Brentwood 2- St Albans 2

Cloudy, windy and chance of rain- the hockey season has started again! The Ladies’ 1XI played their first game at home on Saturday looking to take off where they finished last season. With quite a few different players in the team this season, the ladies’ started very strong and was as if they didn’t have a break. Great pressure from the forward line of Lisa Payne, Gemma Chambers and Nikki Brimson caused a few opportunities and the first goal came shortly into the first half with a short corner straight striker from captain Emily Walker. Brentwood continued to push forward with a near chance from Louise McCarthy’s deflection which clipped the post. Haylee Adams helped push the defence forward to support the front line and her pass found Shirley Osmotherly who crossed it into the dee. Sophie Cis’ initial strike was saved by the keeper but Brimson was nearby and quick to flick the ball over the keeper for their second goal. Cis then caught a ball to the eye causing a slight delay in the game and the girls to find them down to 11 players. They soaked up a bit of pressure from the St Albans’ attack with Sinead Wilson and Amy Inwood teaming up well on the left hand side to try and keep Brentwood possession.

Second half started with a lot of pressure from St Albans’ but the defence soaked this up with Nat Gilder in the middle helping both back and forward to try and create chances. Keeper, Lorna Parsons, made a succession of great saves to stop any St Alban chances however a short corner save caught some spin on the ball and bounced backwards into the goal. Brentwood still created chances with Chambers and Brimson pressing the defence. The girls suffered another penalty corner in the dying seconds of the game and a strike found its way into the bottom corner of the goal with St Albans’ able to settle the score in the last touch of the game.

Ladies’ travel to Hertford next week