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Sat 06 Oct 2018 ·  Midland Ladies Hockey League Division 2
Ladies 1st XIOlton & West Warwicks 2
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Kettering narrowly lose
Laura Beacon7 Oct 2018 - 12:36
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Kettering lose from a lucky Olton goal.
We knew that Olton would be a much changed side from last season. With their youngsters having a years more experience and many of their other players having national league experience.
This showed from the start with Kettering pinned in their own half for the first 20 minutes. Some excellent defensive work from the back four and goal keeper Kate Metcalfe, with support from the midfield kept the ball out of the net. After this Kettering seemed to start finding space and slowly got back into the game. Some excellent work by Sophie Reynolds and, player of the match, Cath Irvin through the middle gave the defence some much needed respite as Kettering started to apply their own pressure. As the home team started to win penalty corners Kettering had a great chance to go ahead as the ball was stopped on the line by an Olton leg, but this call for a flick was dismissed by the umpire and another penalty corner awarded. The best chance of the half started with Irvin as she threaded a ball through the Olton defence to play in Jess Clarke supported by Sophie Richardson to form a 2 on 1 in the D. Clarke feeding the ball to Richardson on the left post whose shot was expertly saved by the Olton Keeper.
The 2nd half was much the same as the 1st half ended. Both sides winning short corners and having their own chances to take the lead.
Olton broke the deadlock half way through the 2nd half. A save from Metcalfe and a clearance by defender Charlie Fowle eventually landed the ball back to an Olton attacker who fed a knee high ball into the D. The Olton forward just stuck her stick out and in sheer luck the ball was knocked of course just enough to get past Metcalfe in goal.
This spurred Kettering to push forward and the hosts created some good chances. Fowle having the best chance as a good defender dodging drive into the top of the D led to a push shot that went just wide of the left post. Other chances were scuppered by bobbling balls into the D.
Kettering can take positives from this game that we can challenge against strong opposition, and believe a draw would have been a fairer result, but we still await the elusive win.
This showed from the start with Kettering pinned in their own half for the first 20 minutes. Some excellent defensive work from the back four and goal keeper Kate Metcalfe, with support from the midfield kept the ball out of the net. After this Kettering seemed to start finding space and slowly got back into the game. Some excellent work by Sophie Reynolds and, player of the match, Cath Irvin through the middle gave the defence some much needed respite as Kettering started to apply their own pressure. As the home team started to win penalty corners Kettering had a great chance to go ahead as the ball was stopped on the line by an Olton leg, but this call for a flick was dismissed by the umpire and another penalty corner awarded. The best chance of the half started with Irvin as she threaded a ball through the Olton defence to play in Jess Clarke supported by Sophie Richardson to form a 2 on 1 in the D. Clarke feeding the ball to Richardson on the left post whose shot was expertly saved by the Olton Keeper.
The 2nd half was much the same as the 1st half ended. Both sides winning short corners and having their own chances to take the lead.
Olton broke the deadlock half way through the 2nd half. A save from Metcalfe and a clearance by defender Charlie Fowle eventually landed the ball back to an Olton attacker who fed a knee high ball into the D. The Olton forward just stuck her stick out and in sheer luck the ball was knocked of course just enough to get past Metcalfe in goal.
This spurred Kettering to push forward and the hosts created some good chances. Fowle having the best chance as a good defender dodging drive into the top of the D led to a push shot that went just wide of the left post. Other chances were scuppered by bobbling balls into the D.
Kettering can take positives from this game that we can challenge against strong opposition, and believe a draw would have been a fairer result, but we still await the elusive win.
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