Carillon Ladies turn on the style and move to top of table
LOUGHBOROUGH CARILLON LADIES 4 LONG BUCKBY LADIES 1 WINNING this week’s match against Long Buckby Ladies 1s would take Loughborough Carillon Ladies 1s to the top of the table, so it was unsurprising the team started a little nervously on Saturday.
Captain Clare Hawksworth commanded the team, organising players into sometimes unfamiliar positions as the squad responded to absences from injury and illness. It took Carillon some time to settle, the first goal - a decisive finish from Lizzie Simpson - coming after 20 minutes’ battle against the wind and a strong opposition. Buckby were unfazed and struck back almost immediately to take advantage of a break and score themselves.
Carillon worked hard to keep themselves ahead, building on training routines to move the ball around the Buckby defence, earning several penalty corners. It wasn’t long until Clare Hawksworth scored to take Carillon ahead.
After the half-time switch of ends, the wind was with the home team and they definitely used that - and Buckby’s lack of substitute players - to dominate the second half. The ball barely crossed the half-way line in this half and Carillon keeper Alice Bishop only had to make one clearance as the beleaguered Buckby failed to make inroads into the Carillon defence.
Bex Hadley continued her scoring streak midway through the half, adding to her match-winning goal from last Sunday’s cup victory against Nottingham Uni 7s. Then the sublime Nic Murdoch, voted Player of the Match after putting in a flawless performance, put the final goal beyond the reach of the Buckby keeper to take Carillon to a comprehensive victory.
Carillon keep their promotion campaign going next week against Rugby and Warwickshire 1s.