Oxton ladies 3s 2 Whitchurch ladies 2s 0

Whitchurch Ladies 2nd team travelled away to Oxton on a cold and very wet afternoon.

The first half saw Whitchurch riding their luck to hold Oxton at bay. Oxton had several attempts on goal but goalkeeper Shola Bailey was able to protect her goal with the able assistance of Sally Pearce and Mel Reid in defence.

The second half saw Oxton come out fighting and they soon took advantage to score the first goal of the match.  Oxton currently third in the league showed why they are there restricting Whitchurch opportunities. Oxton finally broke down the resolute Whitchurch defence scoring their second goal.

The ladies 1s and the Men’s games were cancelled due to the flooding of the home pitch.

The hockey now takes a break until the New Year.

Whitchurch Mens 2s  2  Winnington Park

Whitchurch 2s entertained second-placed Winnington Park 4s. In the reverse fixture earlier in the season Winnington had run out 8-2 winners, with Whitchurch struggling to put out 11 players. However, on this occasion Whitchurch were able to field a full squad and subs.

Neither team managed to score in an even first half. Winnington moved the ball well going forward and excellent defending from Iain Bones, Mark Sugden, James Nicholson, Doug Buckeridge and Ben Fry restricted Winnington to a handful of clear-cut opportunities. When they were able to get strikes at goal Paul Leigh made some excellent saves.

But Whitchurch also looked dangerous going forward and the movement of Ellis Hickson and Tom Leonard caused the Winnington defence a number of nervous moments. Tom Leonard was twice denied by excellent defending on the post from Whitchurch short corners.

In the second half Whitchurch managed to gain more control over midfield through the excellent work of Craig Hockenhull, Richard Leigh and Josh Parry. This enabled Whitchurch to restrict the Winnington team going forward and create more chances themselves. Again Tom Leonard was unfortunate not to score with some fierce strikes at goal and Craig Hockenhull struck the post with a tremendous shot from a narrow angle.

Midway through the second half a swift Whitchurch break led to Aaron Shackleton bursting into the Winnington D on the right and squaring for Ellis Hickson to sweep home the first goal of the game.

Winnington upped their levels after the goal and tried to regain control of midfield and force Whitchurch back. Although they were able to force a number of short corners, Whitchurch defended resolutely and restricted Winnington to only one real chance, which brought out a partial save from Paul Leigh and an excellent goal-line clearance from Iain Bones.

Despite losing territory, Whitchurch were still a threat on the break with Jake Wood making some excellent runs on the left-hand side. Shortly before the end of the game Ellis Hickson was put clean through on goal. Aaron Shackleton made an incredible run to support and Ellis’s square pass was brilliantly finished by Aaron to make the score 2-0.

This was an excellent team performance from Whitchurch against a very skilful and well-drilled Winnington team. Whitchurch defended in numbers and restricted Winnington to very few real chances. However Whitchurch also looked dangerous going forward and created a number of good chances for themselves.

A special mention to injured team captain Phil Tranter whose excellent use of substitutes kept the Whitchurch team fresh throughout the game and whose encouragement from the sidelines kept the team focused throughout the game.

The win moves Whitchurch 2s up to 6^th place in the league.

 

Whitchurch ladies 2s 1    Runcorn Ladies 2s 2

Whitchurch started strong in the first half of the match with good attacks on the opposition and really dominating the game. When Runcorn attacked the Whitchurch dee Wendy Cooper, Sally Pearce and Shola Bailey stood strong and defended all of the shots from Runcorn.

In the first half of the game the possession was 50:50 with both teams fighting hard for the ball. At half­time the score remained at 0­-0.

In the second half the play was still as strong and Whitchurch were fighting hard for that much needed goal.

There were some fantastic attacks from Charlotte Lawder, Emily Vernon, Hayleigh Busby and Captain Julia Neale, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to score the goal. Runcorn gained two goals in the second half but towards the end of the game, a well-timed run from Charlotte Ridgeway ensured she spotted Emily Vernon who then went on to score a fantastic goal.

Despite the score Whitchurch kept positive and played as a team hoping to equalise the score but in the end the game ended 2-1. Shola Bailey was awarded player of the match.

Next week Whitchurch are away against Oxton Ladies 3’s at 2:00.

 

Whitchurch ladies 1s 3  Triton ladies 2s 0

Whitchurch entertained Triton with a number of regulars missing due to the wedding of defender Katie Plant but showed the depth of players within the club as they maintained their chase for promotion.

Triton from the start of the match sat back and defended in numbers, breaking up wave after wave of Whitchurch attacks. It was midway through the half before Whitchurch finally broke the deadlock with Jane Williamson firing in a blistering short corner strike.

The half time talk settled the team and encouraged them to maintain discipline rather than pushing all out for the second goal. Whitchurch continued the second half exactly as the first finished playing the ball around and looking for the break in the Triton defence.

Striker Sue Read finally gave Whitchurch some comfort as she scrambled the ball home after a deflection off the keeper’s pads. Whitchurch secured all the points when Jane Williamson scored her second off the game with another powerful short corner strike to secure another well-deserved three points.

 

Llandudno Mens 2’s   1 Whitchurch Men’s 1s 6

Whitchurch travelled travelled away to the wind swept coast of North Wales for another win over rivals Llandudno. Goals from Ben Lea (3), Joe Nicholson (2) and Steve Lloyd secured another three points.