Whitchurch ladies 1s 4 Lymm ladies 4s 1

On Saturday 24th October Whitchurch 1s played Lymm’s 4th team at home.

The game started with a Whitchurch push back and resulted in much of the play being in the Lymm half. Both teams worked the ball well with Whitchurch being the stronger team.

Sue Read scored her first goal of the season for the 1s ten minutes into the match with a quick push into the bottom corner. Minutes later she scored again with a first touch deflection after a pass from Lisa Sullivan.

The rest of the first half was a close match with both teams having chances to score. Phoebe Jones came close to scoring after a pass from Ellie Windsor but was unable to get the ball in the goal.

Whitchurch’s captain Catherine Gresty also had a chance to score but a quick save from Lymm keeper resulted in it being 2-0 at half time.

Ten minutes into the second half Lymm got a short corner and a combination of short, quick passes resulted in a goal.

Despite the typical English weather (rain) Whitchurch kept working hard which resulted in a straight strike goal from Lisa Sullivan that was lifted just over the diving goalkeeper.

Lymm wanted another goal and a big hit found three Lymm players and only goalkeeper Gwyn Thomas- Rees in the dee and she pulled off a spectacular save, gaining time for the defence to drop back and support.

Whitchurch weren’t having another Lymm goal and with a hard hit from Gayle Ladd the ball was worked down the right by Emily Hilton and Jane Williamson. This then resulted in a short corner as the ball hit a Lymm foot in the dee. After this a number of shorts followed and Jane Williamson straight strike was met by Katie Plant putting her stick in the way to make the ball fly into the net.

Another strong 4-1 win for Whitchurch with Lisa Sullivan getting player of the match.

Next week Whitchurch have a week off before they are back in action on the 7th November against Alderley Edge 5s.

 

Warrington ladies 2nds 10 Whitchurch ladies 2nds 2

Whitchurch ladies 2nds travelled to Warrington on Saturday. Despite the score of 10-2 Whitchurch never gave up in battling for the ball and to pushing to get the ball into the opposition’s dee. Warrington were the stronger of the two teams and applied pressure from the start but as Whitchurch were finding their feet Warrington slotted the ball past goal keeper Shola Bailey.

Whitchurch worked from the start to the end trying to frustrate a strong Warrington team and a run from Jess Kimberley striking the ball from runner Charlotte Lawder on the left wing ran the ball and spotted Ashleigh Heath on the right who slotted the ball into the Warrington goal this boosted the confidence of the Whitchurch side. Warrington then sprung back on the break and scored a further four goals which brought the score line up to 5-1 at half time.

At half time Whitchurch had a motivating team talk which boosted the confidence of a lot of the team. Despite the score Whitchurch didn’t give up going for loads of tackles. Emily Vernon and Captain Julia Neale sprang into action by applying pressure and gaining the ball from the mistakes that Warrington made taking advantage to run the ball weaving in and out of the Warrington side but unfortunately wasn’t able to convert a goal.

Despite the chances that Whitchurch had on goal Warrington got stronger and pressured Whitchurch back into their dee and scored a further three goals. On the break Whitchurch had many tactical plans of how to keep the ball in the Warrington dee and a strike from the halfway line from Tracy Tolhurst straight into the Warrington dee picked out Emily Vernon who slotted the ball into the goal this left the score board at 8 – 2.

Warrington then bounced back and scored the remaining two goals before the end of the final half and the left the score at 10-2. Debutant Sally Pearce saw quite a lot of action this week along with Mel Reed, Wendy Cooper and Emma Clarke defending the Whitchurch dee but Warrington were a stronger as a whole team and clinical in the dee. Whitchurch can take many positives from the game but also many thinks to work on in the future.

After the week off Whitchurch will be travelling away to play against Neston 4’s and Ashleigh Heath was awarded player of the match.

 

Mossley Hill Men’s 3s 5 Whitchurch Mens 2s 0

Whitchurch started the day with only ten players but it got worse when two players failed to turn up at the meet and Whitchurch faced the possibility of travelling with only nine players, fortunately Chris Wilson stepped in at the last moment and Whitchurch travelled to Liverpool with nine players.

Whitchurch realised that with their reduced numbers that they couldn’t complete throughout the match and decided to defend and counterattack. From the start Whitchurch should have took the lead as their first opportunity fell to Craig Hockenhull who shot just wide of the Mossley goal.

Mossley started to make use of their numbers and move the ball around, however Whitchurch maintained their discipline and maintained their shape frustrating the Mossley attacks. Whitchurch again came close as a ball hit into the Mossley dee went through a crowd of players and bounced off Aaron Swain’s stick and wide off the post.

From this point on Mossley took full control of the game and despite all the efforts of Chris Wilson, Doug Buckeridge, Richard Leigh and Iain Bones in defence Mossley finally took the lead and quickly scored a second. Mossley continued to pressure the Whitchurch goal and brought the best out of keeper Neil Jones with a string of saves to keep the score to a minimum. Despite all their resistance Mossley inevitably scored a third before the break.

The half time break was very positive as the team was urged to continue with the same level of discipline and effort. Whitchurch held out for another twenty minutes before Doug Buckeridge took a ball to the knee ending his game. Mossley were very sporting and lent Whitchurch two players so the game could be completed.

Despite the effort of all the Whitchurch players especially midfielders Aaron Shackleton and Josh Parry who worked to the end all tired and Mossley scored two well worked goals to complete a deserved victory.

Whitchurch would like to thank Mossley for supplying another umpire and also sportingly sharing their players so the game could continue.

Whitchurch 2s travel to Llandudno next week.

 

Whitchurch Mens 1s 6 Lymm Mens 4s 0

Whitchurch continued their domination of North West Division 8 South West with another win over Lymm Mens 4s.

Martin Beecher scored a hattrick and goals from captain Joel Leese, Ben Kimberley and Felix Jeffreys kept them top of the league and on track for promotion.

Chester Mens 6s 4 Whitchurch Mens 1s 8

The first half was one Whitchurch would rather forget. One car arrived late within minutes of the start and as the team were trying to sort out their formation Chester capitalised to take the lead. Whitchurch soon equalised as Ben Lea dribbled through the Chester defence and slid the ball under the keeper. Whitchurch pushed for a second and Chester again broke and caught Whitchurch asleep and took a 2-1 lead into the break.

The half time interval allowed Whitchurch to setup a formation and from the start Whitchurch took the game to Chester, Craig Hockenhull equalising from a rebound of the keepers pads. Whitchurch started to pass the ball around with the accuracy and pace of previous weeks and were rewarded with further goals from Ben Lea and a brace from Ellis Hickson and an individual effort from Steve Lloyd.

As Whitchurch started to tire the Chester side scored two in quick succession to again focus Whitchurch to the task at hand and Whitchurch finished on a high with a shot from Ben Kimberley into the bottom corner. In the final minutes Craig Hockenhull got the final goal deflecting home a well-worked short corner.

 

Whitchurch Mens 2s 1 Denbigh Mens 2s 4

Whitchurch 2nds entertained a Denbigh 2nds side who had already recorded two wins from three games this season. Whitchurch were up against it from the start as they were only able to field a team of 10 with the most experienced players unavailable.

Despite this the young Whitchurch side were a match for Denbigh in the early stages, although they struggled to mount any meaningful attacks. Denbigh made Whitchurch pay with a goal from a well-struck short corner midway through the first half.

Towards half time Whitchurch lost Ben Haden to injury. On his first start for the 2nds Ben had looked really accomplished and made some excellent contributions going forward and in defence. Unfortunately Denbigh made good use of the two extra players to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

Denbigh tried to seize the initiative in the 2^nd half and make their numerical advantage count. Whitchurch defended resolutely with Iain Bones and Mark Sugden imperious in defence. The 2nds did their best to attack the Denbigh goal, but struggled to make the opposition goalkeeper work, despite the tireless running of Jake Wood and Aaron Shackleton.

Ultimately Whitchurch were undone by sheer numbers and Denbigh moved into a 4-0 lead.

Undeterred Whitchurch pushed “Bones” into midfield and an excellent passing move between him, Josh Parry and Jake Wood ended with Iain hammering a shot past the Denbigh goalkeeper for a Whitchurch consolation goal.

Despite the 4-1 defeat Whitchurch can be proud of the effort they put into this game.

Although they were outnumbered, Whitchurch were never really outplayed. The younger members of the side continue to grow and don’t look out of place in the side. Aaron Swain made some good saves and had no chance with any of Denbigh’s goals; Jake Wood and Josh

Parry worked hard at both ends of the pitch; and Ben Haden excellent debut was sadly cut short through injury.

The 2nds are away to Mossley Hill next week.

 

Timperley ladies 5s 0 Whitchurch ladies 1s 5

Whitchurch women’s 1st team travelled to Timperley this week to take on their 5th team. Whitchurch have really begun to get into their stride this season with a convincing 5-0 win under difficult playing conditions. A second match was being played close to the Whitchurch pitch, with all umpires having the same whistle it took a great deal of concentration for all players to keep the game moving.

Captain Catherine Gresty opened the scoring with a goal from open play. Shortly afterwards Timperley pushed forwards into the Whitchurch dee and won a penalty stroke when the ball was stopped just in front of the goal line by a Whitchurch foot. Keeper Gwyneth Reece-Thomas remained calm under pressure and saved the Timperley flick.

The remainder of the first half saw Whitchurch pressuring the Timperley dee and winning a series of penalty corners from which Lisa Sullivan and Katie Plant scored a goal each with perfect execution of their set pieces. Timperley rarely left there own half but did win one penalty corner that was successfully defended by the strong Whitchurch back line Gayle Ladd and Catherine Reece-Gresty.

The second half continued as the first with some great passing and teamwork between the Whitchurch midfield and forward lines keeping almost constant pressure on the Timperley defence. Several further short corners were won by Whitchurch, from which Katie Plant scored her second of the match.

Ellie Windsor rounded up the scoring and showed superb calmness under pressure when a short corner ball rebounded her way. A short knock into position followed by a strong strike left the keeper unable to save her shot. The Whitchurch defence were rarely called in to action, but when they were they showed their typical calm natures, carefully working the ball back out to their attackers to once again push forwards.

Timperley nominated captain Catherine Gresty as player of the match.

 

Whitchurch ladies 2s 2  Alderley edge 6s 1

Whitchurch played Alderley Edge 6s at home and from the start the opposition didn’t make it easy for Whitchurch as they applied pressure and took the lead scoring from a penalty corner as Whitchurch were getting into the game.

Masie Owen and Kate Goodwin created good opportunities passing into the opposition dee and Charlotte Lawder and Charlotte Ridgeway both edged wide of the goal. Before half time break goalkeeper Shola Bailey was called into action with a number of amazing saves that kept Whitchurch in the game and kept the score board at 1-0 down at half time.

Whitchurch had a very enthusiastic half time talk that boosted their confidence and from the break applied pressure. After a few chances on goal they equalised after Charlotte Lawder drove through the defence and passed to Hayleigh Busby who crossed for Ashleigh Heath to deflect into the Alderley goal.

Whitchurch were boosted by the goal and kept pressing for another goal but could not convert. Hebe Dixon in her first senior game was a really big part of the team by creating many chances on goal and making some really useful tackles.

Near to the end Whitchurch were awarded a short corner. Kate Goodwin ejected the ball out to Jess Kimberley at the top of the dee who struck the ball in to the bottom corner.

Alderley Edge pressured to get another goal in the final minutes and it was left to Shola to save and secure the three points.

Mel Reed was awarded player of the match. Whitchurch 2s are away at Warrington next week.

Whitchurch Mens 1s 11 Llandudno Mens 2s 1

It was a very successful weekend for the Mens 1s as they continue to dominate games in the league. Two matches in two days have now seen them top the table with wins over both Llandudno 2s and Wrexham 2s.

Whitchurch entertained Llandudno on Saturday and despite Whitchurch having most of the play Llandudno defended in numbers and frustrated Whitchurch for the first 15 minutes until Joe Nicholson broke the deadlock closely followed with a second by Ben Lea.

Whitchurch then had a fright as Llandudno scored against the run of play and this focused the team for the remainder of the game. Ben Lea scoring another brace to complete his hattrick, Martin Beecher with four and captain Joel Leese with the final two.

 

Whitchurch Mens 1s 5 Wrexham Mens 2s 1 (replayed game on Sunday)

Whitchurch entertained Wrexham 3s in a re-arranged game on Sunday afternoon. Wrexham fielded a strong team and for long periods tested Whitchurch’s resolve. Despite conceding as the game progressed Whitchurch took control with two goals from Joe Nicholson and one for Martin Beecher, Ben Lea and Ellis Hickson and another well deserved victory.

 

Winnington Park Men’s 4s 8 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 2

Whitchurch 2s travelled to Winnington Park and knew they were going to be tougher opponents from their league position. Whitchurch were hoping to build on the successes of previous weeks, however due to injury and unavailability Whitchurch travelled with only ten players.

Whitchurch faced a skilful and youthful Winnington Park side and in the early stages had some good opportunities to take the lead. As they pushed to take the lead Winnington caught them on the break and gained the early advantage. Within minutes Winnington had a second with a freak goal that ricocheted off multiple players was saved and then the spin took it inside the post.

Winningtons third goal was one to be proud off as their forward met a cross and deflected an unstoppable shot past the Whitchurch keeper. Winnington pressed home their advantage and took a five-goal lead into the break.

A tough halftime talk saw Whitchurch reorganise to defend deep and attack the opposition on the break. This appeared to frustrate Winnington who despite having the majority of the possession could not break down Whitchurch’s resolute defending with Mark Sugden and Doug Buckeridge at the back breaking down attack after attack.

Whitchurch attacked on the break and a run down the right wing from Simon Briceno saw him continue into the opposition dee and slip the ball under the Winnington keeper. Within minutes Ben Kimberley pulled back a second as he wove through the Winnington defence to fire an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner to give Whitchurch some hope.

Whitchurch started to tire as the extra man advantage of the opposition finally took effect and Winnington finally broke through the defensive line and scored.

Whitchurch were disappointed to concede two goals in the final minutes of the game but took away from the game that they gave everything and were beaten by a better team.

The seconds entertain Denbigh at home 14.00 next week.

 

Whitchurch ladies 1s 6 Wrexham ladies 2s 0

The ladies had something to prove after both teams gained promotion last season.

The game started well with some good attacking play from Whitchurch players Ellie Windsor, Captain Catherine Winter-Gresty, Lisa Sullivan, Sue Read and Laura Workman. Emma Harper scored the first goal with a well-worked penalty corner. Wrexham created a few scoring opportunities but the defense of Catherine Reece-Gresty, Katie Plant and Emily Hilton soon broke them up.

Whitchurch raced into a three-goal lead as Lisa Sullivan slammed in a shot from the top of the dee and Laura Workman defecting home a cross for the third.

The second half continued with Whitchurch attacking hard, resulting in a short corner that Emma Harper drag flicked for her second of the game. In the final stages of the match Catherine Winter-Gresty and Katie Plant both scored to complete a comfortable win.

Next week Whitchurch ladies firsts travel away to Timperley ladies 5s.

 

Bowden ladies 6’s  6 Whitchurch ladies 2s 2

Whitchurch travelled to Bowden on Saturday and despite the score Whitchurch never gave up throughout the game. Bowden started the stronger of the two sides applying pressure from the start and scoring with in the first few minutes.

From the break Whitchurch turned the scoring sheet around and equalised as Ashleigh Heath ran through the Bowden defense and slotted the ball in the bottom right corner, this raised the confidence of the Whitchurch team. Before the final whistle for the half time Bowden struck from the top of the dee into the top corner leaving the score at 2-1.

During half time Whitchurch had a very up lifting talk that boosted morale and Whitchurch started to apply pressure upon the Bowden midfield and defense the break came when Jess Kimberley struck the ball into the Bowden dee and Helen Hocknell deflected home the equaliser.

After Whitchurch had equalised they lost concentration and Bowden took advantage and scored another four goals. Whitchurch continued to press but couldn’t get the crucial final touch in front of goal.

Mel Reed was awarded player of the match and Whitchurch 2’s will be entertaining Alderley Edge 6’s to Whitchurch for a 12:30 push back