Match Reports 15 & 16 Nov 2025
- Peter Latimer
- 1 day ago
- 11 min read
An incredible 36 goals scored by the 7 Fylde teams across the Saturday leagues, including a mightily impressive 9-1 home win from the Ladies 1's. Defeat on Sunday for the Mixed team in the 1st round of the EH Cup.
Fylde 1 9-1 Kirkby Stephen 1
Fylde HC Ladies 1st Team delivered a stunning performance as they secured a dominant 9–1 victory over Kirkby Stephen.
Although Fylde began the match a little shakily, they struck first through Nicky Kellett, who calmly put them ahead. However, Kirkby Stephen responded almost immediately, levelling the score at 1–1 and giving Fylde a wake-up call.
From that moment on, Fylde settled into their rhythm, tightening their passing and dictating the pace of the game. Their second goal came when Jessica Wharton fired a superb ball into the D, where Grace McGarvey produced a composed deflection to restore the lead. Fylde’s confidence grew, and the goals quickly followed, with Wharton adding her own name to the scoresheet before Megan Wildish and Olivia Newman-Kirk found the net as well.
Fylde’s movement and sharp passing proved too much for Kirkby Stephen to handle, and the pressure continued to build. Both Nicky Kellett and Megan Wildish completed well-deserved hat-tricks, rounding off a clinical attacking display.
The final whistle confirmed an impressive 9–1 victory, reflecting a true team performance with contributions from every player on the pitch. Fylde will be hoping to carry this fantastic form into next weekend’s away fixture against Wakefield.
Fylde 2 0-1 Lancaster University 1
Fylde stepped onto the pitch determined to continue their excellent form from the previous week, fully aware that despite Lancaster’s recent results, they could not be taken lightly.
Both teams opened with real intent, creating chances at either end. Midway through the first half, Fylde failed to deal with a Lancaster break down the right. Even with attackers well marked, the ball somehow found its way into the back of the Fylde net, giving Lancaster a surprise 1–0 lead. Undeterred, Fylde responded superbly dominating the final 15 minutes of the half, pinning Lancaster in their own territory and carving out multiple chances, but unable to find the finishing touch.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Lancaster defended deep and in numbers, rarely escaping their own half, while Fylde continued to probe and push with determination. Despite sustained pressure, clever rotations, and several promising efforts, the equaliser just wouldn’t come.
A frustrated and disappointed Fylde side left the pitch knowing they had deserved more but also knowing the performance level was there. Now the challenge is to lift spirits and bounce back strongly next week. 🙁💙🏑
Fylde 3 4-1 Kirkby Lonsdale 1
This week the 3s came up against mid table Kirby Lonsdale in front of a large home crowd. Kirby Lonsdale’s first and only goal came from some confusion of whether the ball had been touched in the D or not which led to their forward (who wasn’t even trying to score) slipping it into the back of the net within the first 2 minutes.
Fylde came back out strong, they worked the ball around, having faith in each other to shift the ball across and up the pitch, they created immense amount of pressure for the Kirby defence. Forwards Sophia Melling, Issy Gut and Abi Wensley carried out the press amazingly as ever, winning the ball back almost every time! They used this to create multiple outcomes in the D which included gaining a few short corners where Hermione Edwards stepped up to strike but was unfortunately unsuccessful in finding the backboard.
A short corner was won 15 minutes into the first half where Abbie Warburton injected the ball to Lydia Hayhurst, the ball was slipped out to Jessica Jennings and back in to P- spot for Lydia to put the ball away to make the score line 1-1. This grew the 3s confidence and they were eager for more goals.
The back 4 calmly passed the ball between themselves which started to tire Kirby Stephens as we crept towards half time. Megan Hartley- Smith, who played amazingly throughout the game in both defence and forward positions, drove the line, playing the ball in and out with the midfielders to bypass the opposition.
At half time the score line remained 1-1 and although Fylde felt as if they were winning, they discussed what they needed to do in the second half to make this a reality.
Within minutes of the second half whistle, Abbie Warburton won the team another short corner, this time the ball was injected to Hermione Edwards, stood to the left of the D, who accurately slapped the ball across the D, through all the defence to Jessica Jennings who was waiting at back post for the tap in. 2-1!
The 3s weren’t put under much pressure from the opposition and the majority of the second half was played in their attacking 23, occasionally Kirby tried to catch the 3s on a break but Lauren Mayor and Lauren Appleyard dealt with this fantastically with the rest of the defence to clear the ball wide and continue their hunt for more goals. Fylde were rewarded for their efforts with another short corner less than 10 minutes later where Lydia Hayhurst and Jessica Jennings worked the ball around again to increase the score to 3-1!
And as if this wasn’t enough, 3 minutes later Abi Wensley picked up the ball on the baseline, beating a player and setting up the ball perfectly for Sophia Melling to slot away another goal. 4-1! However, Sophia then went for a sit down after she picked up her second green card in 2 games.
The game ended 4-1 to Fylde, a well deserved win that keeps them top of the league and still 3 points clear which is crucial going into next week’s match away against 3rd in the league, Wigton.
We are so proud of the girls for the effort they displayed throughout the whole match and for the way they worked together to ensure they came out with the 3 points!
Player of the match this week went to Jessica Jennings for her excellent contribution in both midfield and attack to create opportunities around the D and for her well positioned goal in the second half to give Fylde their lead!
DOD had multiple candidates, three stand out highlights was; Megan Hartley- Smith pleased with herself for getting to the meet time on time, only to find she has forgotten all the bottom half of her kit. Lydia Hayhurst pleading with the umpire after being ran into to try and win the free hit with the exclamation ‘she even said sorry’ and Abbie Southern who managed to film the warehouse behind the pitch for the majority of the first half, much to coach Jay Currey’s annoyance who couldn’t wait to watch it back after playing away in Colwyn Bay.
Fylde 4 5-2 Pendle Forest 3
Fylde 4s started their game against Pendle Forest 3 with a baseline run from Sara Tomlinson resulting in a penalty corner. Olivia Hartley-Smith received the ball on the outside of the D and promptly sent it to the far post happily deflected into the goal by an opposition player to start off the scoring in the first two minutes.
Pendle attacked strongly down the middle but the Fylde midfield did well to intercept and send the ball out to the wings. A Pendle short corner attempt was quickly cleared by Evie Dunne as Fylde mounted the attack again. Hollie Guthrie picked up the ball at half way and drove down to the baseline, popping the ball back to the penalty spot for Sara Tomlinson to slip it past the keeper.
A quick restart saw Emily Finney intercept Pendle to pass the ball forward to Hollie Guthrie who deflected onto Sophia Taylor who took aim at the goal and landed Fylde’s third of the game. Zoe Kirkham delighted the supporters when she made a guest appearance as a right mid for the last 10 minutes of the half.
After halftime Pendle continued to press and challenge Fylde’s midfield and defensive line. Izzie Thompson was a force to be reckoned with at the back regularly breaking down Pendle play and moving the ball out to the safety of the wings. Pendle did not back down and took their opportunities where they could. They took a free hit quickly from the back which caught Fylde off guard and managed to charge down the right hand side of the pitch landing three of their players in the D outnumbering keeper Laura Troth and resulting in their first goal. After more end to end play Pendle won another short corner which was well saved by Laura Troth and cleared by the defence.
Fylde continued to work the ball well in order to get to Pendle’s D. This paid off when Amy Jennings dribbled down the left side and sent a ball across the D to be picked up by Emily who pushed it on to Sophia Taylor who found the backboard again.
Neither team gave up and went from strength to strength. Isla Carter carried the ball over the line and had a shot on goal which was unfortunately deflected by the keeper however Ellie Hope was determined to pick up the deflection and managed to slip the ball between the post and the keeper’s foot to score with just two minutes left on the clock.
Pendle restarted with eagerness and drove hard towards Fylde’s D. This fresh attack landed them their second goal and the last one of the game just before the final whistle.
Another strong performance from Fylde and great to see efforts from training translating on match day. MAOAMs for everyone.
Clitheroe Blackburn Northern 3 5-6 Fylde 5
On a cold Saturday afternoon, the Ladies 5s delivered another brilliant performance, securing a hard-fought 6–5 victory in a match packed with teamwork, and outstanding individual performance.
From the first whistle, the team set the pace. Sadie Atkinson, in exceptional form and showcasing her skill strength on the ball and dominating the attacking end with an impressive hat-trick. Her determination in the D definitely shone through!
Alyssa Woodman followed suit with two superb goals, each one a product of great positioning, quick reactions and amazing runs. Her relentless pressure on the opposition defence proved vital throughout.
At halftime, Fran Loffler-Thompson stepped onto the pitch and made an immediate impact, producing one of the standout moments — an incredible reverse lift from the edge of the D into the top right corner, sailing over the goalkeeper.
Though the team’s attacking play was electric, the opposition fought back fiercely, managing to slot in five goals of their own. But the Ladies 5s held strong under pressure and pushing forward with confidence to protect the lead.
In the end, the final whistle confirmed a well-earned 6–5 win — a test of teamwork and great determination.
Another great game, ladies!
Lancaster University 2 5-0 Fylde 6 Development
Fylde development team had another tough but enjoyable match against Lancaster University 2 with lots of praise for this young side.
The first half saw a strong defensive line from Samira Baki and Farzana Choudhury with Bella Coupe-Carroll playing her debut match in goal , linking up the play with midfielders. Unfortunately Lancaster managed to sneak through to score a goal just before the end of half time.
Bernie offered encouraging tactical support at half time and the team once again came out fighting. Captain Penny Atkinson , Lily Elgendy and Isabella Hill worked hard in the midfield connecting play with Julie Knowles, Amelie Horabin and Ava Lovell. Ruby Roberts, Ella Blackburn and Eloise Russell managed to put pressure on Lancaster defence in the D but their talented goalkeeper had other ideas .
The score line did not reflect the hard work of this young side who week after week are growing in confidence and skill .
Huge thanks again to Bella for stepping in with a great performance in goal.
Leyland & Chorley Development 0-12 Fylde 1
Fylde Men had an early 8.30am departure times from their homes across the Fylde Coast in order to meet in Buckshaw Village at 9.15am and start their game against Leyland & Chorley at 10am. Unfortunately 8 of Fylde’s juniors were unavailable through injury, school games, or just visiting Alton Towers, so ironically Fylde fielded perhaps their strongest 11 of the season (definitely their oldest) against a true development side packed with youngsters. However Fylde were able to give a league debut to young Evan Allday under the development team rules.
Fylde dominated from the start and were 5-0 up within about 15 minutes, with some great passing, moving and individual skills. Harry Gordon showed his prowess up front with the first two goals, the second one notable for the aerial pass from Charlie Oliver to set him up with just the keeper to beat.
Charlie Oliver also fired off several shots at goal, and scored with two well taken reverse strikes. James Clark came in from the left wing to score one, and Harry Gordon completed his hat-trick before half-time with a powerful straight strike from a short corner.
6-0 up at half-time but Fylde wanted to continue playing pass & move hockey, they shifted Evan Allday up from right back to right half in a more attacking role, and Sam Ayoma in the opposite direction but with the freedom to push up and support.
More goals came regularly throughout the second half, Harry Gordon scored his fourth, midfield playmaker Simon Holt scored one, captain Richard Clarke scored a couple advancing and supporting attacks from midfield.
Towards the end of the game, Evan Allday scored his debut goal, by being in the right place at the right time and pouncing on a ball close to the goalpost. His dad, and team coach, Steve Allday was subbed on up top for the final few minutes, and used his guile to put the ball onto a defender’s foot inside the D and win a short corner. He then took up the position at the top of the D to receive the ball, calmly picked his pass to Richard Clarke on the p-spot, who used his reverse stick to help the ball into the goal and complete his own hat-trick.
The game ended 12-0 to Fylde, and despite scoring 4 goals for the second consecutive week Harry Gordon lost out in the Man of the Match vote to his close friend Sam Ayoma for his probing runs down the wing and maybe a single assist.
Lancaster & District Mixed 4-0 Fylde Mixed (Sunday)
Fylde’s scratch team of enthusiastic ladies and men gathered at midday on Sunday in Lancaster to somehow form a functioning team and play in the first round of the England Hockey Cup for Mixed teams.
It soon became clear it was going to be a tough match, with Lancaster’s ladies being just as robust as the men, and some tough tackling across the pitch, however possession was relatively even in the first parts of the game.
Lancaster scored first on a breakaway, and then within five minutes scored a second from a direct hit at a short corner.
Fylde didn’t panic and used Simon Holt as a midfield playmaker, linking well with Harry Gordon up front and Jack Jones attacking from midfield together with Aleisha Mansfield on the right wing. Many chances were made and shots just shy of the posts, but somehow couldn’t quite find the back of the net, and Fylde were on top for the latter part of the half.
A short corner just before the halftime break broke down with lots of shots and saves around the keeper’s pads, the post and goal line, which was eventually prodded into the goal itself, only for the umpire to adjudge that the initial injection hadn’t exited the D so no goal. Frustrations came to the boil and a yellow card was given, but Fylde regrouped during the interval.
Fylde kept the same 5 men on the pitch all game but rotated their 7 ladies, enabling daughters Lauren Appleyard and Leah Richmond to join (or maybe sometimes replace) their mothers Heather Appleyard & Nikki Richmond on the pitch.
With Fylde pushing for the next goal, they had a long corner opportunity break down, and with both central defenders Pete Latimer and Jay Currey around the opposition D, a large hole was left in the centre of the pitch for a Lancaster striker to run down and get the better of a one-on-one opportunity with goalkeeper Craig Nutter.
The game became more open as the second half progressed, with Fylde desperate for at least one goal, with many attacks down both wings, with Alice Bishop linking with Julie Knowles down the left wing and Lauren Appleyard linking with Aleisha Mansfield on the right wing. More short corners were won, and even changing from Harry Gordon’ straight strike to having Nikki Richmond receive the ball, didn’t quite conjure up a goal opportunity.
The closest was an off-the-floor smash by Harry Gordon which hit the goalpost late in the game, and at some point earlier Lancaster had scored a fourth, so the game ended 4-0 to Lancaster with both teams making their way back to the pub for beers, sausages & chips.
Fylde drop down to the Trophy competition for first round losers and are due to play next on Sunday 7th December.
Comments