This was Morpeth’s first game of the season under the new captaincy of Cockburn, who has drafted in new, fresh personnel over the summer break and is attempting a more attacking approach on the pitch. It proved successful at its first hurdle with Morpeth beating the newly promoted Boston Spa.

Morpeth made an excellent start to the game, pressing the play effectively and pinning Boston Spa back into their own half. Within five minutes they had scored a break away goal which started from a magnificent save at the edge of the D by Rose. She looked up and cleared the ball downfield into a clear channel for Moore to run onto to. Moore weaved her way way into the attacking D and drew the Spa keeper, who went to ground. She spun past the sprawled player and smashed the ball home into the bottom right hand corner.

From this moment Morpeth should have settled and built on their positive start but instead panic set in and this gave Spa confidence to attack with force. Morpeth started to sit further back and allowed waves of attack to strike. Rose made some excellent saves, another year older but still so often the heroine.

Morpeth did manage to pick up before half time and two excellent crosses were driven in from the right but unfortunately no-one could meet them in front of goal.

The second half started much as the first, after a rousing team talk from Cockburn. Within ten minutes Grant, who worked tiredlessly down the right flank, hit the post. Dixon was on hand to react quickly and slot the ball into the goal. A replay may have shown that the ball was headed in itself from the inside of the post but it’s always best to be sure (and to keep top scorer for the season extra tight). She was unlucky not to get a hattrick but her other two goals which crossed the line were deemed quite rightly to have gone in from her feet rather than her stick.

Morpeth were almost assured of a third goal when Moore bypassed the keeper once again and had an open goal to score into but with pinpoint accuracy managed to hit the post.

Then Morpeth began to tire. It was an extraordinarily hot and humid day for mid-September and being the first game of the season match fitness wasn’t what it could be. As a result they began to absorb increasing pressure. Rose made more saves especially from the Spa striker who seemed to sneak passed the defence and Hindmarch made a perfectly timed and vital tackle at the top of the D when she was faced with a 3 v 1 situation.

Spa’s almost inevitable goal came from a defensive clearance, where possession was lost too easily. This overloaded the exhausted defence and the ball eventually found its way into the goal.

This re-energised Morpeth for the last five minutes and they started playing calmer, more structured hockey. If they start the next game like they began and ended this one it could make for a great season.

Team list
Janice Rose , Karen Hindmarch, Emma Cockburn (capt), Nikki Addy, Lynn Watkins, Sarah Henderson, Nikki Bowler, Katie Wardle, Fiona Grant, Lindsey Moore, Lucy Dixon, Marian Simpson, Angela Payne

Man of the Match – Katie Wardle

Match sponsored by Kit&Sticks