Newmarket travelled to Huntingdon for their first game of the
Cambridgeshire Ladies League having returned to division 1 after a
season of relegation. The game was an important one for morale and
with only 10 players, skipper Sam Smith chose a defensive formation,
determined not to let an early goal allow Huntingdon the upper hand.
After a shaky start, Newmarket
soon began to play well as a team. The quality of the opposition
caused them to play more fluid hockey than they had needed in
division 2. Left wing, Marie Williams’s ball control looked as
though she’d been practicing lots over the summer. With keeper Sue
Bullimore there to back them up, the players were able to push
forward with confidence and many short corners were won. Most
attempts went wide and Huntingdon made use of clearances to try for
some goals of their own.
A contentious penalty flick was
awarded against Huntingdon for interfering with a scoring
opportunity. The flick was taken but denied, with Newmarket
claiming it came out the back of the goal from the inside and
Huntingdon claiming it was outside.
The goal drought ended at 24
minutes. A short corner strike by Beth Wombwell was denied by the
‘keeper but skipper Smith collected the rebound and fed the ball in
to Sarah Haird who slotted it into the left corner.
Being 1 player down may have
put a strain on Newmarket’s fitness levels but there was benefit in
the lack of crowding of the ball and more co-ordinated play.
Excellent passing and some great runs justified Tracy Cockerill as
‘man’ of the match. Huntingdon tended to favour their right side
but forays down the left were also strongly defended, Bev Rolph
showing athleticism that belied her recent 50th birthday.
Town expect to field a full
team next week when they play Huntingdon 1s in Bury, 12.30 push
back.
10th
September 2005
Friendly game.
Saffron Walden 7 : Newmarket Town 0
Newmarket Ladies visited
Saffron Walden on Saturday for a friendly game to start the new
season. Newmarket had only 8 players due to previous commitments,
Walden however had enough players to lend for a more even game.
With 11 versus 10 at the start, Walden opened the scoring in the
first minute. Some powerful hitting from the top of the D helped to
add a couple more goals towards the end of the first half.
Both teams had 11 players in
the second half but lack of fitness following the summer break
showed as the more youthful home team maintained a pace Newmarket
could not match. Town’s skills did pick up however with
communication and passing improving as the game went on but not
sufficient to prevent Walden’s consistent goal scoring for the game
to end 7:0.
Newmarket’s unbeaten run in the
league last season saw an easy return to division 1. Although this
was a friendly game, it shows that Newmarket may suffer from the
ease with which they passed through last season. They certainly
can’t rest on their laurels, team consistency and pre-season
friendlies will be vital to ensure that their game improves to match
the competition.
Newmarket host St Ives at
Nowton Park, Bury next Saturday (friendly) 12:00 push back.
