Defence was the name of the game for Whitchurch for the rest of the first half, not long before half time Macclesfield got another goal from a deflected short corner.

Goalie Holly Edwards made some great saves as Macclesfield continued to attack.

 

After half time, Macclesfield got their third and final goal. This seemed to wake Whitchurch up and they got more break throughs. Hayleigh Busby and Amelie Morris worked well together on the left wing. Then, Sullivan fired a ball picking out Captain Cath Gresty in the dee who battled with the keeper to score a great first goal! The ball then stayed in Whitchurch’s possession with Jasmin Williams and Hermione Ball keeping the ball away from their dee on their debuts. After a run down the pitch, Ellie Pearson then scored their second goal. With the score now 3-2 Whitchurch fought for more. Chloe Lloyd worked tirelessly in defence playing the ball up to Holly Gilbert on the right wing. The team really came together in the final third and did a fantastic job at closing the gap between the scores.  At the whistle the final score was 3-2 as Whitchurch ran out of time.

Ellie Pearson was awarded player of the match by Macclesfield.

 

Whitchurch play Crewe ladies 2s at home next Saturday.

 

Whitchurch ladies 3s 0 Alderley Edge ladies 7s 8

Whitchurch ladies 3’s – a team of over 200 years in defence and just about 50 in attack, with a number playing only their second game for the club and a number of debutants they faced an Alderley Edge team of older juniors and experienced seniors.

Alderley took full advantage of Whitchurch nerves and scored a high goal very early on quickly followed by a second. Whitchurch battled on with Ellie Windsor and Meg Brunyard working hard in the centre supported by Lily Harnden and Louise Whitley, but the Edge had it covered, and Whitchurch were unable to break through. Due to the brilliant work from the defence of Mel Reid, Emma Clarke, Jan Teggin and goalie Louise Cottrell it prevented Edge from scoring again before half time.

The second half was filled with stronger attempts from Whitchurch getting closer to the scoring area with Lucy Chadwick breaking through with pace but unable to find the backboards. Alderley Edge had to battle through Poppy Gilbert, Maisie Bennett and Eleanor Beecher who did a sterling job getting the ball from the Edge together with Hannah Wyke and Mabel Hazlehurst driving it up the pitch only to be stopped by the Alderley defence. Whitchurch battled from start to the end and gave everything. Led by captain Jan Teggin who with minutes to go was seen performing a well-rehearsed drop shoulder roll springing to her feet and chasing back.

It was a huge learning experience for the Whitchurch team, but they took many positives as they continued to improve throughout the game and never stopped working right up to the final whistle.

Players player– Ellie Windsor

Huge thanks go to stand-in Captain Jan Teggin and Umpires Gary and Chris.

 

Deeside Ramblers ladies 2s 4 Whitchurch ladies 2s 1

Whitchurch had most of the play in the first half, but when trying to hit out from free hits or 16s they were met with a wall of white and unfortunately this led to quick runs by fast forwards of Deeside. Whitchurch didn’t make it easy for them as Gayle Ladd,  Lydia Jones and Nicky Barber were powerhouses in the defence and Megan Nicholson was kept busy in goal saving shots as Deeside gathered forces, kept their sticks down & determination resulted in 2-0 lead to the home side at half time.

The second half started well with a swift run from Nina Hodges and Whitchurch thought they were back in the game but unfortunately it was disallowed after discussion between the umpires for a foot.
A quick breakaway goal from Deeside was followed up by smooth stick skills going round her defender by Sasha Preece in the dee and a quick cross to Poppy Huxley who knocked it past the goal keeper for a un-disputed goal making it 2-1. Heidi Carr and Bella Morris made lots of great runs getting the ball into the dee, but the Deeside defence was too strong. Whitchurch had most of the play in the second half and with good movement found gaps on from hit outs, resulting in several shots on goal saved by the keeper.
Deeside kept up their attack and scored two more goals before the final whistle finishing the game 4-1.
Deeside nominated players player as Nina Hodges it was well deserved as she worked very hard throughout. Well done to young players Freya Gresty and Lucy Hearn who got stuck in and were confident.  Everyone played amazingly and put in their best ‘well done’

Due to increased number of players wanting to attend training the club has decided to split training over two nights going forward.

From 7^th September 2021

• Tuesday 18.30 to 20.00 – 1s Men and ladies (plus invited players)

• Wednesday 18.30 to 20.00 – Club training (Open to all Men’s and ladies aged over 13)

You will need to sign up to Teamapp and register in advance of attending.

All the information for this can be found on the ‘Joining our club’ page of the website in the Welcome packs.

www.whitchurchhockeyclub.com

Whitchurch Men’s 1s 0 – Deeside Ramblers XI 2

With the North West Hockey League being heavily affected by Tier 3 lockdowns, very few matches could go ahead as planned this weekend, but Deeside Ramblers came to Whitchurch for a friendly with a squad of players from a spread of their teams – as high as their 2s, as well as teams from the Reds’ own league – so Whitchurch knew they would have a strong battle on their hands.

As has been the case on a number of occasions, Whitchurch seem to play better against better opposition, and this match was a prime example: to a man, everyone stepped up and faced the challenge ahead with confidence and composure, and it worked. For large periods of the game, Whitchurch had the game under control; they passed the ball with some sublime one-touch play out from the back, up the wings and into the Deeside dee. Passes went to their targets, tackles and re-tackles and tackling again to get the ball back meant that they were never under the cosh, despite some excellent play by Deeside. The only thing they lacked was the final touch to get the ball into the net, but they came close on several occasions.

At the back, Paul “Sturge” Leigh had his usual strong game, keeping the ball out despite heavy pressure in the Reds’ dee as Deeside ploughed in in numbers. Danny Foulkes was composed and confident at the centre, spreading the ball out wide, or finding the incisive bullet up the middle if the opportunity presented itself. Sam Conway ran and ran and ran, ensuring there was always a decent option out wide on the right. James Partington got some good tackles in, and a block that took a shot up onto the crossbar. Ross Gill, playing sweeper in front of the defence, controlled that area of the pitch calmly, releasing pass after excellent pass to keep the play going in the right direction.

Jack Barnes and Joel Leese were the bedrock of the midfield, working well off each other, to move the ball in triangles up the pitch, or to carry the ball if there was space, putting great pressure on the Deeside defence. Tom Forster and Fred Egerton rotated well on the left wing, pushing forward and getting crosses in, and Chris Ruscoe had his usual dominant game on the right, playing in both dees – either putting a great pass or shot in at the far end, or racing back to make a critical block in the Reds’ own dee.

Will Gilbert, Sam Budd and Martin Beecher were constantly at the Deeside defence, giving them no time to settle, and Whitchurch had a number of shots either well-saved, or slightly wide of the goal, including an excellent attempt at a deflection shot from Budd, and on another day would have scored many.

Despite the Reds’ constant good marking, quick ball movement, cutting out opposition passes, chasing back when the ball was lost, and a constant team effort, Deeside were able to score two goals. The first was a really well-worked piece of play, driving down the middle in triangles before passing it to the incoming striker at the top of the dee who was able to fire it up into the net. In the second half, a good run into the dee by Finn Leonard for Deeside was passed to the penalty spot, and the shot was scooped over a diving Sturge.

In the end, a fair result, but Whitchurch can take a huge amount from this game. Had they played at this level in the two previous games this season, there’s no way they would have suffered losses. The challenge is to find this performance week-in, week-out and, if they do, the rewards will come.

Whitchurch ladies 1s 5 Macclesfield ladies 2s 0

Whitchurch came up against a 16 strong Macclesfield side this Saturday, but held their own with 12 players.

Centre players Lisa Sullivan, Hebe Dixon and Captain Catherine Winter-Gresty pushed from the off, holding the ball in Macclesfield’s half. Forwards Ellie Windsor and Stephanie Stanton put plenty of pressure on and within ten minutes Whitchurch were awarded a penalty flick that Dixon calmly slotted into the goal.

Macclesfield fought back, but Whitchurch defence Chloe Lloyd and Kezzie Hutchings were hot on their every move. Plenty of chances came for Whitchurch and eventually a shot in from Catherine Winter-Gresty was deflected to score their second by Ellie Windsor.

Whitchurch were keeping possession and passing the ball round well, tiring the fresh Macclesfield legs that were being subbed regularly. Keeper Maddy Sugden made some great saves again when Macclesfield had a couple of lucky breaks, but they couldn’t get on the score sheet. Before half time Sarah Field scored through the keepers legs, making it 3-0 before the second half.

Even though Whitchurch were comfortably in the lead the second half started a bit panicked, but before long they settled back playing their game, Hayleigh Busby picking out Hebe Dixon to score her second.

Whitchurch won several short corners, allowing Sarah Field to make it 5-0.

Well in front and Whitchurch kept possession as much as possible, using the width of Anna Latham and Molly Fry, pushing up length of the pitch. Whitchurch played hard up until the final whistle and were very happy with the result.

Hebe Dixon was awarded players player.

Deeside Ramblers Men’s 6s  Whitchurch 2s Men’s 1

With the coronavirus rules and restrictions playing havoc with the league fixtures, Deeside Ramblers and Whitchurch Men’s 2s had played out an entertaining friendly at SJT the previous weekend. Although the game had finished 1-1, Whitchurch had dominated most of the game, but were thwarted by the excellent Ramblers keeper.

One week on and the two clubs played again, fulfilling the scheduled league fixture. Whilst Deeside were able to bring in some of their more experienced players, Whitchurch once again lost two key players due to enforced self-isolation.

Deeside took control of the match from the first pushback. They retained possession well and moved Whitchurch across the pitch, whilst probing for openings. Despite their control, the home side struggled to get into the Whitchurch dee. Brendan Coburn and Wyn Morris were imperious in the centre of defence, but the midfield were working hard to plug any gaps and harry the Deeside players.

Whitchurch weathered the early storm and managed to work their way into the game. As they got more of the ball, Ethan Gresty, Richard Leigh and Alex Leigh began to put together some neat passing moves, and with good support from Jacob Buckeridge, Dave Brunyard and Joe Faithfull on the wings, Whitchurch started to threaten the home sides dee.

The 2s were especially dangerous on the counterattack. As Deeside continued to dominate territory, Whitchurch were quick to attack when they won the ball, and midway through the first half, Ethan Gresty surged through the centre of the pitch and played an excellent through ball for Airan Jones to race clear of the Deeside defenders and calmly flick past the on-rushing keeper.

With Deeside knocked out of their stride, Whitchurch went close to increasing their lead. Euan Morris had a number of chances that flashed wide, were saved by the Deeside keeper, or scrambled clear by the defenders, but the closest the Reds came to doubling the lead was from an Ethan Gresty shot that came back off the post, following good link up play with Joe Faithfull.

Throughout the half, the home side had concentrated their attacking efforts down their right hand side. Will Snaith and Wyn Morris had continually repelled these attacks, but as the Whitchurch defence was pulled across the pitch, Gareth Teggin and Doug Buckeridge had to be wary of attackers arriving at the back post. Moments before half time the Deeside tactic paid dividends as the ball flashed across the face of the Whitchurch goal and the attacker was able to steer the ball inside the post for the equalising goal.

After the break, Deeside stepped up their intensity and Whitchurch struggled to deal with the increase in physicality. With so many young players the 2s were simply overpowered, and the home side dominated possession and territory for much of the second half. When moves broke down, they were quick to harass the Whitchurch players, who struggled to keep hold of the ball and find their passes.

The away side did manufacture a handful of chances, but nothing of the quality of the first half. Instead the Whitchurch midfield was fully employed helping out the defence. The team defended resolutely, and at times rode their luck. Keeper Neil Jones made some good saves and clearing kicks. But eventually Deeside’s pressure paid dividends.

A goalmouth scramble needed Jones to make several close range stops as defenders and attackers hacked at the ball. As the ball escaped Jones’s grasp, Doug Buckeridge was on hand to clear off the line, however, the umpire decided the ball had crossed the goal line and awarded Deeside the goal and the lead. Whitchurch weren’t happy with the decision and discipline slipped. Words were exchanged which lead to a Whitchurch player taking a two-minute sin bin, and Deeside were quick to capitalise on their man advantage. A series of short corners were won, and Deeside extended their lead when a mis-hit, bouncing shot crept inside the post.

Whitchurch regained their composure and pushed for a consolation goal, but Deeside were happy to contain the away side and preserve their 3-1 lead.

This was another reality check for Whitchurch in their new division. They enjoyed some good spells of play and looked particularly dangerous in the first half. However, as in the Birkenhead game, the sheer physicality of their opponents eventually overwhelmed the young players. Jacob Buckeridge and Will Snaith played well down the left, Ethan Gresty had another excellent game in midfield, and the defence generally played really well.

Subject to changing Covid regulations, the Men’s 2s next game will be at home to Neston Men’s 7s on Saturday 31st October.