Fylde 1 3-3 Harrogate 1
It was a lovely crisp, sunny afternoon at Mill Farm with the 1st team looking to get back to winning ways. A positive warm up and good vibes were quashed by two sloppy goals conceded from PC and loose ball in the circle, but credit to Harrogate in the 1st quarter who went 2-0 up.
Credit where credit is due, the Fylde girls stuck to task regularly winning the ball in midfield and created numerous openings and chances. Firstly after a bit of a melee in the circle Dawn Child scored calmly. Some excellent interceptions led to a couple of corners for Fylde and a brilliant reverse stick finish was put away with aplomb by Olivia Merrick her first 1st team goal.
But Harrogate kept plugging away and got back in front with a calm finish. That being said Fylde didn’t panic and equalised through the creative and, right place right time, Grace Tomlinson who levelled! Who fancied it and it was Jess Wharton on a mazy run who was taken out and it was PS time for Flo Zappulla. But a good save from the Harrogate GK meant 3-3 reflected a hard working effort from both teams.
Good luck to Lisa Perry on her England U16 assessment on Sunday. Player of the match was captain Vicky Rukin.
Fylde 2 3-3 Wilmslow 1
Saturday saw a tough fixture at home for the Ladies 2’s against Wilmslow who were 4th in the table.
The sun was shining and Emma Savidge set us off to a great start with an excellent goal 7 minutes into the match. Wilmslow showed good pace and skill. They capitalised on this with two goals before half time setting the score to 1-2.
In the second half, we went down another goal making it 1-3 but an excellent team effort had Fylde rally the troops and at 44 mins this was rewarded by a Frankie Margerison deflection on the left leaving the score 2-3. After a breakout in play Olivia John-Haslam scored a cracking reverse hit to level the score at 3-3.
Fylde were under pressure for the remainder of the match, with many short corners against us but kept them out with great teamwork. Fylde 2’s worked together and kept the score at a respectable 3-3 against a skilled opposition.
MOM: Amelia Hatton, Jayne Wilson and Frankie Margerison
Lancaster University 1 2-0 Fylde 3
Having a change in players positions for this weeks game there was a slight nervousness in players. Knowing we were about to play the top of the league we tried to stay positive.
Fylde started off strong and had some chances but couldn’t score. Fylde held a lot of the possession in the first half but unfortunately by half time Lancaster Uni had scored a goal. A positive half time talk and a boost of energy we started the second half. Unfortunately no matter how hard we tried Fylde 3s couldn’t score. It was only time before Lancaster scored another goal, making the final result 2-0 to Lancaster University.
This week there is no man of the match, the reason being there was a draw between players, Emily Greenwood and Esther Thomson. Not only that but everyone who played performed excellently and it goes to show that we can keep the shape and formation we have been working on at the beginning of the season.
Lancaster & Morecambe 2 0-0 Fylde 4
A lovely day out for a game of jolly hockey sticks against Lancaster and Morecambe. A very low scoring game with the final result being 0-0.
Our regular players were very dependable and battled away as per every week. Special mentions go to Sophie Slawson in nets denying every goal from the opposition. It was great to have Evelyn So join us playing majority of the 4s game, holding her own against well established hockey women. We were all very impressed.
We had some excellent vision from Izzy Gut resulting with impressive deliveries from midfield to our strikers. Last, but by no means least, it was a pleasure to have Lucy Whiteside with us again. An asset with speed upfront, testing their keeper and giving the game 100%.
Fab efforts all around. We go again next week! Hopefully home turf will help with a win to support that promotion the ladies are still striving for.
Lancaster 3 2-1 Fylde 5
It was a sunny day at Lancaster and whist the sun made the game possible, thawing the early frost, it made the first half very difficult for the Fylde defence. Poor Philippa Hancock was saved with a temporary visor by Lancaster coach Leighan B because the sun was so strong.
Despite the sun Olivia Hartley-Smith created some excellent opportunities from some solid Fylde interceptions, Grace Lord momentarily forgot she wasn’t in goal with a perfectly timed dive and save on the line. Once Alys Williams found her stride she had an amazing game, chasing every ball and winning some amazing tackles.
Bethany Baines again didn’t fail to impress us all with some excellent passes and brilliant through balls and not forgetting an amazing goal from a PC, which is becoming a habit it seems. Dawn Perruzza fresh back from a few days in the sun played high this week with Sophia Gough, these self proclaimed defenders, made midfield look easy. Dawn never failing to connect on her tackles and Sophia being an unrelenting force whose persistence won time and time again.
Ellie Hope was the super star of the team this week showing her amazing versatility as a player covering midfield and the front line where needed. Hermione Edwards made her usually amazing runs down the right and once Alys and Hermione started to connect Fylde’s capacity to create play on that side improved dramatically. Hermione getting several opportunities of shots on goal.
Sara Tomlinson was marked by a strong Lancaster defender but stood firm moving the ball well up the field to the forwards. Hollie Twose and Debbie McClelland created some opportunities but struggled to break that Lancaster defence.
Fylde deserved a draw, the teams were well matched and even Lancaster and the umpires felt the first goal was unfortunate and due to a loose long ball and a sun blind keeper. Fylde had fire in their bellies today there is no doubt. Win as a team lose as a team.
Fylde 6 Development 4-1 Lancaster & Morecambe 3
It was a beautiful cold autumn morning with a risk of frosty pitch and freezing temperatures for the early 10:30am start this week. Fortunately the half pitch in shadow just passed the bouncing ball test and the game was on!
Fylde played again with a nice balance of experience and youthful players. Captain Fran Loffler-Thompson took a strategic decision to play without a Goalkeeper and took up a deep sweeper role as a player/coach. Fylde soon found their attacking ways and kept a well disciplined structure throughout the game. Jasmine Stirrup was the first to score with a quick deflection from a Fiona Quarmby strike.
Hollie Guthrie, our youngest ever player to start a senior match, scored a brace on her debut and Leah Richmond popped in her customary goal to remain top club scorer! All the new youngsters played their hearts out whilst the adults guided them around the pitch.
Player of the Match goes to Hollie Guthrie - a fine young player to watch in the future!
Brookfield Development 2-1 Fylde Men
Fylde Men's unbeaten run came to an end with literally the last hit of the game, conceding to a bobbling ball at a penalty corner, in a game that Fylde should really have won.
Fylde had started very brightly dominating possession for the first ten minutes, with a dynamic midfield of Tim van Rijn, Phil Weir, Luke Hitchen and Richard Clarke. It took several efforts before the first goal came, following a run and dribble by Luke Hitchen on the left wing, with a cross along the bye-line, which his father Phil Hope deflected into the goal.
Brookfield came back into the game with various attacks of their own, and their young captain was allowed to run into the D without challenge, and managed to shoot at a tight angle, finding a gap between goalkeeper Craig Nutter and the goalpost.
Fylde weren't too concerned about the equaliser, there seemed to be more goals to be had. However despite many forays upfield, including by defender Ollie Holmes, they couldn't quite find a good touch in the D. Just before the end of the first half, captain Richard Clarke took a heavy blow on his hand from a strongly struck lifted ball, and had to retire from the rest of the game with an ice-pack and hoping he hadn't incurred a fracture just before a week's holiday.
Brookfield were kind enough to share their lone sub to Fylde for the second half. Whilst Fylde continued to have more of the possession, they resorted to long passes, and inaccurate passing in the opposition D, and were thwarted in their search for another goal. Even right back Glenn Ridsdale helped out with an attacking play and a hit in the D. In general, Brookfield's attacks were kept at bay by Fylde's defence, until a final penalty corner was awarded, and a last minute winner scored by Brookfield.
No matter the result, the match was competitive and quite even, and Fylde know they will have a tougher match against the full Brookfield 1st team in 4 week's time. Man of the Match was awarded to Ollie Holmes.