Ipswich III 4 Yarmouth 2

NE14Hockey East Women's League

Division 2NE

Ipswich III 4 Yarmouth 2

A WOBBLY start saw a hungry Yarmouth forcing the play and earning the early pressure. Once Ipswich had settled and begun to play, the game evened out and it was clear the match was going to be keenly contested. Fifteen minutes in saw the first goal which came from a short corner. The ball was collected top D by Vickey Dixon who stepped to the right, neatly avoiding a crashing tackle and hooked the ball back across the play, past the keeper and into the goal.

The next short corner was pretty much a carbon copy, but this time Vickey couldn't avoid the crashing tackle, had a goal scoring opportunity removed and received a penalty flick for her troubles. Nothing short of an expert conversion tucked the ball just inches inside the left post with the keeper nowhere near.

A Yarmouth attack resulted in a dubiously-awarded short at the other end of the pitch. Despite valiant efforts from the defence which saw two super saves bouncing off Jade Daly's pads, and numerous attempts to sweep the ball out of D, it continued to ricochet off sticks and eventually found its way into the goal.

The end-to-to end play continued and saw Ipswich construct another goal-scoring opportunity. Hannah Brookes scored an excellent goal as an early top-D strike whistled past defenders and keepers alike which took the home team into half-time with a secure 3-1 advantage.

Half-time advice was to mark more closely and take opportunities to send early balls up to high forwards.

It was clear that the opposition were unsatisfied with their own first-half performance, and early in the second half converted a short corner with a well-aimed strike after an efficient right slip.

It was clear we still had a fight on our hands and home players began to feel nervous. Ipswich then played a very defensive second half, keen to keep a tight hold of all three points. This did mean we put ourselves under lots of pressure and spent most of the time fielding Yarmouth attacks.

We weren't entirely without our own bit of the play, but Yarmouth can only have been gutted when the home team scored a fourth goal against the run of play

A pleasing result which sees the two teams switch places in the league and Ipswich properly established in the top half.