Two Close Encounters of the 3-3 Kind.
Fylde 1 3-3 Newcastle University 1
In a gripping encounter, Fylde Hockey Club and Newcastle University played to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Mill Farm.
Fylde started strong, quickly establishing their rhythm. In the first quarter Fylde had numerous chances to open the scoring, with Grace McGarvey and Jess Wharton both coming close, but Newcastle's defence held firm. Fylde’s relentless pressure paid off when Nicky Kellett charged into the D to set up Megan Wildish for a well placed shot into the back of the goal.
Newcastle capitalized on a defensive lapse, manoeuvring through the Fylde defence to equalize at 1-1. The momentum shifted, and both teams exchanged opportunities, with goalkeepers making crucial saves. Newcastle took the lead when they were awarded a controversial penalty stroke before the end of the second quarter, which they converted.
Fylde responded strongly, pressing Newcastle high up the pitch and creating several chances. Newcastle were struggling to cope with Fylde's pressure, with numerous players receiving cards for disrupting play. Player of the match Nicky Kellett showed skill and precision to take the ball around the Newcastle goalkeeper to equalise for the home side.
In the final quarter Newcastle took the lead again against the run of play, but Fylde showcased their resilience and quickly responded when they were given a penalty stroke which Kellett slotted past the keeper.
With time running out, Fylde pressed forward, determined to find a winning goal but solid defensive efforts and some key saves ensured the match ended in a draw. Fylde HC will focus on converting more opportunities in their next fixture on Saturday at home to Alderley Edge.
Preston 1 3-2 Fylde 2
Fylde Ladies’ 2s faced local rivals Preston Ladies’ 1s this weekend. The amount of hard work this week behind the scenes to ensure a full team could compete was commendable and all 11 players were up for a tough battle.
The Fylde side started strong with several positive attacks and were rewarded by taking the lead with an impressive individual goal by Isabelle Mahon. Slightly against the run of play, the Preston side were then awarded a penalty flick and converted successfully to make it all square at 1-1.
Fylde then continued to build their attacks and won several attacking short corners, one of which Dawn Child was able to deflect from an EJ Dunkerley assist. Fylde were deservedly now 2-1 up. Preston responded well and managed to build a forward move where, following a scuffle in the D, they grabbed the equaliser and the sides went in 2-2 at half time.
After the break, both sides worked hard to retain possession and build some effective passages of play. Unfortunately, after going down to 10 players due to injury during the second half, Fylde were unable to hold the result and Preston capitalised from their advantage by slotting in a third goal. Fylde returned to full strength for the last five minutes but were unable to create any opportunities to draw the game level.
Overall, the incredible effort and determination from a team so unfamiliar was admirable and thank you to the players who stepped up, returned or played completely new roles so that this game could be played.
Fylde 3 3-3 Kirkby Lonsdale 1
Fylde started off the match with a strong defence including Hermione Edwards who repeatedly kept the ball out of the D whilst making some great tackles at the back. Emily Greenwood took a strike and lifted the ball into the back of the net just before halftime to lead 1-0.
After the break Kirkby Lonsdale came back fighting and despite Sophie Slawson making some exceptional saves, the opposition scored 3 back to back goals.
However this didn’t stop our young determined Fylde team. Anna Vavoso and Issy Gut made some strong runs forward and some excellent passing which led to Charlotte Lavin tucking the ball into the goal to make the score 2-3.
With 10 minutes to go Charlotte took a great hit from the top of the D and buried it into the corner of the goal to equalise to 3-3. Fylde came very close to a win as Rosie Leil fired in a straight strike from a short corner and Abbie Warburton got her stick to it but unfortunately the ball just went wide.
Overall it was Fylde’s amazing team spirit that kept them going to produce a great team performance.
Preston 2 6-0 Fylde 4
Fylde faced a tough challenge as they fell 6-0 to a dominant Preston side in today’s encounter. The game was largely decided in a difficult first half for Fylde, where they conceded five goals as Preston’s attack overwhelmed the defence.
Preston came out aggressively from the start, finding the back of the net early and applying constant pressure. Fylde struggled to contain the relentless waves of attack, and despite their best efforts, they found themselves down by five at the break.
However, Fylde regrouped at halftime, coming out with a much more resolute defensive structure in the second half. Alice Bishop (goalkeeper) played a pivotal role, making several key saves, including a brilliant stop from a penalty flick, which gave Fylde a brief moment to celebrate in a tough match.
While Fylde were unable to generate many clear chances on goal, their second-half performance showed a marked improvement. They limited Preston to just one more goal after the break, displaying greater discipline and fighting spirit despite the heavy scoreline. Emily Finney was named player of the match for her excellent work playing right half and strong passes to the midfield and forward players.
Though the result was disappointing, Fylde will take heart from their response in the second half and look to carry that resilience forward as they prepare for their next match.
Fylde 5 2-0 Chorley Phoenix 2
After having to concede the previous week's game, Fylde 5ths were raring to go on a sunny morning at Mill Farm. We talked positioning ahead of push back and lined up against an experienced Chorley Phoenix.
Fylde were straight in from the first whistle, passing well amongst the midfield and driving the attack to Chorley Phoenix’s circle. Their defence held up well as despite a number of chances on goal, their keeper stood up to the challenge. There was a bizarre moment when Sara Tomlinson was railroaded off the pitch by an opposition player who then claimed she was simply running off the pitch. However, Sara, unflappable as always, simply brushed it off. As the first half was drawing to a close, Hollie Guthrie sidestepped the keeper to land a deserved goal for the team.
After a rousing half time talk from Megan Hartley-Smith, who was manning the subs, the second half continued with the same dominance and effort. Chorley Phoenix did break through on occasion but the defence rallied with excellent saves from Emily Byers. Fylde won a couple of short corners however we are yet to be successful in finding the backboard this season. Sara Tomlinson and Olivia Hartley-Smith impressed with strength in the mid-field, closing down Chorley Phoenix at every opportunity. Hollie Guthrie set her sights on goal again and didn’t falter, a second goal for Fylde.
A pleasing result for a young team working hard to find their feet against mostly adult sides.
Garstang Development 1-0 Fylde 6 Development
….and then there were 9! Two players dropped out within 90mins of the start - one ill and one stuck on the school coach!
Fylde 6’s/Dev rallied to the challenge, lead by Captain GK Phil Hancock and Club Captain Birthday girl Fran L/T! Garstang had a full bench but were no match to the skill and talent and speed of their younger opponents.
Phil made a few telling saves and the Fylde forwards continued to attack with no end product. It was a lesson in defensive control and counter attack and the young team absorbed their coaching advice as the game progressed.
1-0 down in the first half, from an unfortunate lapse in defence, remained the final score.
Credits were shared for Player of the Match - everyone gave their best and we move forward with confidence and assurance that we are improving every game. It felt like a win in the circumstances but lessons learnt in the loss.
Lytham St Annes 2 1-3 Fylde 1
Fylde Men travelled the short distance to St Annes to play local rivals Lytham St Annes 2’s on a warm sunny autumn afternoon. They started strongly with several promising attacks, but then let Lytham into the game and win a handful of short corners, although they were all repelled.
Fylde eventually took the lead when Tim van Rijn was able to take the ball into the D on the bye-line and cross it accurately to find Phil Hope in front of goal, who swivelled and dived to ensure the ball beat the goalkeeper. Fylde were frustrated, for various reasons, for the remainder of the half but were determined to secure the win coming out for the second half.
There were more attacks, and plenty of near misses. Ollie Holmes scored the second goal with a sweet strike after running into space within the D and Luke Hitchen offloading the ball into his path.
Lytham kept attacking and had Fylde’s back to the walls for short periods, and even scored a surprising goal somehow. Fylde became increasingly frustrated, and there were several green cards awarded against them, but they kept on battling against everything against them.
Paul Thomson, in only his second senior game having started in the back 2 hockey initiative, had another great game, and at one point found space in the D, was passed the ball and pushed it against an opposition foot to win a valuable penalty corner. Fylde eventually scored a third goal when Oli van Rijn dribbled and passed to Luke Hitchen at the top of the D, who rifled the ball into the back of the net.
Final score 3-1 with Fylde earning their first league points for over 18 months (having been a development side last season), and it felt good! Ollie Holmes was awarded Man of the Match in a tight vote.
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