Ladies 1st XI Vs Cambridge Nomads 1

Pelicans Ladies 1’s v Cambridge Nomads Ladies 1’s Saturday 3rd February 2018 at Pelicans Hockey Club

Pelicans Ladies 1sts welcomed Cambridge Nomads 1’s to Lynnsport on yet another cold, grey and drizzly day.  Peli’s were without Suzie Lemon (ankle injury) with Amy Anderson and Annabelle Brown also unavailable. Emily Pluck joined the squad of 12 players after a string of strong performances in Ladies 2’s.  

Pelicans lined up in their usual 1-3-4-3 formation with Atlanta Stevenson in goal, a back three of Jade Collison at left back, Hannah Aldous at centre back and Nic Lankfer at right back, 4 player midfield diamond with Laura Tea at the base in the sweeper role, Ellie Burt at the top of the diamond in high centre mid role, Holly Wilson left mid and Lucy Lim right mid. Three player forward line up of Grace Carrier on left wing, Poppy Beales at centre forward and Ella Scott on right wing.

Peli’s started strongly and 5 minutes in Poppy Beales took a pass in the D and skipped through defenders to get a good angle on the Nomads keeper and score. 1-0 to Pelicans who looked the better team for much of the first half with the passing and understanding between Poppy Beales and Ellie Burt looking particularly promising. Nomads started to come back into it as the half wore on and just before half time they pushed forward in numbers down the right drawing the Pelis defence and goalkeeper leaving space for a pass to an unmarked player at top D who scored with a reverse stick strike into a near open goal. 1-1 and a heavy blow to Peli’s to concede something of a soft goal.

The second half saw Nomads having the better of the play until Poppy Beales broke from the half way line into the Nomads D, her shot on goal rebounding off the keeper to be picked up by the same player and crossed back into the D for a further saved attempt on goal. Pelis then had to reshuffle their formation as Nic Lankfer took a nasty blow to the hand from an Atlanta clearance from the top of the D and needed a break on the bench. Nomads were now playing well organised passing hockey and were regularly in Pelicans D. One such break saw them win a short corner and a strong straight short from the top of the D took a deflection off a Peli stick and into the goal giving Atlanta no chance. 2-1 to Nomads which despite a strong end to the match from Pelicans winning a number of short corners of their own, was the final score.

The last match between these fairly well matched sides was a loss by one goal and Pelis will feel they let one get away today and perhaps the Nomads ability not to give the ball away cheaply and to execute the simple pass was the difference between the teams. Nevertheless a committed performance from Pelicans with Emily Pluck looking very much at home in the team and notable running and industry from Lucy Lim and Ellie Burt and unflustered organisation and defence from Hannah Aldous which saw her claim Player of the Match.

The goal from Poppy Beales today saw her move on to 6 for the season with Holly Wilson on 7 – game on ladies! On a final note, great to see this team of teenagers and those, umm, a little out of their teens enjoying banter together over match teas – great team spirit ladies.  

Final score - Pelicans Ladies 1sts 1 Cambridge Nomads 2 

                       Alistair Beales 03/02/18

Disclaimer – this match report is written by a touchline parent who doesn’t play hockey and who usually has a daughter in the team so nepotism and ignorance of the game to the fore.