England Hockey Cup

CHELMSFORD’S second game of the weekend could potentially have been more difficult than the scoreline suggests. With many of the first team unavailable, including the captain and first choice goalkeeper, the squad was supplemented by several second eleven regulars who played their part in an excellent team performance.

Although Chelmsford looked good from the start, Bromley’s first jaunt forward resulted in a penalty corner which they converted to give them an unexpected lead in the second minute of the game. Chelmsford virtually camped in the Bromley half for the next quarter of an hour but Bromley broke out to win their second short corner and again found the net.

Lesser teams than Chelmsford might well have been shaken at this setback but they pressed on and following a quick exchange of passes between Loren Sherer and Beth Wild in the D, Sherer tucked the ball away tight on the left hand goalpost to open Chelmsford’s account. More pressure followed and after half an hour, Kat Hales equalised from a short corner and three minutes later Wild scored to give Chelmsford the lead. Just before the break, Julia Butterworth received an excellent ball from Sherer and drove a simple shot home to give Chelmsford a comfortable 4-2 lead.

Straight from the restart, Chelmsford attacked and Sherer got behind the Bromley defence and passed to Kate Taylor to score Chelmsford’s fifth. Bromley continued to play their game and in a break forward by their front runner, Rosie Patterson’s last ditch tackle resulted in a penalty flick to Bromley, which they converted. Having brought the score back to a 2-goal deficit, for a few minutes the play was evenly balanced. But a further short corner to Chelmsford and a knock in from Becky Budd, poaching by the right post, re-established Chelmsford’s superiority.

Chelmsford’s confidence was on a high and in the space of four minutes, three further goals from the irrepressible Beth Wild rounded off the match in style. Chelmsford wait to hear who their opponents will be in the next round of the Cup which will be played on Sunday, November 14.