Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Opening-day draw has set standard
Canterbury women
Helen Fagg hopes Canterbury’s opening-day draw against Investec Women’s National League champions Surbiton has set the benchmark for the season.
The city club twice came from behind at Polo Farm on Saturday, snatching a 2-2 draw in dramatic style courtesy of Grace Balsdon’s last-minute penalty stroke.
The game was Canterbury’s first under new coach Kate Starre and joint skipper Fagg believes the squad are already benefiting from the Australian’s input.
She said: “It was a pleasing start. We’re trying to focus on what we’re doing, rather than worrying about the other team and on Saturday it seemed to work.
“We’ve tweaked our formation, playing with two defensive midfielders rather than a back-three and a sweeper and it worked well because Surbiton only managed to score from two corners.
“They’re the best team in the league and have been for a number of years.
“They probably edged it on chances but it was by no means a one-sided game and we were clinical with our chances. We’re hoping we can now take that level as a benchmark for us.”
Giselle Ansley scored both Surbiton’s goals from penalty strokes, the first on 31 minutes but within three minutes, Sarah Kerly had levelled.
Ansley looked to have won the game when she added her second seven minutes from time but up stepped Balsdon to have the final say.
Canterbury’s squad included former Folkestone duo Nicki Ball and Ashley Mainwaring, plus 15-year-old Aimee Plumb, who has recently broken into the England under-16 training squad.
The city club were seventh last year and Fagg says the aim this year is to try and better that.
She added: “We were on our own really (in seventh) last season, quite a way off the top six but also clear of the bottom three. Our aim is to try and finish higher than that.”
Canterbury continue their Premier Division campaign on Saturday when they travel to Buckingham, who were promoted last season.
They opened the campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Slough and Fagg said: “We played them two years ago but they have changed a fair bit since then so they’ll be a bit of an unknown quantity.”
Canterbury 2nds lost their first game of the East Hockey League Premier Division campaign 3-1 at Ipswich.
Cara Brogan-jones was Canterbury’s scorer following good build-up by Alex Sharp, Alice Brett and Katie Williams.
It was a better start to the season for Canterbury 2A, who won 5- 0 at home to Havering in Division 2 South East.
Harriet Williams was among the scorers.
The 3rd XI lost 1- 0 at home to Old Williamsonians in the Kent Women’s League, Premier Division, with Daisy Lee Brown named player-of-thematch.
Canterbury 3A played well against Old Williamsonians 2nds in Division 2 but lost 2- 0.