U18 Girls V Oxford Hawks

Maidenhead Girls U18 0 – 8 Oxford Hawks
Sunday 11 October
By Jim Taylor
Don’t you just hate having extra homework on a Sunday night? But after Oxford Hawks’ hockey lesson in powerful team play and individual skill, we have obviously got plenty more to learn.
Not that our girls should be downhearted after giving their best against class opposition on a sunny autumn afternoon at Altwood.
Stepping up to the U18s for the first time, Erin in goal was outstanding; Havana’s pace up-front was electrifying; Maisie’s skills in midfield a delight, and Tori’s dogged determination in defence felt reassuring.
For many of our younger girls, it was a bit of a baptism of fire against a senior squad, physically strong, well drilled who moved the ball around and across the pitch with pace and precision.
Nevertheless, the likes of Lola and Yana regularly made eye-catching contributions, while Ava, Verity and Eloise were positive whenever they got the chance to counter.
Oxford Hawks lead 3 -0 at half-time. Their first two goals came early thanks to a combination of an excellently worked short corner routine with the third pass leading up to the shot; and an audacious bit of skill with their forward dragging the ball back from the dead-ball line and sliding it home from a ridiculous angle.
After that we rode our luck with Erin pulling off a triple save – the last part a full-length dive – and Thea making two excellent goal-line clearances.
Slowly we got a foothold in the game and Maisie made three defence-splitting passes for Havana to run-in, one-on-one, with their keeper…who each time managed to smother the ball away.
Then, before the break, just as our confidence was building, Oxford got a bit of luck when a short corner flick – rather than shot - hit the goal-frame and the rebound was bundled home.
Despite the deficit, we started bravely after the break with Verity and Lola combining well down the right to win a short corner. A Tori strike, a Maisie flick and Anjali’s attempt won us another penalty. This time Tori’s strike was cleared off the line by a defender.
For the first five minutes we were on top with Maisie having another effort blocked and Hollie shooting from distance – but then Oxford broke down the right and a neat dribble in the D saw them go 4-0 ahead.
After that – with Havana injured after being sent sprawling in the Oxford D – we were largely on the backfoot with more Erin saves, Lizzie clearing one of the line, and Caitlin and Cate making good tackles.
More goals followed, but heads did not drop and the girls battled to the end with Stella chasing and hassling for every ball. So, what lesson can be learned from a one-sided score-line which wasn’t really a one-sided game?
Oxford Hawks have set the bench-mark for how we should aim to play for the rest of the season, doing the basics well, passing and moving, plenty of width, pressing as a unit and keeping possession under pressure. Over to the coaches and let’s start improving at training tomorrow night.
A big thank you to Amelia for umpiring!