Potters Bar 1s v Havering 1s

20th March 2010

Potters Bar Ladies 1s were back on home turf on Saturday playing Havering 1s, a team sitting towards the top of the table.

Havering dominated early possession of the game with some well worked balls spreading play from wing to wing, keeping Potters Bar on their toes. This pressed Bar into defence however they managed to prevent any final shot on goal.

Against the run of play early in the first half, Bar had a break out of defence through Anna Walker in central midfield whose injected ball found Sarah Jowett in the circle who produced a quick strike on goal wrong footing the Having keeper to give Bar a 1-0 lead.

This early lead against a much stronger team spurred Bar on. They worked well as a team and produced some excellent hockey to pile on the pressure on the Havering defence. A long corner taken from the right by Walker found Caroline Partridge just outside the circle who crossed the ball into the circle to Lucy Edwards coming in from the left wing who connected perfectly with the pass to strike the ball past the keeper to double Bar’s lead.

Havering came back at Potters Bar and produced some excellent build up play into their attacking circle with a strike on goal that was superbly saved by Mo Gough, who had another fantastic game.

Just before half time Potters Bar were back in attack and had a short corner which Caroline Stanners injected to Walker who had an excellent strike on goal that went through most of the Havering defenders and into the back of the goal. Potters Bar went into half time with a 3-0 lead.

At the half time break Potters Bar were fully aware that they needed to keep up their hard work to maintain their lead as a slight lapse in concentration could see the game change dramatically.

Potters Bar kept their concentration during the beginning of the second half and continued to play well together as a team. Stanners had an excellent run up the left wing dodging a number of Havering players to play the ball off to Edwards in the circle who had a first time shot on goal that beat the keeper. Bar found themselves 4-0 up early on in the second half with a lot more of the game left to play.

Havering really pilled on the pressure after Bar’s 4th goal and Potters Bar were forced into their defending 25m. Karen Lawson had a fantastic game as deep centre half clearing some of the Havering attacks on goal. Havering won a number of short corners that Stanners was able to intercept and clear from danger. A further Havering short corner saw the ball struck quickly from the top of their circle and it just crept in inside the post to bring one goal back.

With about 10 minutes left to play, Potters Bar were back in attack, a quick pass from Walker found Jowett in the circle who turned superbly to flick the ball just inside the post to produce Bar’s 5th goal of the afternoon.

Potters Bar were very pleased with their performance and are back at Dame Alice Owens School next Saturday to play their last game of the season against Blueharts.

Team: Mo Gough, Claire Moore, Ruth Spencer, Karen Lawson, Faye Jowett, Caroline Stanners, Anna Walker, Sarah Jowett, Laura Pointing, Lucy Edwards, Vanessa Porter, Caroline Partridge

Goalscorers: Sarah Jowett x 2, Lucy Edwards x 2 and Anna Walker