The only way is up for Arran’s hockey ladies
After just three seasons, Arran Ladies hockey club have victoriously topped the Women’s West District League Division 4 table and will be promoted up to the Third Division next season.
Sunday’s final home game at the Ormidale astroturf was full of good spirit and good sportsmanship against GHK 4s. Putting the disaster of Saturday’s game behind them, when they narrowly lost to Uddingston Ladies 3s, the team rallied together with the full 16 squad quota and plenty of supporters on the sidelines to cheer the team on.
Anxious moments
Anne Watts scored two goals in the first half to give the home side a comfortable interval lead.
But GHK came out fighting in the second half and when they scored there were some anxious moments for the home side as both teams battled on.
Finally, Abbie McKelvie scored, widening the goal difference, then Lorraine Hewie netted and shortly after Anne Watts grabbed the final goal to give her a hat-trick.
Helen Thomson was voted man of the match by the opposition and dame of the game by her team-mates with celebrations on the final whistle as they knew they had sealed the Division Four title by one point over Saturday’s opponents with 17 wins and just three defeats all season. It was a weekend of extremes to say the least. Saturday was an away game to Uddingston 3s with a pass back of 1.30pm. Arran had terrible luck on the day for travel. The 11.05am ferry was delayed by 20 minutes and then the ladies were stuck in traffic on the
motorway, arriving at 2pm which made them 30 minutes late for the start time.
There was much confusion as to whether or not the game was going to go ahead and it was suggested that Arran may need to concede the points because they were so late. In the end, the teams played a shortened match of 25 minutes each way, rather than
the usual 35, although Arran felt the full game time could have been played as the match afterwards did not start until 3.30pm.
So with no warm-up and questions as to whether the time played would even be considered a legal competition game, the game started. Arran had majority of the possession throughout but Uddingston managed to score the first goal in the first half.
Arran equalised in the second half when the Arran forwards had a running break which ended with a secure pass to Anne Watts in the shooting circle and she finished the play with a great goal. In the second half, Arran continued to hold possession but play was hindered by the Uddingston umpire, calling foul play when there was none, and giving Uddingston all the advantages.
Uddingston had a short corner awarded to them, from which they scored their second goal. Shortly after, Arran played a short corner and Anne Watts scored a superb goal from a raised push at the top of the circle, but this goal was disallowed by the Uddingston umpire, robbing Arran of their chance to equalise. Arran had a few more strong attempts at goal but scoring evaded them and the final whistle blew with Arran going down 2-1.
* Hockey training will continue on Thursday nights, at the Ormidale astroturf, from 7.30pm to 9pm.