13th May Match Reports

Stockport Team Match Report

STOCKPORT WIN RUNNERS-UP POSITION

The stage was set. After nine months of waiting, the club who were to be runners-up in the Stockport league was to be decided. With Heaton already crowned champions it was up to Reddish and Stockport to battle it out for second place. But more drama was to follow as the pitch had been vandalised and there was a huge crater in the middle of one of the D’s.

Was the match to be re-arranged yet again; was a mid-week match to follow? Oh no, not this time! After talk of bringing in solicitors, signing your life away and possible injury claims, Charlie’s dad came to the rescue and in true Ground Force style drove the 4x4 right up to the pitch, got out the shovel and filled in the hole. With a circle of turf and sand for the Astroturf effect all patted down, both teams were happy with the new landscape of the D and play was ready to begin.

Both teams wanted to win and the pace was frantic right from the push back with end to end attacks. It took Reddish a while to get into their stride and Stockport were quick to pounce on this forcing Andrea in the Reddish goal to make a number of key saves to keep the scores level. This woke Reddish up and they began to exploit Stockport, with the fast pace of Jenny Worth and Laura Woodhead driving down the wings. Lucy R was strong in tackles breaking up Stockport attacks in the midfield, starting up lots of Reddish attacks.

But it was Stockport who was to be the first team on the scoreboard after a strong run which split the Reddish midfield and the ball was flashed across the goal to one of the Stockport forwards waiting at the back post to put the ball into the goal. Stockport looked to increase their lead and they could have had more had it not been for a fantastic triple save from Reddish keeper Andrea who managed not once, twice but three times to keep the ball from entering the Reddish goal. Sticks and arms were everywhere, yet despite all the attacking action the score at half-time remained one-nil to Stockport and was still anybody’s second place.

After a moral boosting half-time talk from captain Mags, Reddish went out for the second half in the only way they know how. It was all out attack as the Reddish defence held the fort at the back; Bernie with excellently timed tackles, Kerry, Adele and Emma Woodhead clearing the danger and helping build the attacks from the midfield and forward players Amy Gavin, Bean (Charlie S) and Cookie all trying to get Reddish on level terms. Penalty corners were few and far between for Reddish, so Amy put in some deceiving crosses which were confusing the Stockport defence but Reddish forwards were unable to get a stick on the end of them.

Still Stockport defence soaked up all the pressure and managed to increase their lead with a quick break and go two-nil up midway through the half and move one step closer to becoming league runners-up. Reddish didn’t let their heads go down though and still kept attacking and they pulled one back with ten minutes to go. Jenny worth had a shot on goal, after some nice wing play by Laura W, yet her shot was parried out by the Stockport keeper straight to the stick of Cookie who wasted no time in swinging and driving the ball into the bottom right hand corner. Reddish were back in the game and with the score at two-one would look to go for the win.

They nearly got the equaliser thanks to a sloppy penalty corner from Stockport. The hit back into play was weak and quickly seized upon by Dunners, who then ran down the right wing before passing the ball to Charlie, who passed to Amy and then on to Worthy but couldn’t get the equaliser as the pressure of the keeper made the shot go wide of the post. That looked to be Reddish’s last opportunity of the game as the final attacks were cut out by the Stockport defence and midfield who all came back to help defend the precious one goal lead. And it worked; Stockport held on despite the constant pressure and well-worked, accurate attacks from Reddish, who were unable to get that vital equaliser. Stockport achieved the runners-up position with a two goals to one victory.

Well done Stockport and Reddish for such a high standard of hockey and entertaining end to the season. Unlucky girls, we’ll get them back next season!!