Lymm Men’s 2s 1 Whitchurch Men’s 2s 2
Whitchurch travelled away to Lymm for their first game of the new season and saw a tough game ahead.
Whitchurch had strong possession in the early parts of the game with good play from the back three being able to transfer the ball quickly to the forward players who were able to make good chances, resulting in a few short corners. From this Whitchurch would score their first goal of the campaign as a good slip from Craig Hockenhull fell to Ethan Gresty who was able to flick the ball just beyond the outstretched keeper putting Whitchurch one ahead. Lymm were slowly growing into the game and after an unfortunate green card for Whitchurch Lymm were able to quickly capitalise on the man advantage scoring not long after.
After a short regroup at half time Whitchurch put the pressure on again creating more good chances with some excellent saves from the Lymm keeper keeping the score level.
Chasing the second goal Whitchurch were finally able to find the winner after some good transitional play, Airan Jones was able to pick the ball up just inside the opposition half and play a line splitting pass, finding the run of Joe Sheridan who was able to run past the defender and with some quick stick skills roll the into the back of the net.
It was a tense final few minutes as Whitchurch held on and defended well as a team and kept Lymm out after they flooded players forward looking to level the game.
Whitchurch held on and came out 2-1 victors with a strong team performance and stand out performances from all players.
Whitchurch host Crewe 4’s next week and will be looking to take the good performance into that game.
Whitchurch Men’s 1s 5 Wilmslow Men’s 3s 0
Whitchurch 1s got their league campaign off to a flying start with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Wilmslow 3s, marking the first league game on their brand-new pitch in style.
Billy Edwards opened the scoring for Whitchurch just 10 minutes into the match, latching onto a well-worked move to put the home side ahead. Their dominance continued as debutant George Dakin doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a composed finish, setting the tone for a confident first-half display.
Wilmslow struggled to gain any momentum, with Whitchurch controlling possession and dictating the pace of the game. The second half saw Steve Lloyd extend the lead further with a well-taken reverse shot, making it 3-0 and all but securing the result early on.
However, the game took a slight turn when a few cards left Whitchurch down to 10 men for periods, giving Wilmslow a chance to press forward. Despite this, Whitchurch’s defence held strong, and once back to full strength, George Dakin grabbed his second goal of the game with a clinical finish.
Jack Barnes put the icing on the cake with a fifth goal in the dying minutes, sealing an emphatic victory for Whitchurch. It was a statement win for the home side as they now turn their attention to next week’s clash against last year’s title contenders, Winnington Park.
Chester Ladies 2s 2 Whitchurch Ladies 1s 0
In a tightly contested match, Whitchurch Ladies 1s faced off against Chester Ladies 2s. The first half was a display of strong defensive strategies from both teams. Whitchurch had a chance to score with an excellent reverse stick shot from Lucy Ratcliffe, saved by the keeper. At the other end of the pitch, countless saves were made by Whitchurch keeper, Caroline Wynn, resulting in a 0-0 scoreline at halftime.
As the second half commenced, Chester Ladies 2s began to apply more pressure, which eventually paid off. Midway through the half, Chester broke the deadlock with a well-executed shot from a rebound, lifting it over the keeper, taking the lead 1-0. Whitchurch fought hard to equalise, gaining a short corner, resulting in a shot from Lisa Sullivan that went just wide of the post. The rest of the half, Chester’s defence remained resolute.
In the last 10 minutes of the match, Chester won a short corner and got lucky off a shot that was going wide taking a deflection off a Whitchurch defender leading to their second goal. Player of the match was awarded to Millie Edwards for her excellent defending in her first game back for Whitchurch.
Despite the loss, Whitchurch Ladies 1s showed great determination and teamwork throughout the game. They will look to bounce back in their next fixture.
Whitchurch ladies 3’s 2 Golborne 2’s 1
A great start to the season with a few new and returning players joining the 3’s. The whole team came together to welcome these players and also guide them to play some excellent hockey. There were some tense moments where Golborne made some great runs and did score in the first half. But Sue Read equalised before half time.
In the second half the accuracy of passes and quality of hockey increase and Erin Harnden scored a second goal for Whitchurch to give them a winning start to the season.
