Ladies Start With Draw
By Laura Campbell
On Saturday the North Down Ladies 2nds took to the pitch for their first league match of the new season at Comber Leisure Centre. They welcomed their opponents Belfast Harlequins 4ths and like every team both wanted to start the season on a high.
The match got under way with both teams just trying to get settled into the match. Harlequins tested their shooting skills first however the experienced defensive team of Linda Marshal in goals alongside Rebecca Walker, Judith Orr, Karen Moore and Karen Jackson had a complete lock out on the Quins’ forwards. North Down started really working well as a team, player of the match Jenna Hoey worked well with winger Olivia Brown, their speed at times proved too fast for the visitors to keep up with. Great calls and switches of play happening in midfield between Julie Fisher and Laura Campbell managed to stretch the opposing team giving the forwards Amy Jones and Charlotte Mckee plenty of opportunities.
The deadlock was finally broken from a well worked long corner when a one/two between Orr and Campbell led to a great cross into the circle where Mckee was waiting in post for her first goal of the season.
Half time was all positive talk for North Down aiming for much of the same in the second half but Quins seem to have got really fired up and came out flying and within the first five minutes the teams were back on level scores. North Down struggled to get back into their quick fire passing but soon started to up the pace with Kathy Taylor proving some essential switch of plays from the centre of the pitch. Britney Hogan having her senior hockey debut proved a fantastic addition to the team, playing three different positions throughout the match and playing comfortably in all. The Comber girls kept pushing for the win and ended as the dominating side but there were no more goals.
A fantastic start for the North Down Ladies showing lots of potential for the forthcoming season, big thanks to Jo Irwin for umpiring and well done to player of the match Jenna Hoey.