Womens 3 Vs Kettering 3

Kettering Ladies provided a huge challenge for the Saints this week, already suffering from missing team members to covid, ‘not covid’ colds and a late 4pm start away. The home team dominated the match from start to finish and were worthy winners at 4-0 in a rain soaked game.

St Neots started the match with nine changes to last week’s team, with Anya Poole, Eleanor Masters, Erin Hurst and Lucy Ruben stepping up from the Ladies 4s. With keeper Tara Bell calling off last minute veteran Ros Lloyd took a step back from sweeper and pulled on the goalie kit, the first time in nearly 40 years of playing hockey, with assurances from defender Katie Davidson-Smith that they would try their very hardest not to let the ball through.

Katie, Anya and Karen Sutton stayed true to their word, making an extraordinary effort in defence to keep the ball away from goal. Battling against players that were 30+ years younger than the veteran defenders, Karen and Anya marked the Kettering forwards tightly, channelling the attacks away from the goal. Katie DS’s tackles and distribution back up to midfield proved the lynchpin to the Saints game meaning Ros had only a few direct attempts at goal, with a few saves, including one aerial with a glove, and a number of fortunate pings off the side of the pads.

But the Kettering forwards were experienced and hungry for goal, ready to pick up any rebounds, and scored their first 15 minutes into the game. Their second came from a strike on a short corner, one of many against the battling St Neots defence and the home team led at half-time 2-0.

St Neots midfield of Lucy Ruben, Jade Clark and Katy Lloyd were working against a Kettering side that showed great skill in intercepting passes, picking up the bouncing ball cleanly on the very wet surface. POM Hannah Thompson and Ella Roberts pushed into the Kettering D and were awarded a few short corners but could not convert into a goal.

At the other end Kettering scored their third from open play after a battle in front of the goal with the ball just slipping past the left post. Their fourth came from yet another short corner as one forward stepped stuck their stick at a strike on goal, causing the ball to rise past the defenders into the top right. The game finished at 4-0 to Kettering.