Ladies seconds Intermediate Plate win
North Down ladies seconds travelled to South Antrim firsts on Saturday for the first round of the Intermediate Plate. Having played only one game so far in 2014 which resulted in a loss the Comber girls were determined to get back to winning ways.
North Down were quick out of the blocks with great attacking play and straight away put the home side on the back foot. Fast play up the left side of the pitch between skipper Laura Campbell and Olivia Brown resulted in a great cross which set Jenna Hoey up for an easy sweep into goal. The Comber girls carried on with piling the pressure onto South Antrim with Natasha Adamson creating some great switches of play which gave forwards Amy Jones, Shannen White and Charlotte McKee some great goal scoring opportunities which they were unlucky not to capitalize on. This was the only goal of the half and North Down went into the break with this slim one goal advantage.
The pattern of play continued in the second half however, South Antrim began to build up quick counterattacks which gave them some goal opportunities but the strong defensive team of Rebecca Walker, Karen Moore, Karen Jackson, Judith Orr and Rebecca Brown kept them at bay. All under the watchful eye of keeper Natasha Morton who successfully kept a clean sheet in her first match for the seconds. North Down kept the pressure up and after great team work up the pitch a short corner was earned. With a quick out Jenna Hoey slipped the ball over to Ali Miller who hammered the ball home to give the Comber girls the winning goal.
North Down played a possession game to see out the final few minutes and with the final whistle North Down progressed to the second round of the Plate.
Player of the Match: Rebecca Walker with her great performance as sweeper. Thanks to Andrew Haire who travelled with the team to umpire.