NE14Hockey East Women's League

Division One North

Ipswich II 2 Harleston Magpies II 1

IPSWICH hosted local rivals Harleston Magpies on Saturday at Tuddenham Road. Ipswich pressurised Harleston in attack from the start winning a penalty corner which was swept in by Kate Watson and deflected up by Cat McDonald but hit the cross bar and was then cleared by the Harleston defence. Ipswich played some great hockey with a good balance of using simple passes to move up the pitch and utilising individual skills to eliminate players on the way. However, characteristically Ipswich were unable to convert their opportunities into goals and let in a weak goal allowing Magpies to lead 1-0 into half time.

In the second half Ipswich stepped up their game yet again, utilising the switch effectively and again using simple passes to work their way up the pitch. The Ipswich defence were steadfast with good hassling from Sam Bennett, Kate Watson, Jenny Ellis and Fran Tew.

Ipswich midfielders Hannah Tallent, Lucy Gallagher, Cat McDonald and Fi Moran worked tirelessly linking up with forwards Charlotte McWhirter, Ariane Hanman and Hannah Brooks generating opportunities in attack. Ipswich won lots of penalty corners and narrowly missed from several of these, with the Harleston keeper playing well.

It was from one of these corners that Ipswich finally scored an equaliser when Cat McDonald picked up a rebound from a penalty corner strike and undercut it into the net! Ipswich continued to pile on the pressure and with about seven minutes left to play Lucy Gallagher took Ipswich into the lead with an awesome goal, again from a rebound off a penalty corner effort.

MOTM this week was awarded to Hannah Tallent and 'Personal Best' to Fran Tew who both had outstanding performances, despite a truculent tackle in the second half from Fran taking out one of the Harleston players. Ipswich now sit in sixth place in East Division One North with 15 points and will travel to St Ives next Saturday.