Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Fagg left encouraged by promising display
Canterbury Ladies
Helen Fagg hopes Canterbury Ladies can build on their encouraging 1- 1 draw with Holcombe when they host fellow Investec Women’s National League strugglers Bowdon at Polo Farm on Sunday (12.30pm).
Fifteen-year-old Aimee Plumb’s maiden National League goal earned Canterbury their first point last Saturday since they held defending champions Surbiton 2-2 on the opening day of the season.
The city side remain bottom but Fagg said the Holcombe result has helped lift spirits ahead of the game with Bowdon, who are one place and five points clear of Canterbury.
The joint- captain said: “Saturday was a good result and a really good performance.
“We were pleased and more importantly our coach (Kate Starre) was pleased.
“Heads did not go down when Holcombe scored and we were happy to get a goal from a short corner as it’s an area we have worked on.
“They are a decent side and a draw was probably a fair result.
“Both goalkeepers were kept pretty busy, it was quite an exciting match and not a stalemate at all.”
Before a good crowd at Polo, Holcombe’s Eleanor Watton broke the deadlock in the 47th minute but Canterbury were level within nine minutes as teenager Plumb picked up a rebound off the goalkeeper to net. Fagg felt Lucy Hyams was Canterbury’s standout player, adding: “Lucy had an incredible game playing down the sidelines, she just kept beating people and created a number of chances.”
Fagg still feels Canterbury have been playing better than their results suggest but did admit they need to break their winning duck sooner rather than later.
She added: “With the exception of the Buckingham game (which they lost 4-2), our performances have been OK but as good as some draws are when they are against the better teams, they don’t get you far.
“We’re looking at the Bowdon game as a chance to get our first win but you never know with this league.
“It will be a tight game but the team spirit is still there. It’s not always easy when you are not winning but it’s something we’ve worked on, the social side and we’re confident we can pull things round.”
Canterbury will have to do without key player Grace Balsdon until the new year after she was picked as part of the England squad playing in the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final in New Zealand, which runs from November 17-26.
Fagg said: “Losing Grace is a big blow but we’re all excited for her.
“She deserves her chance because she’s put a lot of work in to get there.”
Canterbury’s under-14 girls won 5-1 away at Tunbridge Wells in the EH Cup, with goals from Chloe Plumb, Jess Mcmeeking (2), Sofia Bashir and Ella Jain.