Ladies thirds progress in Junior Cup

This week North Down ladies thirds travelled to play Coleraine thirds in the first round of the Junior Cup. Having never played the team before North Down were wary of the opposition but the rain stopped, the sun came out and North Down had pass back. The team started strongly and applied good pressure to the Coleraine defence for the majority of the first half but the opposition were quick on the ball and gave as good as they got. Play was very much even but with North Down’s second penalty corner of the match, Keri Portinga slotted in for the first goal. North Down let things slip and Coleraine got back into the game but the North Down defence were too strong and cleared their one and only penalty corner with ease. Minutes before the whistle blew for half time North Down got their second of the match from Emma Gowdy after the ball was passed from right back Kathryn Rogers to Laura Murray who found Britney Hogan on the edge of the circle and passed to skipper Gowdy who hit the back of the net. 

At the start of the second half Coleraine upped their game and were much faster on the pass but the visitors replied with their own quick passing between midfields and forwards. North Down got their third goal of the game after left back Ali Millar cracked the ball into the circle to right wing Britney Hogan who just slipped it past the home goalkeeper. Coleraine were determined to try and get on the scoreboard but goalkeeper Linda Marshall and sweeper Rebecca Nield read the run of the ball well and kept the defence strong. North Down ended the game with another goal from Laura Murray after a melee in the circle and finished up deserved 4-0 winners. 

Thanks to Laura Campbell for umpiring