REPORT | 8 Dec 2018: Club KV 3-0 DLHC 1XI and Castle 2-3 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 10/12/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
2XI v Castle

DLHC 2XI were victorious against Castle on Saturday

Junior 8B: Castle 4XI 2-3 Donaghadee LHC 2XI
Saturday 1st December saw Donaghadee Ladies 2XI travel to Carrickfergus for the return match against Castle 4XI, with the first match finishing in a 2-2 draw back in October.

The Dee girls were quick off the mark and proved themselves to be a worry to the Castle defence, with a good few Donaghadee attacks in the circle by a strong forward line of Hannah McAdam, Molly McKee, Erin Hamilton, Katie McKee and Heather Kinnear resulting in a penalty corner. Hannah was quick to fire off one of her strong shots at goal which was just about saved by the keeper but the defence were given no chance thanks to the ball tipping in off Heather’s awaiting stick.

Not to be outdone, Castle attacked strongly putting the Donaghadee defence of Mia Park, Natalie Jamieson, Tori Wrighman and Siobhan McAdam under pressure with an experienced Castle player getting a shot right in the corner of the goal which was impossible for Siobhan to save.

Donaghadee continued to fight, with screen Lisa Higgins pushing the team on and distributing the balls to the awaiting forwards – a lovely pass through to Kerrie Turtle resulting in a shot on goal to put the Dee back in the lead.

Castle were not about to give up though and scored again, giving all to play for with the score 2-2 and 10 minutes left until full time. Donaghadee were unlucky to have 2 goals disallowed but showed team grit and determination by fighting until the end with Katie McKee getting the final goal in for a 3-2 win. Many thanks to Willie McAdam for braving the torrential rain to umpire.

The 2XI now have a few weeks break until their first match of 2019 on 5th January at home to CI 5XI.

Junior 8B as at 10th December 2018

Junior 8B as at 10th December 2018

Intermediate Cup Round 2: Club KV 2XI 3-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI
In a break from league action, Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI made the short trip to Strathearn last Friday night to take on Club KV’s 2XI. Newly merged from former clubs Knock and Victorians, Club KV 2XI currently ply their trade in Junior 2, feeding their 1XI who play in Senior 1 to Donaghadee’s Senior 3.

The match got underway in absolutely foul conditions – relentless, cold driving rain making things thoroughly unpleasant for both sides. KV were quicker to settle however and their slick passing and movement afforded them numerous opportunities to put Donaghadee under pressure immediately. A well worked penalty corner gave them the lead, which they doubled after a second penalty corner strike got a hefty deflection off a Dee stick.

Despite trying to find some sort of rhythm before the break, Donaghadee were well marshalled by the KV midfield and rarely threatened the home defence, before the red and green found themselves a further goal down going into the turnaround.

There were definitely visible signs of Donaghadee making a better fist of things in the second half, and they did take some heart from finishing the match without conceding again – but they were ultimately beaten by the better side on the night, and KV go into the next round with Donaghadee’s resounding best wishes for their progression in the competition. With thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring duties.

The 1XI will be hoping to round off 2018 with a good performance in the final match of the year when they welcome PSNI to Bangor Grammar on Saturday. Pass back is at 1pm and all support is welcome – the flask will be in attendance and there might even be a wee festive nip of something to raise a cup of cheer and glad tidings to Dee supporters near and far!

Senior League 3 as at 10th December 2018

Senior League 3 as at 10th December 2018

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REPORT | 1 Dec 2018: Parkview 1-1 DLHC 1XI and Saintfield 3-1 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 10/12/2018 by Donaghadee LHC

Match reports to follow

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REPORT | 24 Nov 2018: DLHC 1XI 2-3 South Antrim

Posted on 24/11/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Carolyn with both goals against South Antrim on Saturday

Carolyn with both goals against South Antrim on Saturday

Senior League 3: DLHC 1XI 2-3 South Antrim
Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI push league leaders close on Saturday

South Antrim have been flying high in Senior 3 so far, with only one loss at the start of the season so Donaghadee could have done without giving them a two goal advantage before they got themselves on the score sheet, but there’s nothing quite like a steep challenge to get things going!

South’s first goal came courtesy of a deflection that shot into the roof of the net, despite keeper Siobhan McAdam almost getting a big glove to it, and the visitors’ second goal came thanks to a goal mouth scramble, the ball falling kindly to an unmarked forward at the back post.

The Dee defence steadied, with numerous excellent interceptions from Claire Stewart and Paige Reilly, and Amy Long picking one save off Siobhan’s pads to drive the ball to safety.

Donaghadee had their own chances to get the scoreboard ticking over; Carolyn Scott with a snap shot that the South Antrim keeper, completely unsighted, somehow managed to deflect wide and Kerry Kennedy – returning to the central midfield berth – testing the visiting number 1 on several occasions with high shots, low shots and a couple in between, without any managing to find a way through.

Early in the second half Donaghadee got the opening they were looking for: Laura Boyle and Emma McGimpsey-Young linked beautifully with a through ball to Catherine Armstrong on the right.

The speedy midfielder wasted no time in finding a ball inside to sister Kerry, who made a splendid defence-splitting pass to Carolyn at the edge of the circle which allowed the forward to swivel and slot low to the keeper’s left. 2-1 to South Antrim and Donagahdee looking back in things.

Donaghadee continued to press and harry, with Vicky O’Neill picking off attempted clearances from the South Antrim defence high on the left and Laura cutting out a number of balls brilliantly on the right. With space in behind, South Antrim then got themselves a break away goal to restore their two goal advantage: 3-1 to them.

With time ticking on, Donaghadee continued to press high up the pitch, and their reward came from a well-worked penalty corner involving Catherine and Carolyn, Carolyn getting the final touch to bring the score to 3-2.

With the wind firmly in their attacking sails, the Dee kept the work rate up and the pressure on: Ali Stevenson patrolling the attacking 25 and firing off a number of dangerous balls from long corners, Leanna McGimpsey-Young probing down the right and Kerrie Turtle making a nuisance of herself in the attacking circle.

Time was against the red and green however, with South Antrim pleased to come away with the 3 points, with their subsequent awarding player of the match to their goalkeeper testament to how well she did to keep the Dee out over the course of the match.

Thanks to Jon Scott for umpiring and to Optimum Care for their sponsorship of this week’s match ball.

The 1XI are next in action on Friday night when they travel to Ballyclare to take on Parkview, passback 8pm.

The 2XI had no match this week but they are back in action away to Saintfield 3XI on Saturday before the mass outing to Grace Neill’s for the club’s Christmas Do.

Senior League 3 as at 26th November 2018

Senior League 3 as at 26th November 2018

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REPORT | 17 Nov 2018: Ballynahinch 0-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI and Armagh 2XI 4-1 Donaghadee LHC 2XI

Posted on 18/11/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Senior League 3: Ballynahinch 0-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI

It was an unseasonably mild day for an autumnal trip to St Colman’s College for Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI’s fixture against Ballynahinch on Saturday. Stand-in Captain Helen Hooks won the toss and chose pass back for her team, and there was little to choose between the sides in the opening exchanges; much of the action taking place in the middle third of the pitch with Helen joined in midfield by Laura Boyle in the central role and Catherine Armstrong taking up the wide right berth.

On the occasions when Ballynahinch did threaten to break into the Dee circle, they found Paige Reilly and Amy Long protecting the flanks with alacrity – both looking to turn defence into attack quickly as they fed the wide channels, inviting their forwards to run on to balls into the attacking quarter. Claire Stewart, too, was her usual rock steady self in the heart of defence – her clearances to the sidelines ensured no way through for the home forwards.

When Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam was called into action, she too played her part in keeping Hinch out: a smart save from a penalty corner followed by a successful parry of the rebound ensured the score was 0-0 at half time.

A shuffling of positions at half time saw Donaghadee pile on the attacking pressure and there was so nearly success almost immediately. A bouncing Donaghadee cross, fired circle-wards from the right, bypassed several sticks as it was heading to the back post where Dee forward Carolyn Scott found herself unmarked but the ball evaded her stick too, unfortunately crossing the back line harmlessly away from danger.

Lisa Higgins and Ali Stevenson began to enjoy plenty of space as they helped link back to front, Lisa seemingly stopping everything that was within reach and Ali picking defence-splitting passes, one of which Hannah McAdam latched on to with the last defender making a last ditch clearance to nick the ball away before Hannah was able to get her shot away.

Ali was dreadfully unlucky not to bag the points for Donaghadee when she got a shot off from a penalty corner right at the death. Her strike agonisingly pinged off the outside of the post seconds before the final whistle, leaving the final score 0-0. Thanks to Brian McKee for umpiring. The 1XI are next in action on Saturday when they welcome South Antrim 1XI to Bangor Grammar.

Senior 3 League Table as at 18th November 2018

Senior 3 League Table as at 18th November 2018

Katie McKee scored the Dee's goal against Armagh - looks like sister Molly was keen to get in on the action too!

Katie McKee scored the Dee’s goal against Armagh – looks like sister Molly was keen to get in on the action too!

Junior League 8B: Armagh 2XI 4-1 Donaghadee LHC 2XI
Donaghadee LHC 2XI headed west for the 4pm slot on Saturday when they took on a very strong Armagh side on a blustery Saturday evening.

From the first whistle, Donaghadee found themselves under sustained pressure from some very skillful attacking play coming from the opposition. Despite determined defence from Mia Park, Natalie Jamieson and Emma McGimpsey-Young and some excellent saves from keeper Nicola Patton, the Armagh side slipped a goal in after 10 minutes of play in the Dee ’23.

After conceding the goal, the Dee strove to get an equaliser and came very close to succeeding on multiple occasions with some great play from Ruth Coulter and Emily Morris up the wings. Their attempts were dealt with by a very experienced Armagh defence however, and unfortunately the opposition very quickly broke up the pitch and scored again. Despite further attacking play from Molly and Katie McKee, Erin Hamilton and Vicky O’Neill, the Dee were kept two nil down to the interval.

The second half began,with Donaghadee getting off to a very strong start, spending plenty of time in the opposition’s half but again, the waves of attack were fended off, setting Armagh on the attack, which was equally well fought by the Dee defence.

Thankfully, Donaghadee’s continued attacking play paid off when a great ball in from Ruth which found Katie McKee, who slotted the ball past the keeper to bring the score to 2-1, fuelling the fire of the Dee to score again.

There continued to be great play up the middle from Vicky and more strong attacks from the wings, with defender Georgia Ferguson coming very close to scoring herself after running the length of almost the entire pitch; the Dee seemed set to score but the Armagh defence remained steadfast and saw out all of the Dee’s attempts at goal.

Towards the end of the match, there was some very strong attacking from Armagh and their final goal was an excellent deflection into the net from a ball shelled into the Dee circle to set the final score 3-1 to Armagh.

Thank you to Janice McVeigh, who did a fabulous job of officiating the game on her debut match as umpire. The 2XI have a week off before they travel to Saintfield on Saturday 1st December.

Junior 8B League Table as at 18th November 2018

Junior 8B League Table as at 18th November 2018

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REPORT | 10th Nov 2018: DLHC 1XI 1-1 Newry and DLHC 2XI 4-1 Bangor 3XI

Posted on 12/11/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Ruth, Vicky and Emily (twice) were on target against Bangor

Ruth, Vicky and Emily (twice) were on target against Bangor

Junior League 8B: DLHC 2XI 4-1 Bangor 3XI
With no match last weekend, and with lots of lovely new kit on show, Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 2XI were raring to go last Saturday when they took on local rivals Bangor 3XI following the 1XI’s 1-1 draw with Newry.

And they certainly got off to a flyer! Virtually straight from the whistle they were on the attack and with only a minute gone Ruth Coulter, making her first appearance of the season, showed she has lost none of her silky skills when she danced past the Bangor defence and scored with her first attempt on goal.

Bangor quickly knuckled down though and both sides enjoyed periods of possession in midfield with most of Bangor’s threat coming down the Dee’s right hand side where they were calmly dealt with by Georgia Ferguson and Captain Kerrie Turtle, this week playing in a very unfamiliar defensive role but doing so brilliantly.

On the rare forays that Bangor made into the Dee half, Natalie Jamieson was always there to break up the play and drive the ball back up field. During one of her trademark runs she was fouled just over the halfway line – her resulting free hit was picked up by Erin Hamilton racing down the right wing and her cross into the circle was converted by Vicky O’Neill to double the lead.

The next Dee attack came from a lovely flowing move down the left flank. An interception by Ruth almost in the Dee’s circle was worked up the pitch with some great exchanges between her and Carmen Van Der Schyff, and Molly McKee was desperately unlucky not to get a third for the Dee when she raced onto the final pass but her shot just shaved the post. It remained two nil to Donaghadee at halftime.

The second half saw some positional changes made by the Captain, and they paid off almost immediately. Some lovely interchange play between Molly and Kerrie – now playing as a high forward – led to a penalty corner. Taking the ball cleanly at the top of the circle, Kerrie picked a pinpoint pass to her forward partner Emily Morris who coolly slotted past the keeper, with no sign of the bad back which had kept her on the sidelines for a number of weeks.

And to prove that you can’t keep a good girl down, she doubled her tally just five minutes later; put through on goal by Ruth after another great jinking run, Emily buried her shot with aplomb, giving the keeper no chance.

Katie McKee was tireless in support of her forwards all match, and she nearly got the reward she deserved in the middle of the second half when some nice interchange passing in the circle led to a shot across goal and she was in the perfect position for the deflection, but it flew agonisingly wide.

Donaghadee didn’t have it all their own way in the second half though, and as the match entered the final quarter Bangor began to put pressure on the Dee defence. Hannah McAdam, providing great support from the bench, and Natalie dealt with some sustained attacks brilliantly but eventually Bangor finally broke the stubborn Dee resistance and scrambled a consolation goal past keeper Nicola Patton who had been a virtual spectator the whole game.

It was to be the last action of the game, with Donaghadee running out comfortable 4-1 winners – the power of the new kit! Thanks to Carolyn Scott for umpiring and to the growing band of supporters on the sideline. The 2XI play Armagh away on Saturday, pass back at Ardmore Rec at 4pm.

Junior 8B League Table as at 12th Nov 2018

Junior 8B League Table as at 12th Nov 2018

Senior League 3: DLHC 1-1 Newry
Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI renewed acquaintances with old adversaries Newry in the 1pm slot at Bangor Grammar on Saturday. The Dee had a lot of go forward ball but struggled to make the visiting keeper work, and it was Newry who took the lead having weathered the initial Donaghadee storm.

The Dee fought back however, with Captain Kerry Kennedy drawing the equaliser in the second half to earn a valuable point, as Donaghadee maintain 4th position in Senior 3. The team travels to St Colman’s High to play Ballynhainch on Saturday, pass back 1pm.

Senior 3 League Table as at 12th Nov 2018

Senior 3 League Table as at 12th Nov 2018

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REPORT | 3 Nov 2018: Larne 2XI 0-1 DLHC 1XI

Posted on 04/11/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
A captain's performance and goal too for Sarah-Louise against Larne

A captain’s performance and goal too for Sarah-Louise against Larne

Intermediate Cup Round 1: Larne 2XI -0-1 Donaghadee LHC 1XI

Dee edge close encounter at Larne
With inspirational Donaghadee 1XI captain Kerry Kennedy away sunning herself on a half term break in Costa Kildare, vice Sarah-Louise Baird stepped up to lead the troops for the first round of the Intermediate Cup in Larne.

Big shoes to fill then, none more so than when one of Sarah-Louise’s gutties mysteriously went missing as she readied herself during her prematch rituals. Shoe safely retrieved – thankfully before pass back – SL managed to lose both the toss and the choice of ends (tactical, apparently).

It was a bit of a slow start from the Dee (not tactical), with Larne applying waves of pressure and Donaghadee seemingly unable to get much beyond the halfway line. Claire Stewart steadied the ship in the heart of defence with a number of well-timed challenges to clear wide while Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam made, amongst others, a cool as you like stick save to ensure the ball rounded the right side of the post as far as the Dee were concerned.

Larne were left ruing their missed opportunities when, midway through the first half, Sarah-Louise bolted down the left (with both shoes on) and cut in to the attacking circle. Her shot forced the keeper into a save which lifted the ball dangerously and with the umpire playing an excellent advantage instead of awarding an immediate penalty corner, she had another go, sneaking the ball in from a tight angle between the keeper’s legs to give Donaghadee the lead much against the run of play.

Natalie Jamieson then came close to scoring a wonderful goal to put Donaghadee two up. Coming on as a rolling sub at the halfway line she intercepted a Larne pass without breaking stride and just kept going. Past players and riding tackles, on she went, the resulting shot just inching the wrong side of the keeper’s far post.

Donaghadee were beginning to work themselves into the game a bit more, with the platform coming from the back: Paige Reilly and Amy Long both sent numerous probing balls down the flanks for Vicky O’Neill, Emma and Leanna McGimpsey-Young to run on to. Ali Stevenson was her usual rock steady self and Helen Hooks ran non stop in the centre of midfield as she linked back and front.

Laura Boyle provided a brilliant defence-splitting pass that Carolyn Scott was inches away from connecting with at the edge of the circle (a longer stick, longer arms or younger legs might have done the trick) but it set the tone for periods of the second half. Donaghadee found the Larne keeper in splendid form however, and she made a number of excellent saves to keep the score at 1-0.

With Larne pulling the keeper off in the final stages to add an extra outfield player as they searched for the equaliser, Donaghadee found themselves penned in but a big collective effort saw the Dee girls triumph in what was a keenly fought and competitive match to edge through to the second round where they will play Club KV. It’s back to league action on Saturday with the 1XI welcoming Newry to BGS at 1pm, followed by the 2XI taking on Bangor 3XI in the 2.30pm slot.

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REPORT | 27 October 2018: Instonians 1-0 DLHC 1XI and DLHC 2XI 2-1 Dromore 4XI

Posted on 29/10/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
DLHC 1XI keeper Siobhan McAdam made several good saves on Friday night

DLHC 1XI keeper Siobhan McAdam made several good saves on Friday night

Senior League 3: Instonians 1-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI
Hockey came early last weekend for Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI as they travelled to Shaw’s Bridge on Friday night to fulfill their away fixture to Instonians.

As has been their wont this season, Donaghadee started brightly, enjoying long spells of possession in the early stages with much of the play taking place in Instonians’ defensive quarter of the pitch. The home defence remained strong however and prevented any chances Donaghadee had of scoring; Leanna McGimpsey-Young and Laura Boyle rotating up front with Hannah McAdam and Emma McGimpsey-Young as the Dee tried to break the deadlock.

Donaghadee were then caught out by a swift counter-attack in what seemed to be Instonians’ first window of attacking play; the ball dribbling over the Dee goal line to give the hosts the lead. A further break by the home side shortly afterwards led to another attempt at goal however Siobhan McAdam in goals and the defence of Paige Reilly, Ali Stevenson and Amy Long surrounding her, did well to clear the ball.

Donaghadee did their best to equalise with a penalty corner when Kerry Kennedy and Catherine Armstrong combined to force a shot on goal just before half time but the Instonians goalkeeper managed to clear the danger to ensure her side went in to the half time break in the lead.

With a change of positions Donaghadee came out with more attacking hockey in the second half: some lovely interplay saw the midfield of Sarah-Louise Baird, Helen Hooks and Lisa Higgins feeding the ball forwards as Donaghadee searched for the equaliser. One great link up saw Hannah mere inches away from tipping in at the right hand post, while Catherine made plenty of speedy yards down the right.

Despite more sustained pressure with long corners and sideline balls deep into attacking territory, Donaghadee were unable to capitalise before the final whistle, leaving the final score 1-0 to Instonians. Thanks to Brian McKee for umpiring. The Firsts take a break from league action this weekend as they travel to Larne for a 1pm passback on Saturday in the first round of the Intermediate Cup.

Minor Cup Round 1: DLHC 2XI 1-2 Dromore 4XI
The game got off to a quick start with both teams evenly matched and great end to end play. The Donaghadee defence was called into action early on and Nicola Patton in goals was kept busy with plenty of saves. In the heart of defence, Georgia Ferguson and Mia Park (in only her 2nd game for the Dee) kept Dromore at bay with some great tackles along with Natalie Jamieson who made some great runs up the pitch carrying the ball away from Donaghadee’s defensive circle.

Carmen Van der Schyff added to the team effort in thwarting goals by dropping back to a defensive screen this week along with Lisa Higgins playing a great game as always despite suffering from a heavy cold. Molly McKee, Erin Hamilton and Katie McKee once again shared the roles of left and right wing, displaying their youthful energy by running the legs off themselves in some great attacks along with centre Vicky O’Neill.

Both Tasha Paxton and Kerrie Turtle had some good chances in the first half but the goals remained elusive going into half time with the score 0-0 and all to play for. Early in the second half Dromore snuck an early goal in but the Dee girls can back with renewed vigour, the equalising goal coming from a lovely pass by Vicky to an awaiting Tasha who took a shot on goals.

The initial shot was thwarted by the keeper but Molly pounced on the rebound to tap it in (with an eager Connie Hampton definitely back in action and on hand to ensure that it definitely went in!)

Buoyed by the prospect of having a chance of getting through to the second round, both teams continued to fight for the win, and it was unfortunate that 5 minutes before full time it was Dromore who succeeded in scoring the winning goal. DLHC wishes them good luck in the next round and the 2XI look forward to competing in the Minor Plate after Christmas.

Thanks to Catherine Armstrong for stepping up and kindly umpiring and also to Emily Morris for filling in until the Dromore umpire arrived. The merry band of DLHC sideline support was once again appreciated by the team who took to the pitch. The Seconds have no match this week and will be back in action on Saturday 10th November at home against NICS 5ths.

Action from the 2XI's match against Dromore 4XI

Action from the 2XI’s match against Dromore 4XI

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REPORT | 20 Oct 2018: DLHC 2XI 2-2 Castle 4XI

Posted on 22/10/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Scorers against Castle: Vicky and Hannah

Scorers against Castle: Vicky and Hannah

Junior League 8B: DLHC 2XI 2-2 Castle 4XI
Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 2XI were in action on Saturday when they welcomed new club Castle’s 4XI to Bangor Grammar.

Captain Kerrie Turtle had youngsters Molly and Katie McKee and Erin Hamilton at her disposal again and it was great to see Hannah McAdam back on the pitch following an injury layoff.

Castle were the quicker to start and they were two goals to the good early in the first half. The young Dee side rallied well however and they hauled themselves back into the game just before half time thanks to a great strike from Hannah.

Donaghadee were in the wars in the second half with Connie going down hard on her shoulder and Tasha Paxton taking a clearance ball to the knee. Fortunately the Dee’s bench was well stocked and they were able to continue with the full 11 players on the pitch.

Donaghadee’s tenacity paid off with a number of penalty corners and goal mouth scrambles: Erin was dreadfully unlucky at the back post not to be able to dig the ball up and over the scrambling Castle keeper while Molly was unfortunate to have her shot blocked at the top of the circle.

Vicky O’Neill made good with a strike of her own though and Donaghadee were level, much to the delight of her team mates and watching supporters.

With the clock ticking down the Dee defence of Georgia Ferguson, Natalie Jamieson and Amy Long upped their protection of keeper Janice Mcveigh, leaving the Dee number 1 with little to do. Tasha Moore and Rebecca Bolton provided the link between defence and attack but despite best efforts, there were no further goals.

A super point for the 2XI who are next in action on Saturday when they play Dromore 4ths in the first round of the Minor Cup, pass back 2.30pm, with the 1XI in action on Friday night against Instonians – pass back 7pm at Shaw’s Bridge.

Junior 8B league table as at 22 October 2018

Junior 8B league table as at 22 October 2018

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REPORT | 13 Oct 2018: DLHC 1XI 8-0 Malone and CI 5XI 3-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 15/10/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Excellent eight! 1XI goalscorers Catherine Armstrong, Kerry Kennedy, Sarah-Louise Baird, Carolyn Scott and Rebecca Bolton

Excellent eight! 1XI goalscorers Catherine Armstrong, Kerry Kennedy, Sarah-Louise Baird, Carolyn Scott and Rebecca Bolton

Senior League 3: DLHC 1XI 8-0 Malone
Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI go top of Senior League 3 with clinical display against Malone

On an afternoon when the rain was as relentless as Donaghadee’s attacking prowess, the Dee clicked through the gears to put 8 unanswered goals past their Belfast-based visitors.

Virtually from the first whistle, Donaghadee put Malone under intense pressure: the first attack saw Helen Hooks taking off down the right, her half-pitch length burst culminating in a pinpoint cross which forward Carolyn Scott put just wide of the far post seconds into the game.

Almost before anyone had time to draw breath, Catherine Armstrong intercepted an attempted clearance and unleashed a screamer just inside the top of the circle to open the scoring for the Dee. She added her second in equally emphatic fashion not long after, and Donaghadee were well off and running.

Sarah-Louise Baird was next to find the back of the net with her own tiptoeing run into the circle from deep. Afraid to pass to any of her team mates lest they laid claim to her goal, on she carried and in she put it – no arguing with that one: Baird with number 3 for the Dee.

Captain Kerry Kennedy started herself further back in defence than her usual centre midfield role but that didn’t stop the almost customary reverse stick shot coming in when she arrived in the circle. Each week we set Kerry the challenge of scoring an ordinary goal and each week she fails gloriously. Maybe the next one will be a wee tap in…

With little to do in defence, Amy Long and Laura Boyle were providing a great go forward platform on the right and the pressure continued on the visiting defence. With a goal-bound Dee shot stopped on the line by an unfortunate defender’s body, Kerry stepped up to take the resulting flick. No mistake there and Donaghadee were 4 to the good.

With her sister now equalling her 2 goals on the day, Catherine channelled her hardly even remotely competitive sibling rivalry into scoring her third thanks to a cheeky deflection which bypassed the rooted Malone defence for her hattrick and Donaghadee’s 6th.

The one way flow continued early in the second half with Carolyn scoring from a deflected penalty corner to make it 7-0 to the Dee.

With the red and green backs also looking to get in on some action, they afforded Malone a penalty corner but Ali Stevenson read the danger from the strike, ensuring that keeper Siobhan McAdam’s (soggy/drenched/absolutely wringin’) pads remained soaked but unused in anger.

With Claire Stewart in the heart of defence disrupting any Malone breaks in the middle of the pitch and quickly turning defence to attack, the ball found its way to young Dee forward Rebecca Bolton. She finished off a goalmouth scramble to score Donaghadee’s eighth and create a small slice of history.

Donaghadee have been on the wrong end of plenty of big scorelines over the years but the previous biggest goals-for game since embarking on senior league hockey back in 2007 was their 7-2 victory over Cooke in February 2014: the rebuilding and strengthening in the intervening years is now beginning to show – long may it continue!

Big thanks to Nicola Patton for umpiring duties in this match, it’s much appreciated as always. The 1XI now have a free week and are back in action on Friday 26th October when they travel to Shaw’s Bridge to play Instonians, pass back 7pm.

Senior 3 league table before Malone result added

Senior 3 league table before Malone result added

Junior League 8B: CI 5XI 3-0 DLHC 2XI
DLHC 2XI travelled to CIYMS for their second fixture of the season against an experienced CI side last Saturday.

With the team missing a good few of their regular players it was great to see Donaghadee’s newest recruits Mia Park, Erin Hamilton, Molly McKee and Katie McKee join the ranks in a baptism of fire (or should we say rain!) for their first match representing the Dee.

CI got off to a strong start, catching Donaghadee unaware and they attacked relentlessly during the early part of the first half to secure 3 goals. It didn’t take long for the Donaghadee side to settle into their stride to work themselves into the game however, despite the slow start.

The steady goalkeeping (and acrobatic dives!) of Janice McVeigh along with great defending from Georgia Ferguson and full pitch runs from Nataile Jamieson and Lisa Higgins ensured no more goals were conceded.

The team were also glad to have Tasha Moore on board who, along with Mia, both showed great tackling and distribution of the ball to Vicky O’Neill in the centre of midfield – a position she is really making her mark on – and Carmen Van der Schyff who must have had her weetabix that morning as she never stopped running!.

Debut girls Erin, Katie and Molly definitely proved themselves with some fantastic passing and great attacking runs up the pitch along with Kerrie Turtle. The second half saw Mia switching to defence allowing her to show off some brilliant defending and tackles.

There was a lot more end to end play with some great attacks against the CI defence and the Dee girls were unlucky not to come away with any goals as their reward.

Many thanks to Mike Smyth for enduring the steady stream of rain to umpire and special mention to the Dee mums supporting from the sidelines.

Onwards and upwards for the 2s who take on Castle 4XI at home Saturday 20th, passback 2,30pm at Bangor Grammar.

Junior 8B league table 15 Oct 2018

Junior 8B league table 15 Oct 2018

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REPORT | 6 Oct 2018: Derg Valley 1-6 DLHC 1XI

Posted on 08/10/2018 by Donaghadee LHC
Carolyn scores

Carolyn got 2 against Derg but saved the biggest celebration for the goal that wasn’t.

Senior League 3: Derg Valley 1-6 DLHC 1XI
Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI were on the road to Derg Valley on Saturday, and the long drive did not affect performance!

Having had a bit of a slow start, the 1XI were spurred into action when Derg took advantage of a counter-attack and scored from a straight strike penalty corner within the opening 10 minutes. The goal only served to give Dee the impetus for a win and within minutes Donaghadee were reaping the rewards with a number of quick succession corners of their own.

It was 1-1 when Carolyn Scott scored off the back of a quick drive and only a few minutes later, Kerry Kennedy was wanting in on the action after a penalty corner opened up the opportunity for a great goal lifted right into the net. Carolyn’s day was made when she hit an absolute blinder, lifting past the keeper into the top right hand corner of the net.

The celebrations had already begun when she was awoken from her goal-scoring dream by the umpire clarifying that she had already blown her whistle. No second goal for Scott… for now. But not long after, another short corner opportunity gave a second goal of the day for Carolyn with a straight strike right through the defence. 

Laura Boyle, gaining in confidence on the ball with every match, took a run down the right wing and arched perfectly into the corner with a great chance on goal, but the next sound of the ricocheting backboard came from Helen Hooks who, receiving delivery of a ball in from Sarah-Louise Baird driving on the right, snuck the ball neatly past the keeper. 

Poor Paige Reilly suffered a gel nail injury shortly before the end of the first half after a strong tackle caused her to lose her navy sparkly gel thumb, together with half the under-lying finger nail. We are however pleased to report that she is being a big strong girl about it!

With the second half underway, and a surge of energy from Derg, Amy Long, Paige and Tasha Moore linked up perfectly in the back line and were forthright in their defence of Derg’s attacks down the line, leaving keeper Siobhan McAdam a virtual spectator for long periods. The delivery from the backs in defence mode, with some lovely passes round the back, enabled the midfield/forwards to execute some perfect linked phases of play, particularly Lisa Higgins and Leanna McGimpsey-Young who were reading the match perfectly.

Donaghadee’s dominance continued when Sarah-Louise took advantage of a long corner, making a drive through the centre into the circle to finish off her own move by sweeping the ball past the helpless Derg keeper and into the net. As with last week, naysayers claimed it was an OG due to a deflection off a Derg stick, but with none of the Derg players looking to claim it, Baird is taking the goal as her own; 5-1 to the Dee.

The second half drama was not only limited to the goals. Paige was done right out of her position for the sympathy vote when Laura, having gone in for a tackle, took a hit to the hand, and Amy received a particularly bad blow to the ankle, having to come off the pitch after what was a great performance by her, with Laura then stepping up to drop back into defence for the last 10 minutes.   

In the dying moments of the game, Leanna provided a lovely cross for Emma McGimpsey-Young who was ‘queen of positioning’: without moving her stick an inch, she got to get the deflection at the back post to pop in straight to the goal. 6-1 to the Dee!

A fantastic result for Donaghadee which puts the 1XI top of the table in Senior 3. Long may it continue! Thank you very much to Sarah Boal for kindly volunteering to umpire for us. The 1XI are next in action when they play Malone at home next Saturday, pass back 1pm.

The 2XI are away to CI 5XI in their second league match, pass back at CIYMS is at 2.30pm on Saturday.

 

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