Ladies 3rd XI

Match Report

Slazengers Ladies 3s made the trip to Ben Rhydding to take on their third team in what proved to be a hard-fought and competitive match.

The game started evenly, with both sides settling into their rhythm. It was Ben Rhydding who found the net first, although Slazengers were unfortunate to see a Ben Rhydding foot go unnoticed in the build-up.

Caro Schofield restarted play and was clearly fired up by the decision. She drove the ball down the pitch to win a long corner, before a fantastic run from defender Beth Buckley saw her receive the ball on the corner flag and deliver it into the D. Schofield was on hand with a first-time strike, finding the backboard to level the score.
Slazengers were playing some good hockey but were coming under increasing pressure from a determined Ben Rhydding side. Katie Knighton made an important save, but the rebound allowed another shot at goal. For the second week running, Nicole Knox was on hand to produce a brilliant goal-line save.

Despite some valiant defensive work from Slazengers, Ben Rhydding managed to find the net three more times before half-time, leaving the score 4-1 at the break.
The second half saw Slazengers side really get ‘stuck in’ and showed plenty of fight across the pitch. Lisa Minchella was impressive as ever, dictating play and helping direct the team.

The partnership between the defenders was clear to see, with Sarah Richtea back where she belongs and the whole defensive unit making crucial tackles, while Knighton continued to make some excellent saves in goal.
Further up the pitch, Courtney Rowley, Evie Mollart and Izzy Armitage all put in a tremendous shift and looked impressive throughout. Rowley drove the ball into the D and created the opportunity for a shot on goal, with Schofield finishing the move to score her second of the match.
It proved to be the only goal of the second half, with Slazengers showing real character to keep Ben Rhydding at bay and finish the game 4-2.
Slazengers may not have come away with the result they wanted, but they are clearly gaining momentum every week and should be proud of the performance they put in today.
Player of the Match went to Beth Buckley for her driving runs and solid tackling throughout the game.