Woking Girls Under 16’s 2 Maidenhead Girls Under 16’s A’s 3

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Woking Girls Under 16’s 2 Maidenhead Girls Under 16’s A’s 3
Sunday 27 January 2019 at Woking
How good was that? What a fantastic fight-back by the girls in our top-of-the-table clash at Woking.
Two-nil down – and looking out for the count – at half-time, they staged a remarkable rally to win the game 3-2 and so qualify for the HCL regional quarter-finals next month.
It was a game Maidenhead had to win, but in the first half we were out-powered, out-paced and generally out-played by a well-drilled Woking team who pressed us back and took control.
We started brightly enough with attacks down the right and a penalty corner which came to nothing. But it was scrappy with missed tackles, misplaced passes and link-up play breaking down.
Woking, on the other hand, were soon spending more time in our half and even when we got possession back, we struggled to get the ball past their half-circle press.
Alexis had already made several saves and blocks - and Tori one super last ditch clearance – before Woking’s first goal in the 19th minute, which came from a run down their left and shot in at the far post.
In response, we launched two counter attacks with Emily on the right having one shot saved and a second which fizzed across the goalmouth.
But it was Hattie and Katie, deep in defence, who were most under pressure. We almost got to the break just 1-0 down – especially after another top Alexis stop – but Woking converted a penalty corner at close range after a neat set-piece to close out the half totally on top.
You would have got good odds on an away win at that stage, but a different Maidenhead team came out after the break…no doubt fired up by the coaches!
Suddenly the girls were playing with pace, pushing up and pressing the opposition into mistakes and generally showing more aggression.
We needed the next goal to get back into the match and it came after seven minutes with Emily harassing their defender into a mistake and passing to Maisie who calmly slotted home.
Woking were shocked. This was the first goal they had conceded in four games and they responded by laying siege to our net for the next six minutes with a succession of short corner and attacks.
But we held strong - with Anna in the thick of it - and finally broke out with Amelia clearing to Emily who again fed Maisie but unluckily she foot-faulted herself just as she was about to shoot.
Next minute it was 2-2. This time Maddy tackled a Woking player on the halfway line and split their defence with a ball down the middle to Tilly who scored confidently.
Back came Woking and Katie was sin-binned for two minutes for a foul in the D. Alexis saved the penalty corner and we held on with 10-players.
With seven minutes to go Lizzie tackled well on the right and fed the ball to Frankie. She passed it on into the D and Maisie scored our winning goal to massive cheers from our band of travelling fans.

Woking didn’t give up, knowing an equaliser would be enough for them to top the group on goal difference. But our girls were strong all over the pitch and saw out time to record a famous victory.
Next Sunday the girls have got to do it all over again with another big away table-topping game in the England Hockey Cup at Reading. If we play like we did in the second half, we can win that one as well!