Its a long way to Tiperary....i mean Hereford!

Marlborough ladies 1s 0 Hereford ladies 1s 3

After a strong performance last week the ladies 1s made the long trip in the rain to Hereford with half term depriving the team of some players and without the luxury of any substitutes. Not a great start!

The first 10 minutes saw Marlborough in the ascendency playing good consistent hockey and were taking the game to Hereford. Marlborough had chances on goal with Penny Bowen Rachel Cox and Alex Crosby-Jones and Becki Marnane all linking up well in the centre and were further denied any reward after a succession of 3 short corners were scrambled away by the Hereford defence. Hereford were particularly skilful on the break with their forwards linking up well to work their way around the Marlborough defence who managed to repel all these attacks and a series of short corners. Half way through the first half Hereford managed to get their noses in front when a shot from the top of the D deflected first off a Hereford player and then a Marlborough player changing its trajectory and sending the ball flying into the back of the net. The next 15 minutes are 15 minutes that the Marlborough team will happily forget with the rain lashing down and Hereford totally controlling the game and scoring two further goals, one a hard accurate shot from the top of the D past a diving Vicky Moxham and the other a well worked move slipping the ball across the goal mouth to a waiting forward. Hereford looked to send the game further out of reach but Marlborough gathered their composure and held firm and the whistle went for half time. A sigh of relief all round!!

After a tough talking to at half time and lots of sweets Marlborough came out strongly. The name of the game in the second half was not to give the ball away cheaply and to cover the middle ground were Hereford were proving very dangerous. Marlborough raised their game and started to disrupt the Hereford structure. Catherine Manley made some searing runs from defence feeding the ball to the waiting forwards. Although Hereford still made plenty of dangerous attacks on the Marlborough goal the defence worked hard to shut them down marked out their key forwards and the Marlborough goalkeeper made some good saves. The play opened up and was end to end with Marlborough spending much more time in the Hereford half of the pitch and were unlucky not to convert these chances into goals. It was a much better half for Marlborough not conceding any goals and taking much more control of the game and were unlucky not to get off the mark. But it was not to be and it was a very disappointing trip to Hereford but the team are looking forward to the return game at Marlborough....... especially the lovely Marlborough teas.....smash and sausages don't quite cut it and don't travel well in the stomach on a long winding trip home (or maybe that's just Penny's driving??)!!!! Most of the first half was one to forget but the second half showed Marlborough can dig deep and as a team support each other and have the determination to try and turn games around.

The well deserved Marlborough News Online's Player of the Match once again goes to Beth Palfrey for some fantastic defending.