Ladies Hockey North Division League

Wotton-under-Edge 1sts 1 Westberries 2nds 3

WOTTON and Westberries are at opposite ends of the league table, so the home side knew they had a challenge on their hands and responded magnificently to the additional pressure from the Bristol side.

The first-half was goal-less. Wotton were on top for the first ten minutes and then absorbed the Westberries’ attacks.

Jane Hardwick made a crucial save when outnumbered in defence and Cathy York and Myra Patterson were influential and organised in the rebuttals of the visitors’ attacks.

After the break the pressure continued and Westberries went ahead when Hardwick found herself stranded between two attackers.

To their credit, Wotton came straight back from the restart and levelled when player of the match Lauren Jones skilfully tapped in an aerial rebound off the keeper’s pads.

Wotton were desperately unlucky minutes later when a near-perfect shot from Leyland at point blank range struck the motionless keeper on the glove and bounced away.

Sadly the game was lost in the closing minutes when Westberries converted their seventh and final penalty corner and took another goal from open play.

This was probably Wotton’s best performance of the season as they played as a confident team with skill and determination and were unlucky not to claim a draw from the encounter.