Decisive draw gives Arran Ladies their best game yet
Tough game sees island side repel many attacks
A full team of 11 Arran Ladies hockey players travelled south to meet up for a return match against the Dumfries II’s last Saturday.
From the very first whistle Arran came out determined to bring a tough game to the host team.
Demonstrating their skills in midfield, Julie Hammill, Mia Walker, captain Lynda Fenton and 12-year-old Kayla Hewie quickly plucked the ball from their opponents and sent it up to the forwards, Lorraine Hewie and Jenna Cook, to produce some swift sprints into the Dumfries goal area.
The teams have been playing each other for several years and the Dumfries defenders are very well drilled, strong and skilful.
Able to repel several attacks from the Arran Ladies, the defenders and goalkeeper were only able to return the ball to the midfield for the majority of the game where Lynda and her midfielders would thwart the Dumfries attempts to get the ball to their waiting forwards.
Those balls that did get through were swiftly stopped and brought under control by Arran defenders Dawn Lyle, Megan McCartney, Lee Reid and Marie Craig, who were very solid, calm and determined that the ball would go no further. Goalkeeper Suzi Haddow said it was the first game where she actually felt a “bit cold” due to having very little to do.
However the few times the ball did get near her, Suzi never hesitated and kicked and batted some cracking balls out of her goal area, giving her team-mates time to regroup and continue with their pressurised play towards the Dumfries goal.
The score was still tied at 0-0 at half time.
Coming back onto the pitch with a couple of position changes – Julie moved into attacking right wing and Megan into midfield – Arran took the pass back and charged up the field.
Lorraine shot a pass to Jenna
Fired up and passing to and fro through the tough home team, Jenna received a pass and made a superb run up the pitch
in the centre who flicked the ball past the oncoming defender and took on the goalie.
Once again the Dumfries experience came to show as the goalie charged down Jenna’s shot and kicked it off the pitch.
Fired up and passing to and fro through the tough home team, Jenna received a pass and made a superb run up the pitch and, reaching the shooting ‘D’, walloped the ball at the goal.
Seeing it zoom past the goalkeeper, the team did groan with disappointment when it hit the far post with a resounding clang and deflected back onto the pitch.
Not once did they give up trying though.
With Mia using every skill
she knew, including a spectacular 3-D run down the left side, where she tapped the ball in the air at the end of her stick, Megan sliding her stick under that of the attacking forwards, pulling the ball away, Kayla jab tackling any attacker she came across, flicking the ball away from their sticks, and Lynda twisting and turning in her tackling with Dumfries’s most experience player, every shot that came out of mid-field was chased down by the forwards.
Julie fairly flew up the right side of the pitch, collecting and passing through the press of defenders to Lorraine and Jenna who continued to send the ball toward the goal.
Lorraine used her superb stick skills to get into the ‘D’ and using her impressive reverse stick flick, sent the ball goal ward.
Jenna fought off heavy defensive play to get her shots at goal.
Unfortunately the Dumfries goalkeeper caught them all.
When the final whistle blew at the end of the four quarters the score line stayed at 0-0. Arran were happy with the game they played and the draw result. “Our best game yet,” said coach Lorraine Hewie, and Lynda agreed.
Delighted, she told the team Mia had, once again, been nominated as player of the game by the Dumfries team for her outstanding play in mid-field.
Later, on the ferry home, the Arran Ladies voted for their own dame of the game and for the first time it was a tied decision.
The nominations went to Megan and Julie who were warmly congratulated for their superb work on the pitch.
The team thanked Pauline Reid for coming to umpire while recovering from knee ligaments damage and they will be doing it all again next weekend.
The team have a double header with Greenock Morton on Saturday at home. Push back is 2pm at the Ormidale astroturf.
Sunday’s game is against Uddingston III at the National Hockey Stadium at Glasgow Green.
Push back is also 2pm and all supporters will be very much appreciated and welcomed by the Arran Ladies.