Saturday February 16th and another enjoyable game of hockey for the Cambridge South Ladies 2nds, sponsored by PwC…this time all the long way away in Wisbech (the Capital of the Fens!). It was our last cup match and we had to ensure we weren’t beaten by more than 11 goals to make the final…

The 2nds team spirit and enthusiasm was in full force in the lead up and we got off to a good start after listening to captain Vicky’s pre-match words of wisdom. Training had paid off and we used the width of the pitch really well, playing the ball back when necessary. A-I battled away in the middle, frequently intercepting the Wisbech ball and pushing it forwards. Maybe it was the ”tights under the skirt” look that put off the opposition?!

Bex, Mel and Claire played well as a trio up front, with great support from Helen and Jodee in mid-field. Hayley was a great asset to the team as sweeper, meaning Wisbech rarely made it into their D…a little boring for Sarah in goal however. But with a rolling sub Pip, Vicky, Julie and Sarah defended well and pushed forwards too – with the ball in our attacking half for 80% of the match.

Claire scored the first goal following a confident strike. This was soon followed by Mel running from the 25 and crossing the ball past the keeper. Helen scored the 3rd goal in true text book style…standing on the post to deflect a shot from Claire – making it 3-0 at half time. Unfortunately, despite having the majority of the possession, we were unable to score in the 2nd half. There were a number of very near misses, with 4 or 5 shots hitting the post and some very close short corners. Then again, it’s the near misses that us 2nds are famous for!!

All in all an excellent match. We made good use of the pitch; communicated brilliantly; supported each other throughout and fought hard on the goal. Now bring on the final!!!!!