Saturday 1st November saw Maidenhead starting their game really strong, their high and aggressive pressing put Oxford Hawks on the back foot early on. After Sarah Fuller won a short, Smithy hammered in home with a straight strike to put Maidenhead 1-0 up within the opening 10 minutes.

Maidenhead kept the pressure on, moving the ball well and dominating a lot of the possession. Molly struck the bar in the second quarter and Sarah Fuller followed up the rebound with a first time hit to put Maidenhead 2-0 up, Hawks responded well and got close to getting a goal back when a well struck ball at the edge of the D deflected off Maddy’s stick to lift it goal bound, but Vix was alert in goal and made an excellent save to tip it over the bar. Another excellent save from Vix kept the score line at 2-0, when a lifted ball was deflected up by Hawks to try and lob Maidenhead’s keeper, who backpedaled to make a brilliant last ditch save on the far post.

Maidenhead continued pressing well and a turnover in possession fed the ball to Chantal Hankin in the opposition D, Oxford Hawks’ keeper saved the initial shot from Chantal and the follow up shot from Issy, but Sarah Fuller collected the rebound and passed to Kate Addison, who tucked it in at the far post to go 3-0 up.

Maidenhead went 4-0 up in the 3rd quarter with a brilliantly worked 4th goal (right off the training pitch). Maidenhead won possession high up the pitch and Kate Addison ran the ball into the D, passed to Molly on the near post who laid it off into the p spot where Sarah was ready to swipe it first time neatly into the bottom left corner Hawks came out determined in the fourth quarter but Maidenhead defended well, clearing 3 shorts defensive shorts.

Some excellent play from the defenders, including vital interceptions from Lucy Dodwell-Bennet kept the scoreline at 4-0. However Hawks clawed one back in the last 10 minutes after winning a free hit just outside the D. Hawks took it quickly and played it to their right wing who ran the baseline and tucked it in the near post.

All in all a strong team performance from Maidenhead to secure a 4-1 victory away from home and another 3 points on the table.