Potters Bar 1s v Hertford 1s

27th February 2010

On Saturday Potters Bar Ladies 1s made the short journey to Hertford to play Hertford Ladies 1s, a team just one point below them in the league table.

Potters Bar were again missing a number of players but were determined to get another win under their belts. Unfortunately, the game didn’t quite start the way Bar would have liked. Bar were pushed into defence early on and found themselves quickly 0-3 down after some excellent big hits from the top of the circle by the Hertford forward line which Bar’s defenders were unable to intercept.

A slight re-arrange of the team began to make a difference and Bar were beginning to have some opportunities to put pressure on Hertford’s back line. Caroline Stanners picked up the ball in midfield and was able to run straight into the circle, dodging a couple of defenders with her fast stick skills, and had a strike on goal that beat the keeper.

Hertford were still very keen to keep pouncing on Bar’s defence and some quick moves through their midfield and into the circle won them a short corner. Mo Gough in goal was just unable to deflect another strong strike from the top of the circle to give Hertford a 4-1 lead.

Shortly after Bar won an attacking short corner at the other end of the pitch to which Anna Walker took the strike and slipped it into Sarah Jowett who had made the run towards goal and flicked it past the keeper to bring the score to 2-4. This pumped Bar up knowing that if they kept up their work rate they could get back into the game after their disastrous start.

At half time Bar were still 2-4 down and were fully aware of the hard work they needed to pull off to get back into the game but they were determined to do so.

Potters Bar saw most of the play at the beginning of the second half, Vanessa Porter was able to run at her defender up the right wing and used her speed to carry the ball into the circle where Jowett was waiting, her shot went just wide of the post but Viki Ayres was on hand on the left wing to slip the ball past the keeper.

Some excellent teamwork by Anna Walker and, Man of the Match, Jo Spinks in centre midfield kept Hertford’s 2nd half attacks to a minimum intercepting their long passes through to their forward line. Walker and Spinks’s interceptions began Bar’s attacking opportunities and created some excellent 2 v 1 moves. Bar won a short corner and the injected ball from Stanners went straight to the top of the circle to Walker who slipped the ball back to Stanners who had crept towards the left hand goal post and connected superbly with the ball placing it past the keeper to bring Bar back level at 4-4.

The remainder of the game saw equal possession from both teams, both with scoring chances. Just before the final whistle Herford won an attacking penalty corner, a tense time for Bar, however, an excellent clearance away from danger by Claire Moore resulted in a 4-4 draw.

Potters Bar Ladies 1s are back on their home ground next Saturday to meet the team one place above them in the table, Stevenage.

Team: Mo Gough, Claire Moore, Ruth Spencer, Karen Lawson, Viki Ayres, Caroline Stanners, Anna Walker, Jo Spinks, Sarah Jowett, Vanessa Porter, Faye Jowett

Goalscorers: Caroline Stanners x 2, Sarah Jowett and Viki Ayres