Still top of the league as we show Staveley how to play like ladies!

We met in the changing rooms in Chesterfield all raring to go for the game ahead. We all agreed that although Stavley needed to win...we wanted to win.

Megan won the toss, allowing us to face away from the glaring sun, and we set up on the pitch, ready to kick some ass!!!

From the off we had the majority of possession with play in our attacking half. There were some excellent runs from Jan, Helen, Emma and Christina and play between them was brilliant. Unfortunatley the Staveley defence were determined not to let us score.

As a team we defended the whole of the pitch brilliantly. When Staveley had free hits, they rarely got through as we surrounded the taker and marked spare players out of the game.

If they did get through they had Hillary and Annie to contend with and never got into their attacking D.

There were more excellent runs between Jan and Helen. Jan ran up the pitch, crossing the ball to Helen at the top of the D. She turned to strike but was tackled by a Staveley player, resulting in a stick tackle and a short corner being awarded.

Jan hit the ball to Helen, who took a strike but the ball was just wide.

The ball was soon back in our defending half but Annie controlled it and herself and Jo had some lovely passes between them before the ball reached Helen in the middle again. Her strike on goal was saved by the keeper and the ball quickly moved back down the pitch for Staveley to attack but again Annie made a great tackle.

Christina and Julie Ann moved up the pitch together and Christina had a shot which was saved by the keeper again but Jan played some text book hockey and was there for the rebound to make it 1- 0!

We continued to keep possession and we were determined to get more goals.

Jo ran up the pitch with the ball, given plenty of time by the Staveley defence to get into the D, where she played the ball onto a Staveley defender's foot to get us a short corner.
Jan hit out to me at the top of the D, I went for the strike but found the Staveley player's foot again. With another short corner awarded we couldn't quite finish it off to make it 2 - 0.

Jo, Jan and Helen continued to work well together but the whistle blew for half time.

A team talk from Andy helped us point out what we needed to do in order to make sure we got the goals we deserved.

The second half began and we once again went out strong. We were soon awarded a short corner after a lovely run from Emma and Julie Ann down the right hand side.

Jan hit the ball out to me and with Helen on the right slip, free as a bird she had the strike and it whizzed past all Staveley players...and the goalkeeper! 2 - 0!

Staveley came back strong and found themeselves in their attacking D but Megan calmly kicked the shot out and any other shot was wide.

There was yet more brilliant runs between our midfield and forward line. Julie Ann found herself with the ball and battled her way through what was nearly the whole Staveley team... me and Annie just watched in awe! She got to the D and won us another short corner.

We decided to repeat the success of the last short corner. Jan to me. Me to Helen. Strike...GOOOOOOAL!!! 3 - 0 ! Brilliant shot from Helen, which I believe Emma also just got her stick to! Good team effort!

We continued to stop any free hits that Staveley had with some excellent marking. Christina picked up a loose ball and drove into the D, had a shot, the keeper didn't have a chance but unfortunately the post got in the way!

We soon got another short corner and recreated the previous two goals with Helen striking a lovely hit, finished off by Emma on the post.
4 - 0!!!

Staveley were getting more and more irrate and unfortunaely made some pretty shocking tackles and some pretty shocking comments towards our players.

We continued to take the high road and played some beautiful hockey.

The game finished 4 - 0 and it was a well deserved win. We played some excellent hockey as a team. In defence Annie, Tammy and Hilary stopped any possible attacks. Julie Ann, Rachel, Jo and Christina played some lovely hockey, moving the ball up the pitch with ease and supporting the forward line excellently. Jan, Helen and Emma worked brilliantly together and between them scored some fantastic goals.

Thank you to friends and family for coming to support and thank you to Andy for your coaching. And thank you again to Helen and Jan for helping out!

Man of the match went to Julie Ann for her lovely runs and determination throughout the game!

Well done ladies! I think we proved we were the better team in all aspects of the game on Saturday.

Another great match report Heather!

I must say that I didn't get too much bother from the Staveley team other than a few shocking stick tackles and an elbow in the jaw after I'd successfully stoppped their LW's run up the wing one too many times. However my reaction on both occasions probably meant that they ran in the opposite direction

Heather always fails to mention what a good job she does in defence as well so I think that I should point that out! She's always there to put in a brilliant tackle when needed and her runs up the pitch rarely ever fail to take the opposition's defence to pieces!

I was really proud of the whole team for our performance on Saturday - the regulars were oustanding as always and Jan & Helen slotted in brilliantly creating all sorts of headaches for the Staveley defence. We dealt really well with the beach... woops I mean pitch and didn't let it alter our game much at all.

Thanks go to Andy for his help not only coaching in the sidelines but also in finding us an umpire when it seemed that all the umpires in Derbyshire had left to visit the moon on Saturday (or perhaps they were umpiring elsewhere??). Also thanks to those supporting from the sidelines - I think we managed to out-noise the Staveley rabble at times.

My favourite comment of the day though has to be when towards the end of the match after I'd made quite a few tactical / positional changes one of the Staveley players loudly pronounced to her teammate that "It's like bloody musical hockey this is!!" I had a chuckle to myself and thought - no, this is Derby Asterdale Ladies 3rd team, we're top of the league and now you know why!!



Well done girls