Match Report - Saturday 24th October - Brooklands Ladies 3s -v- Knutsford Ladies 1s

Match Report - Saturday 24th October - Brooklands Ladies 3s -v- Knutsford Ladies 1s

The rain thankfully cleared before pushback at the Brooklands pitch.
The match started slightly late due to the men's match running late before ours. After an initial panic as we only had one Umpire (Dennis was sadly at the Firs not being aware of the change of venue!), Matthew Gotts stepped up and helped the Teams out.

Mother Duck was absent, trans Atlantic on her way to New York for Holly's 18th birthday treat. Laura Timms (with Cat Savage) looking after the ducks in her absence.

The match started swiftly with Knutsford starting strongly. Good end to end play was the key feature of the start of the first half with both teams putting pressure on the defence but no real goal scoring opportunities for either team.

The first shot on goal was from Becky Loonan ("Lou Lou") which went wide. Lou Lou kept the pressure up in midfield with great runs and passes through to Lottie Kielty. One of the great passes and runs pays off as Lottie is able to get the ball through to Becky Latham who gets her stick to it and the Ducks have their first goal of the match.

Knutsford come back strongly with Luci making two great saves and some great defensive play from the Brooklands back. Knutsford are awarded another short corner, but failed to make anything of it to the relief of the fans. Another great run through by Lou Lou with Ellie Cronin, Becky Latham and Lucy Shea unlucky not to get their stick to the ball and get
the second goal. This was swiftly followed by another great save by
Luci who threw herself onto the floor to keep the ducks ahead. Another short corner to Knutsford but the defence hold form to frustrate Knutsford.

Brooklands are awarded a short corner, but that 2nd goal continued to elude the Ducks. The first half ended with all the pressure on the Knutsford goal with great play and attacking by Lou Lou, Lottie, and Ellie support with some great play in midfield by Keelin. Half time was welcome as the team were tired and Emilie Chandler was starting to feel the pressure of playing while feeling so poorly.

The 2nd half Knutsford start strong with a quickly awarded short corner, but the defence clear it after a few false starts and some holding of breath on the sideline by the fans! Young Izzy Hamm is off the pitch for 2 minutes for not adhering to the 5 yard rule which the Umpires were keen to enforce for both teams. No sooner was Izzy back on the pitch than Hatch (Amy Jones) on her debut match returning from maternity leave was off the pitch for the same reason. Tense times on and off the pitch with Emilie Chandler huddled in the dug out keeping warm and feeling very poorly while Hatch waits impatiently to get back on. Despite being a player down, Brooklands kept the pressure up but Knutsford hold strong and were quick to retaliate. Some great defending and a great run down the wing by Amy (Patterson) before getting a full body slam from a Knutsford player nearly concussing her! All the pressure was on Brooklands to keep that Knutsford equaliser out. Susan and baby bump are on the sidelines, supporting and encouraging and coping with the stress of the second half.

Despite great defending, the relentless pressure from Knutsford on the defence pays off and they get the equaliser. The crowd get behind Brooklands in the late autumn sun resulting in another great run through by Lou Lou but is unlucky to be thwarted by the strong Knutsford defence. Knutsford are awarded yet another short corner but great defending keeps it out and Ellie responds with a great run through.
Brooklands are quickly awarded a short corner and Lou Lou is unlucky not to get the 2nd goal in. The Ducks despite being tired, with no subs and playing a strong mature team keep fighting on and defending their goal.

Tense times on and off the pitch with 3 minutes to and Knutsford get a short corner but a great save by the lovely Luci in goal keeps it level. Lottie goes in for a tackle and is very unlucky to have another short awarded to Knutsford in the last minute of the match. The Umpire whistles that the match will be over after the short corner and luckily for the Ducks the ball goes wide of goal and the match is over. It was tense, hard fought and one of the tougher matches the Ducks have had this season but they held on for a well deserved draw against a mature, experienced and well established team which also keeps them tied on 16 points at the top end of the table.

A fairly quiet team convened for teas in the clubhouse...perhaps it was quiet because Mother Duck wasn't there....

Final score 1 all. Opposition's MOM - Lottie K.

Our MOM - Becky Loonan (Lou Lou)

Our DOD - Despite being absent and unable to defend herself, Mother Duck herself Pamela Dixon got the vote! Overwhelmingly with comments on not being there, re-arranging the fixture so some players weren't available to play, failing to tell Dennis of the change of venue being amongst the comments and votes....Sorry Pam....

The next match is after the half term break when Pamela will be back to provide her ever forceful encouragement for the Might Ducks!