WGC pressure the Waltham Forest midfield

The first league game of the new year saw Welwyn Garden City ladies Hockey 1sts secure thier first win of the season as they took on fellow strugglers Waltham Forest 2nds.

WGC are crowded out

WGC had the first push back and slickly passed the ball forward and within 35 seconds, the ball was in the goal and WGC were celebrating.

Unfortunately the goal was disallowed as it had hit a foot in the process of going in.

This very early chance spurred WGC with belief and midfielders Anna Geaves, Kat Parry and Jane Kinghorn executed some excellent one-twos before finding right winger, Celia Devereux, who, with her lightning speed, took the ball up to the D and powered a cross into Loz Allen.

Lots of excellent build up play such as this gave the home team chances and earned them some short corners.

But Waltham Forest proved determined in defending their goal, defeating well-worked short corner moves orchestrated by Jane Kinghorn and Sue Owen.

Waltham Forest almost took advantage of a break as they sent a loose ball into the right corner space.

Two visiting forwards and WGC defender Lisa Sheffield raced for the ball.

The WGC player easily beat Forest to the ball but then completely missed the it, enabling Forest to pick the ball up and handing them the advantage as the two unmarked players headed into the D.

Fortunately WGC defenders and midfielders had tracked back to relieve the man of the match keeper Erica Stovold.

Forest earned a short corner but were unable to capitalise and at half-time the score remained 0-0.

WGC’s confidence remained high as they pressed Forest from their push back in the second half, and took the ball off them near their 25m line.

Within three minutes WGC had earned a short corner.

Sue Owen struck the ball to the left of the goal, for Anna Geaves to tap in to take the lead.

WGC felt rewarded but Forest were reinvigorated and determined to level.

They earned a short corner and had a screamer of a ball hit the post and bounce back in to the D.

WGC found themselves defending much more in the second half; defenders Holly Butrimas-Gair, Charlie Honour and Lizzie Owen made some excellent tackles and midfielders Claire Habershon and Kev Veal worked hard to track back and defend.

Forest had more short corners in the second half and in one, during the last 10 minutes, struck the ball hard and caught Lizzie Owen square on the heel, causing her substitution from the team.

WGC’s defence was rearranged to accommodate the sweeper’s absence but they were now unsettled and Forest were getting desperate, as the end of the game approached.

The match became a scrappy battle as both teams seemed to be in WGC’s defending quarter.

But the whistle blew and WGC got their first league win of the season.

WGC hope to maintain their winning streak to obtain value points to enable them to claw out of the relegation zone.