Potters Bar 1s v Havering 1s

13th February 2010

On Saturday Potters Bar Ladies 1s travelled away to Havering, Essex, to play a rearranged game from earlier on in the season.

The game was delayed by over half an hour due to the match beforehand running late to the annoyance of the Bar players. However, when the game eventually got underway Bar were focused and determined to improve their play from the previous weeks.

The Havering side were a young side with well rehearsed moves which allowed them to attack into Bar’s defending 25m and their sharp stick skills allowed them to get around the defence and luckily Mo Gough was on top form to clear their shots on goal.

Against the run of play, Bar released an early ball out of defence that found Vanessa Porter on the right wing, her cross into the circle found Sarah Jowett who skilfully pulled the defender away and found space to push the ball past the keeper to give Bar a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after Havering upped their game and Bar were pushed into defence. An excellent challenge by Karen Lawson in the circle angered the Havering forward who threw her stick and in attempting to get out of the way Lawson twisted her ankle and had to be substituted. The Havering player was given a stern warning by the umpire.

A further break out of defence found Sarah Jowett with space to run at the opposition’s deep defender. She found herself just outside the circle and the Havering player shockingly took out Jowett with her stick to which the Havering umpire allowed play to carry on.

At half time Bar were still 1-0 up, however, at the beginning of the second half Havering were hungry to get back into the game. Potters Bar gave Havering too much time on the ball in their defending circle and allowed them to take a shot of goal which was superbly saved by Gough, however, the rebound shot was flicked high out of Gough’s reach to level the game.

The Havering umpire seemed to blow continuously in Bar’s defending circle to give Havering short corner after short corner and even outside the circle for challenges that he thought were malicious. Bar spent most of the later part of the second half defending corners to which Havering took full advantage and pulled 2 more goals back.

Bar kept working hard but it was not going to be their day, at the final whistle Bar came out 1-3 losers to a very aggressive Havering side. Next week Bar face an even tougher game away against top of the league Old Loughtonians.

Goal: Sarah Jowett