14/3/15 Coleraine 8-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI and South Antrim 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI

Posted on 16/03/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: Coleraine 8-0 Donaghadee LHC 1XI
In a midweek fixture, DLHC 1XI made the long haul to the north coast to fulfill their penultimate fixture against rampant league leaders Coleraine and were on the wrong end of a heavy defeat. With numerous players unable to travel due to injury or work commitments, and many of those on the pitch playing out of position, the Dee were unfortunately no match for a team on course for an unbeaten, season-long league run. The Firsts play their final league game of the 2014/15 season in another midweek fixture, this time against South Antrim 1XI on Thursday 26th March before the second Hockettes on the Piste ski trip to La Plagne, France, takes place.

Junior League 8: South Antrim 2XI 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI
Donaghadee 2XI travelled to Friends in Lisburn to face South Antrim in their return fixture of this season. From the whistle the Dee started well causing problems for the home side’s defence. The first chance of the match came from the left, with Carmen van der Schyff feeding left wing Karen Fegan who unfortunately was denied by the post with her shot pinging off the outside of the upright and away to safety. Another chance came when a ball played by Melissa Rollo found the stick of Karen wide on the left, which she then crossed into Carolyn Scott – back after a four month injury layoff – in the centre of the home side’s circle. Unfortunately for Carolyn her shot was denied by the South keeper who was eager to save her team from going behind.

It was an uneasy start by South Antrim with Donaghadee staying strong with the the defensive duo Lisa Alexander and Tori Rollo protecting Donaghadee keeper Janice McVeigh and keeping the ball away from the Dee circle. The deadlock was finally broken one minute before half time however when, against the run of play, South Antrim worked the ball quickly towards Janice, putting the ball just beyond the Dee keeper’s outstretched foot to go in to half time 1-0 to the good.

Donaghadee started the second half dominating once again with Amy Long proving what an asset she is, working tirelessly on the right to close down the South left wing. Collectively Donaghadee were anxious to come back on equal terms and another chance came for Carolyn when Nina Wells, who remained strong in the centre, found Carolyn unmarked in the home side’s circle but before she was able to get a strike in the defence were quick to thwart her attempt. Donaghadee’s hard work was rewarded when they won a penalty corner but Melissa’s strike was saved on the line, with the clearance being worked swiftly up the pitch by South Antrim. The high home forward gratefully pounced on the cross to put her side two goals ahead to secure the points. Whilst the score line finished in the home side’s favour, Donaghadee can be proud of the performance that each and every player put in. Many thanks Mike Smyth for umpiring and to the DLHC supporters who made the trip to Lisburn. The Seconds are next in action on Saturday 28th March away to league leaders Mossley 2XI.

Dee keeper called up to Ulster Masters
DLHC are delighted to announce that 1XI keeper Siobhan McAdam has been selected for the Ulster Masters Interpro squad.

Good luck Siobhan, the whole club is behind you (and we can’t wait for a wee trip!)

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28/2/15 Instonians 3-1 Donaghadee LHC 1XI and South Antrim 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI

Posted on 01/03/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Instonians 3-1 Donaghadee LHC 1XI
The injury curse which has increasingly blighted Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s season continued with  Siobhan McAdam (infection) and Tasha Paxton (broken finger) the casualties for the 1XI’s league fixture against Instonians on Saturday. Second XI forward Jan Morrow had been due to play her own match in Bangor before heading to Belfast to help out the Firsts, but a nasty hand injury during her first game put paid to that.

On a miserable wet afternoon on a heavy, stodgy pitch Instonians were quicker out of the blocks and they opened the scoring with two goals before Donaghadee had settled into any sort of rhythm. Just before half time, the Dee started to get more of a grip on the match and pulled one goal back when an initial ball in to the circle by Ali Lawther was kept alive and Kerrie Turtle was the quickest to react to bring Donaghadee back to within one goal: 2-1 at half time.

With a change in formation similar to last week, Donaghadee packed the midfield after half time and the additional bodies seemed to make a difference, with the Dee competing for the ball higher up the pitch. Pressing for the equaliser though left things a bit stretched, with Instonians adding a third not long before the final whistle to ensure they took the full three points. Thanks to Brian McKee and Carolyn Scott for sharing umpiring duties. The 1XI have a week off before they travel to league leaders Coleraine on 14th March.

Junior League 8: DLHC 2XI 0-2 South Antrim
On Saturday Donaghadee 2XI welcomed South Antrim to Bangor Grammar. With the team itching to break their losing streak they was eager to show the visitors they weren’t in for an easy match. The Dee started strongly and put pressure straight on the South Antrim defence, winning a penalty corner. A clean strike from centre forward Jan Morrow was unfortunately saved by the South Antrim keeper. This woke the opposition up and the Dee defence of Ruth Howell, Tori Rollo, Lisa Alexander and Melissa Rollo showed their strength as they staved off several attacks building from South Antrim. Teegan Greer, who had stepped into the keeper pads this week, made numerous impressive saves keeping the 2XI in the game.

A clearance from Lisa to midfielder Carmen Van der Schyff began a mounting attack for Donaghadee. Carmen found an unmarked Karen Fegan in the South Antrim circle but unfortunately the opposition’s keeper was quick to react.  Unfortunately it was South Antrim who broke the deadlock 3 minutes before half time to go into the break 1-0 up.

After the break the home side were fighting to keep themselves in the match and it paid off as Donaghadee took control of the game and with Natasha Cameron showing her skill as she infiltrated the South Antrim circle to win the Dee another penalty corner. Once again the South Antrim keeper wasn’t giving the Dee the equaliser they so desperately needed and deserved. Bailey Quinn continued to work well in the centre closing down the South Antrim centre forward but unfortunately in the dying minutes of the game a cross found one of their forwards unmarked and, although the Dee defence were on hand to challenge, it ended up with a second goal for the visitors. The result does not flatter the hard work the team put in as they still search for a most deserving win. Many thanks to 1XI Captain Ruth Kennedy for umpiring.

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21/2/15 Donaghadee LHC 1XI 1-1 Parkview and Ballymena 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI

Posted on 24/02/2015 by Donaghadee LHC
DLHC Vets who played in the Ulster Hockey Vets Blitz on 22nd February 2015: Siobhan McAdam, Ann Savage, Tori Rollo, Nicky Banford, Lisa Alexander, Alison McNeice, Maura Hennessey Kneeling: Jill Dennison, Kerrie Turtle, Janice McVeigh

DLHC Vets who played in the Ulster Hockey Vets Blitz on 22nd February 2015: Siobhan McAdam, Ann Savage, Tori Rollo, Nicky Banford, Lisa Alexander, Alison McNeice, Maura Hennessey
Kneeling: Jill Dennison, Kerrie Turtle, Janice McVeigh

Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 1XI 1-1 Parkview
Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club played their last home game of the season on Saturday when mid-table Parkview came to the Grammar. With the team again down to bare bones because of injury and work commitments, the Dee were without the luxury of a sub, with the Seconds away to Ballymena and also only with 11 on the day.

Parkview were arguably quicker out of the blocks, immediately testing defensive players Amy Long, Claire Stewart and Nina Wells, with a lot of the opening exchanges seemingly going down the middle of the pitch where Ali Lawther manfully battled to stem the black tide. In one attack which saw the ball driven high to the byline by the visiting forwards, the ball snuck between keeper Siobhan McAdam to give Parkview an early lead.

Donaghadee started to spread the ball a bit wider, with Ruth Kennedy in particular doing her best to weave some magic on the left and find the opening for the Dee but the visiting defence held firm. Tasha Paxton was doing likewise on the right, using her pace to put her marker under pressure, and she was unlucky to take a ball to the hand midway through the first half which necessitated several minutes off the pitch while ice and running repairs were applied so she could soldier on in the absence of any Dee replacements.

A half time reshuffle by coach Brian McKee saw some added grit in midfield with Claire pushing up to help out Ali and Suzie Ferguson dropping back to partner Nina at the back, and the effect was immediately obvious – straight away Donaghadee started to make better inroads into the attacking quarter of the pitch, with centre forward Kerrie Turtle finally getting better service. Lisa Higgins had one of her customary bursts into the circle with the ball falling kindly to Tasha. Bad hand or not, a determined sweep saw the ball heading goalward with Maura Hennessey on hand just to make sure: 1-1.

With Donaghadee looking a lot more assured going forward, it was they who kept the pressure on as they searched for the winner but unfortunately none was forthcoming, leaving the Dee with a valuable point which all but secures them a top three finish with only three games remaining. Many thanks to William McAdam for umpiring. Next match for the Firsts is away to Instonians on Saturday at the Dub, pass back 4pm.

Ballymena 4XI 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI
Donaghadee 2XI travelled to Ballymena showgrounds on Saturday to play Ballymena 4XI. Donaghadee were confident going into the match to repeat the performance of the previous meeting between these two teams when the Dee came out on top in order to put their recent run of bad performance behind them.

The home team started the match in determined style and quickly put the Dee defence of Janice McVeigh, Tori Rollo, Lisa Alexander, Ruth Howell and Melissa Rollo under a lot of pressure.  Some good saves from Janice and effective clearances kept Ballymena from scoring for a good part of the first half. Donaghadee battled against the squally showers and did their best to keep the ball out of our circle with the midfielders of Carmen Van Der Schyff, Jan Morrow and Teegan Greer working tirelessly. However the relentless pressure from Ballymena took its toll with Donaghadee giving away a number of penalty corners, one of which Ballymena eventually converted.

After the break Ballymena quickly took control of the match and carved their way through the field scoring from open play to put them 2-0 to the good. Donaghadee then stepped up their game putting some nice play into action. A nice series of passes from Karen Fegan and Emily Morris found Deborah Gilmore in the circle, her final strike being saved by the Ballymena keeper. Shortly after Teegan made a great run with her strong cross into the circle not quite getting the deflection from Deborah which was required. Donaghadee continued to play better towards the end of the game but the final whistle blew with the scoreline reading 2-0 to Ballymena. Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring.

Vets Blitz Day
A number of former DLHC players dusted off their sticks to take to the pitch for a Vets Blitz Day organised by Ulster Hockey which took place at Civil Service at Stormont. Ably abetted by several current squad members, the results didn’t quite go the Dee’s way, but how wonderful to see Ann Savage, Nicky Banford, Alison McNeice and Jill Dennison back in the red and green of the Dee. Next blitz is in April, so for any further DLHC Vets interested in taking part, please speak to Alison McNeice.

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14/2/15 Larne 4-1 Donaghadee LHC 1XI and Elks 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI

Posted on 15/02/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Intermediate Plate: Larne 4-1 Donaghadee LHC 1XI
There was a break in league action for Donaghadee Ladies 1XI this week when they headed to Larne for the second round of the Intermediate Plate. Captain Ruth Kennedy was missing no fewer than six first team regulars for this match, so special mention to 2XI players Amy Long, Jan Morrow, Emily Morris and Lisa Alexander who stepped in to play their second game in less than 24 hours, having played for the Seconds the previous evening against Elks.

Larne were off the mark early in the match when a mix up in defence allowed a ball crossed from the right wing to reach the lurking home centre forward one on one with isolated Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam. A second was added in similar fashion shortly after to give the home team a comfortable cushion. Donaghadee kept pressing though, with a good chance falling to Emily going just wide.

After the turn around, Donaghadee enjoyed some good possession with backs Nina Wells and Claire Stewart building well from the back and midfielders Ali Lawther, Kerry Kennedy and Ruth seemingly everywhere at times. Maura Hennessey did well on several occasions down the left and, just after Larne added a third, her tenacious cross found Kerrie Turtle with a spare yard of space in the circle. She rattled the ball in off the far sideboard to give Donaghadee some hope of getting something from the game, but Larne effectively killed the tie off when they scored their fourth. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and best of luck to Larne in the next round. Next game for the Firsts is at home to Parkview on Saturday, pass back 1pm.

Junior 8: Elks 2-0 Donaghadee LHC 2XI
Donaghadee 2XI continued their league programme with a visit to Jordanstown to play Ulster Elks 5XI on Friday evening.

The home team started well and quickly got into their stride earning themselves an early penalty corner. The Dee 2XI penalty corner defence specialists of Janice McVeigh, Tori Rollo, Lisa Alexander and runners Amy Long and Karen Fegan got plenty of practice throughout the match defending corners and as always were very effective in quickly clearing any threats which the Elks tried to throw their way. However the Elks’ perseverance continued and they were ultimately rewarded with a goal from a clean strike to put them 1-0 in front.

Donaghadee then stepped up the pace with Ruth Howell making a super run from the Dee circle weaving her way half way up the pitch to find Jan Morrow who passed the ball across to Emily Morris; the final strike from Emily passing just wide of the post. Towards the end of the half Bailey Quinn came on to make her debut performance for Donaghadee and made neat work of one particular Elks’ attack clearing the ball to safety to ensure the Dee were still in contention at the half way point.

Both teams appeared to receive the same fighting team talk at half time as the standard of play visibly improved as the game recommenced. Carmen van der Schyff worked hard in midfield to distribute the ball forwards and Donaghadee earned themselves two penalty corners. However like their opponents, the Elks defended their penalty corners well, even saving and clearing a super strike from Natasha Cameron.

With Donaghadee continuing to press hard, the ball was intercepted just outside the Elks circle and was worked back down the pitch. Although the Donaghadee team were quick to respond the Elks team were even speedier and wove their way past the  defence to take a shot at goal. A super save from Janice stunned the ball dead on the line but the goal was awarded putting the home side 2-0 ahead.

Donaghadee played out the match hoping to get a consolation goal, however despite continued attacks from Karen and Jan it wasn’t to be. Thanks to Jess Rollo who stepped in to umpire the first few minutes of the game until the Elks’ second umpire arrived – we are grateful to the Elks for providing both umpires for the majority of the game. Next week Donaghadee travel to Ballymena where the girls hope to repeat the performance of the previous game between these two sides and seal a victory.

A Night at the Cinema
DLHC held a most successful and enjoyable evening at the Tudor Cinema, Comber to raise club funds. Film of choice was Top Gun and thanks to an almost capacity crowd and a ballot on the evening, over £700 was raised. Thank you to the Tudor Cinema for hosting, Regency Cars for sponsoring the aperitif and to everyone who attended.

Congratulations
Congratulations to 1XI player Katie Donnelly and her husband Jonny on the birth of their first daughter – everyone at the club was delighted to hear the news and we’re all looking forward to meeting the new arrival soon!

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31/1/15 DLHC 1XI v Newry and DLHC 2XI v Instonians

Posted on 03/02/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: DLHC 1XI 1-0 Newry
It was third versus second this week as Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI welcomed Newry Olympic to Bangor Grammar. Earlier in the season, Donaghadee lost 4-3 in a thrilling, tightly contested match at Newry, and with only a couple of points and similar goal differences separating the two sides as the season starts to draw to a close, this promised to be just as keenly fought.

The freezing cold, gusty wind and the toss of a coin were a huge factor in determining a strategic start and finish to the game, with Captain Ruth Kennedy wisely choosing to play against the wind in the first half knowing that both teams would have their stamina tested to the very end. Newry had first passback and Donaghadee were quick to press from the start with midfielders Ali Lawther, Kerry Kennedy and Lisa Higgins using all their defensive skills to stop the strong Newry side penetrating the midfield line.

Using this as their platform, Donaghadee pushed forward, with a cross coming within inches of the reach of attacking Dee forwards Ruth and Kerrie Turtle. Moments later, following a well worked hit out by Claire Stewart, Kerrie made a fabulous run from midfield to the Newry circle and found Maura unmarked near the left post, Maura making no mistake to put the ball in the back of the goal. The rest of the half remained goal-less but with added confidence the Dee continued to put a panicking Newry side under pressure. The skilful passing around the back the back by the Dee defence of Claire, Suzie Ferguson, Paige Reilly and Amy Long was testament to the short work they made of the attacks by Newry, breaking each foray forward calmly and quickly to create another Dee attack.

The second half with the wind on the Dee backs was a welcome reprieve with Donaghadee keen to add to the goal tally to make the points secure. Kerry K made a graceful, skilful run from midfield which left three Newry defenders in her wake as she advanced. She took a strike on goal which found the back of the net but unfortunately the goal was disallowed. This only added to Donaghadee’s determination to increase the score line with the defensive line making a few attacking runs of their own, notably with Claire carrying and making an ultimately unsuccessful break for the Newry goal.

With five minutes remaining Donaghadee were to unfortunate to lose Ruth following a ball raised into her face, but super sub Emily Morris was on hand to keep the full Dee complement on the pitch. With play resuming, Donaghadee keeper Siobhan McAdam was to find herself really tested for the first time in the game when Newry were awarded a number of short corners, but Siobhan saw the ball to safety in a series of attacks which were the only real threat of the game by the Newry side.

In the dying minutes of the game the Dee won their second short corner of the match and Ali’s bullet of a shot narrowly missed Kerrie’s stick as she was waiting to pounce for the deflection. The final whistle heralded a hard earned but very much deserved 3 points as Donaghadee leap frog Newry into second place in Senior 4. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring. Next match is on Saturday week (14th) when the 1XI travel to Larne for the rearranged Plate match.

Junior League 8: DLHC 2XI 1-3 Instonians
Donaghadee 2XI welcomed Instonians 2XI to Bangor Grammar in extremely windy conditions on Saturday and, boosted by the great performance of the 1XI, the team were keen to get a strong start.

Using the wind at their backs to their advantage Instonians soon got into their stride and earned themselves an early penalty corner from which they scored. After the early shake-up Donaghadee defended well with Amy Long, Lisa Alexander and Lisa Higgins all playing their part to keep the attacks at bay. Play settled down and both teams enjoyed spells of good possession with the midfield being kept particularly busy. Teegan Green and Natasha Cameron played well linking together but Instonians eventually managed to carve the ball through the defence to earn themselves another shot on target putting them 2-0 to the good.

After the half time break Donaghadee predictably enjoyed more attacking play with the wind now on their backs. Natasha C fed the ball high to Melissa Rollo and determined play by Karen Fegan saw all three players with chances around the Instonians circle.  Instonians continued to play well but were visibly tiring in the windy conditions. Right wing Emily Morris picked up a loose ball for the Dee and carried it up the pitch to find herself one on one with the visiting keeper. The initial strike was saved but not cleared and Emily showed good determination to slip the rebound into the back of the net to put the Dee back in contention. Shortly after, with a number of the Dee players pressing high looking for the equaliser, an error in midfield led to Instonians overturning the ball. Sweeper Lisa A and keeper Janice McVeigh did their best but were outnumbered and the visitors scored again, effectively putting the match to bed.

Final score 3-1 to Instonians. Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and Brian McKee for coaching. The 2XI are next in action on Saturday 14th February away to Elks.

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24/1/15 DLHC 1XI v Ballycastle and DLHC 2XI v Bangor

Posted on 25/01/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 1XI 4-2 Ballycastle
Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI were back in action on Saturday following a week of inaction due to a frozen pitch, with Ballycastle making the trek from the North Coast to Bangor Grammar. Back in October, when the Dee travelled north, they ran out convincing winners with Maura Hennessey and Kerrie Turtle (2) on the score sheet in that 3-2 victory.

Donaghadee came out of the blocks like the clappers on Saturday, clearly eager to put early pressure on the visitors and, within the first five minutes, they had the goal to complement the dream start – midfielder Ali Lawther crashing a free hit in from outside the Dee’s attacking 25 to find Maura free in the circle. A quick turn by the forward gave her the space to get the shot off past the Ballycastle keeper to put Donaghadee 1-0 up. Following almost constant attacking pressure for the next 10 minutes, the beleaguered visiting defence finally caved and conceded a penalty corner. Ali and Maura were involved again, with Ali slipping the ball for Maura to grab her – and Donaghadee’s – second of the game.

Donaghadee’s midfield were clicking through the gears, with captain Ruth Kennedy in particular tormenting her marker as she dominated her area of the pitch. Lisa Higgins was also enjoying freedom in midfield, making several lung-bursting runs into the attacking circle, and drawing a number of great saves from the Ballycastle keeper. Not to be outdone, forward Kerrie Turtle got in on the shooting act when she pounced on a defensive error and, one on one with the keeper, slotted the ball low to give Donagahdee a 3-0 lead. Just before half time, Maura got her hat-trick following a melee in the Ballycastle circle: 4-0 to Donaghadee at half time.

After the half time turn around, Donaghadee’s defence were called into action as Ballycastle started to play higher up the pitch, with Paige Reilly and Claire Stewart working in tandem at the back to clear wide to Amy Long and Suzie Ferguson. Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam needed to be on her toes when the inevitable shot came in, and any danger was successfully cleared. Tasha Paxton was also doing her bit but her afternoon was cut short when she had to retire injured having taken a direct hit in the defence of a penalty corner. It was from a subsequent penalty corner that Ballycastle found some luck; despite Siobhan making an initial double save, the ball still ended up in the back of the net. Encouraged by this purple patch, the visitors pressed forward and were rewarded with another penalty corner – with the same outcome: the score line now reading 4-2.

Jan Morrow and Emily Morris – having already played for the 2XI earlier in the day – were on and off to provide fresh legs and both were involved in the final Dee attacks as the home side looked to finish the match on a high, but there were no more goals; the Ballycastle keeper had a storming game to keep Donaghadee to the four goals they scored in the first half. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring. Next match for the 1XI is at home to Newry on Saturday, pass back 1pm.

Junior League 8: Donaghadee LHC 2XI 1-3 Bangor
Donaghadee 2nd XI were back to usual league action on Saturday as they welcomed local neighbours Bangor 2nd XI to Bangor Grammar. After a few difficult weeks Donaghadee hoped to put on a stronger performance on their home pitch. With absence and illness from some of the regular players, Donaghadee had to shuffle their usual formation slightly leading to Bangor being the team that was quicker into their stride from the first whistle. They earned themselves a penalty corner early in the match which they duly converted to give them the initial advantage.

Donaghadee then produced some good play with the midfield trio of Natasha Cameron, Jan Morrow and Deborah Gilmore working well together and playing some nice passes forward to winger Emily Morris. The Dee’s early attempts on target were dealt with efficiently by the Bangor defence, denying any score for Donaghadee in the first half. Bangor were quick on the break and they picked up one loose ball to carry it to the Donaghadee circle where Amy Long, Teegan Greer and Lisa Alexander were well positioned to intercept. Bangor maintained  their determination, creating chances and eventually working past sweeper Tori Rollo and keeper Janice McVeigh to increase their lead.

In the second half Donaghadee created chances of their own with some speedy play up the left side of the pitch from Natasha Cameron but still the Bangor defence remained tight. Bangor again earned another penalty corner from which they scored but as ever Donaghadee kept up their fighting spirit until the end of the game. Moments before the final whistle centre forward Melissa Rollo slipped the ball into the back of the net with a consolation goal for Donaghadee, resulting in the final score of 3-1 to Bangor.

Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring. Donaghadee 2XI play Instonians next week at home, passback at 2.30pm.

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10/1/15 1XI v Cooke and PSNI v 2XI

Posted on 11/01/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior 4: DLHC 1XI 4-0 Cooke
The threatened snow and sleet stayed away on a freezing winter afternoon at Bangor Grammar as Donaghadee Ladies welcomed visitors Cooke for their latest Senior Four encounter with Donaghadee hoping to continue their recent return to form.

The Dee started with the strong wind at their backs and enjoyed much of the early possession with attacks coming down both flanks, captain Ruth Kennedy getting plenty of action in particular on the right, supported by advancing right half Susie Ferguson. The ball was continually played round and through the Cooke midfield by Dee midfielders Ali Lawther, Kerry Kennedy and Lisa Higgins and with a lot of movement between forwards Maura Hennessy and Kerrie Turtle it seemed that a goal must come, but the Cooke defence held out.

Finally the breakthrough came with a mazy run down the right by Ruth who, cutting in along the back line and firing the ball across the goal from just inside the circle, found a Cooke defender’s stick and deflected past the keeper; 1-0 to Donaghadee, reflecting their dominance of the play so far. Chances continued to come and both Kerrie and Maura might have added to the lead before Cooke started to get more possession and worked their way forward on the counter attack, though were picked off by Claire Stewart and Nina Wells at the back. Tasha Paxton showed off her pace on a number of runs as she made her return to the team and helped move things forward through the left midfield.

The lack of further goals was proving a little frustrating as the half wore on and the dangers of a slender lead were demonstrated as a slip at the back allowed the Cooke centre forward to break into the circle, one on one with Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam. The latter raced off her line to win the ball with a strong challenge and a double save to clear the danger and protect the lead. Donaghadee continued to press and Ruth latched on to a through ball from Ali to break clear in to the circle, but with only the keeper to beat she was taken down from behind by a Cooke defender, surprisingly only a penalty corner was awarded and Cooke escaped again. Finally a run through from midfielder Kerry Kennedy beat two defenders and with a shot from the edge of the circle, the Cooke keeper saved but the ball spun up in the air and as it landed it continued over the line before anyone else could get a touch: 2-0 at the break.

The second half saw the visitors change their goal-keeper and with Donaghadee now playing in to the strong, bitterly cold wind it promised to be more of a challenge. However the Dee started with the same flair and fluid movement that they had shown in the first half with Lisa and Tasha getting more advanced down the left. Maura was able to get higher up the pitch and as the Cooke keeper saved a rocket shot from Kerrie, Maura was quickest to the rebound and slotted home to make it 3-0 with the match effectively won.

The cold continued to bite as the wind swirled and changed direction with players finding it difficult to keep their hands warm and, with the overall pace starting to have an effect, coach Brian McKee brought Emily Morris in to help the attack. Over the second half rests were given to a number of players but Donaghadee continued to press and for the most part kept Cooke well away from the Dee circle. Maura added a second to her personal tally and a fourth for the Dee and a number of other attempts peppered the Cooke goal without any further scores, leaving the final result 4-0 to Donaghadee and another three points in the league. Next week sees a break from the League with a first round Plate match away to Larne.

Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring duties, coach Brian McKee and to the many supporters who braved the arctic-like conditions to cheer the team on.

Junior 8: PSNI 4-0 DLHC 2XI
Donaghadee Ladies 2nd XI travelled to Stormont on a very gusty Friday evening to play PSNI 2nd XI. Both teams started the game strongly looking to get an early advantage with Donaghadee’s midfield section of Beth Long, Melissa Rollo and Carmen Van Der Schyff working hard to try to dictate play.

Forwards Jan Morrow and Emily Morris enjoyed some early runs up the right side of the pitch but they couldn’t quite manage to drive the ball into a potential scoring position.  Despite the early Dee pressure, PSNI turned the ball over and pursued a line of attack down the left side of the pitch to work the ball past the Dee full backs Lisa Alexander and Tori Rollo, beating keeper Janice McVeigh to put the home side ahead.

Going into the half time break with the scoreline reading just 1-0 the match was still all to play for and Donaghadee felt they could get the fairly even game back under their control.  However PSNI came back after the break with some strong running and it was their side who commanded the play, driving into the Dee circle and earning themselves two penalty corners in quick succession from which they duly scored. Shortly after, they gathered further momentum and played the ball back into an attacking position and despite determined play from Amy Long, Deborah Gilmore and the rest of the Dee defence, which included several good saves and clearances, PSNI managed another shot on target with the ball this time just inching past Janice into the net.

With fresh legs from subs Teegan Greer and Tasha Paxton, the Dee side enjoyed much of the possession in the last 15 minutes of the game and a consolation goal looked on the cards. A well struck hit from Melissa called the PSNI keeper to make a fabulous save to deny the goal and a nice cross from Emily was just slightly too far ahead of Jan to allow her touch to be deflected in the right direction. Hard work on the left side of the pitch also proved fruitless with Karen Fegan also being denied the goal she deserved.

On the final whistle the score stood 4-0 to PSNI. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring.

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3/1/15 PSNI v DLHC 1XI and DLHC 2XI v Mossley

Posted on 03/01/2015 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: DLHC 1XI 1-0 PSNI
On a cold, crisp afternoon perfect for hockey, Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI kicked off 2015 with the short trip to Stormont to play PSNI. With no fewer than 5 usual first team players unavailable for this fixture through injury or holidays, a number of 2XI players stepped up to the mark to help out captain Ruth Kennedy.

Donaghadee started well with inside right Kerry Kennedy linking nicely with right wing Emily Morris to get the Dee moving up the pitch. With an early opportunity to go ahead going begging, PSNI started to string a few passes together in midfield but Natasha Cameron and Nina Wells on the right of defence were alert to prevent much danger in the final 25. Claire Stewart was marshalling the troops from the central defensive position with Paige Reilly on the left and Siobhan McAdam completing the rearguard in goal.

Lisa Higgins, playing further forward than she has done thus far this season, made a couple of strong breaks high up the pitch and was unlucky to have her runs thwarted by the home defence at the edge of the circle. The Donaghadee pressure began to tell however, with high forward Maura Hennessey forcing the PSNI keeper into a good save to keep the score 0-0.

After the turn around, Donaghadee continued to press, with Ruth on the left in particular causing her markers all sorts of bother with piercing attacks. She was rewarded after one such run, with PSNI conceding a free hit on their 25. Ruth took the free quickly and, making the most of the self pass rule, tore through the home defence to leave herself one on one with the home keeper. Without breaking stride, Ruth despatched an inch perfect shot low to the keeper’s left to give her side the lead.

Natasha made way for Carmen van der Schyff and she slotted in to midfield beside Ali Lawther to keep the pace high as Donaghadee looked to increase their lead; which they very nearly did with a shot from Maura that pinged off the PSNI goalpost and away to safety. Despite further pressure from Donaghadee, the score remained at 1-0 to give the 1XI a very valuable three points and a great start to the new year. Many thanks to Mike for umpiring. Next match for the 1XI is on Saturday at home to Cooke, pass back 1pm.

Junior League 8: DLHC 2XI 0-2 Mossley 4XI
Donaghadee 2XI started the new year by welcoming Mossley 4XI to Bangor Grammar. Everyone was eager to get back after the Christmas break but was anticipating a tough match as Mossley are currently unbeaten in this season’s league campaign. No surprise then that from the whistle Mossley drove hard at the Dee defence but the quick reactions of goalkeeper Janice McVeigh stopped them from taking an early lead. Melissa Rollo in the centre made short work of any attack by the Mossley centre forward by distributing the ball calmly out toward to the wings where forwards Karen Fegan and Beth Long were finding space behind the visiting defence. With the game still finely balanced, in the dying minutes of the first half Mossley mounted several strong attacks of their own, winning a penalty corner right on the whistle but this was successfully put out of play by defender Tori Rollo.

Following encouraging words from coach Brian McKee the team went out in the second half determined not to walk away empty handed. Donaghadee’s first chance came when a ball played by Amy Long found her sister Beth unmarked on the right wing. This was then played into the circle to Carmen van der Schyff but her reverse strike just missed the mark. The Dee’s defence was then put under extreme pressure by constant Mossley attacks but Tori, Amy, Lisa Alexander and Ruth Howell showed good composure to keep the visitors at bay. Janice once again put in a stellar performance in goal, pulling off some amazing saves with one of her clearances finding Deborah Gilmour in the middle of the pitch.  Deborah moved the ball quickly on to centre forward Jan Morrow who was alone in the Mossley circle. It was a great chance for the Dee to go ahead but Jan was quickly closed down by two Mossley defenders and her shot was saved. Her next opportunity came when Lisa made a run out of defence, found Beth on the right, and she in turn made a clean short pass to Jan in the circle but once again her nemesis saved her strike.

With the match looking like the Dee were heading for a draw, in the final few minutes a Mossley strike was initially saved by Janice but resulted in the ball coming to rest on the line of the goalmouth and Mossley were awarded the goal. Much the same as the first half, Mossley won themselves another penalty right on the whistle but this time they scored, making the final result 2-0 to Mossley. The match certainly blew the Christmas cobwebs away and despite the good performance from the Dee team, the score line does not reflect the match.  Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and also to the ever growing band of supporters. Next week DLHC 2XI heads to Stormont to face PSNI 2XI.

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13/12/14 DLHC 1XI v Ballynahinch and Malone v DLHC 2XI

Posted on 15/12/2014 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: DLHC 1XI 2-0 Ballynahinch
It was the last match of 2014 on Saturday for Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI with the girls looking to go into the Christmas break with a win under their sticks. Ballynahinch were the opposition and, with Donaghadee having already recorded a 3-2 win against this team in September, there was optimism that the team could halt the recent run of defeats.

The Donaghadee team started really strongly, enjoying much of the possession in the opening 10 minutes with Victoria Speers – playing her last game for the Dee before she heads to pastures new in London in the new year, and Catherine Armstrong in particular very busy in midfield as they tried to break down the Ballynahinch defence. There was a lot of action in the middle third of the pitch with neither side able to really make inroads into the other’s defence but Donaghadee were the first on the score sheet thanks to a great break from Kerry Kennedy on the right. She fed centre forward Kerrie Turtle who finished brilliantly, squeezing a shot away under considerable pressure from several Hinch defenders.

Ballynahinch started to find their way back into the game but Claire Stewart and Nina Wells – how good to see her back in Dee colours after a break away – were calmness personified at the back, feeding the ball wide to get things moving forward again. Suzie Ferguson on the right was also having an absolutely storming game to thwart Ballynahinch’s skilful left midfielder. There were no more goals in the first half but there were definitely signs that Donaghadee were getting back into the passing game which served them so well at the start of the season.

After the turn around, a slight reshuffle in personnel saw Lisa Higgins pushing up into midfield and Seconds’ Captain Deborah Gilmour slotting in to the left defensive position. Lisa combined well with left wing Ruth Kennedy as Donaghadee continued to push forwards but the Ballynahinch keeper made a couple of good saves to keep the score at 1-0. As in the first half, Ballynahinch then started to find their way back into the game, with Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam pulling off a couple of diving saves to keep the ball at bay.

Back down the other end, Donaghadee’s own pressure told with a succession of penalty corners and Ali Lawther, with loads of time to get a shot away at the top of the circle, did just that to make it 2-0 to Donaghadee, and much to the delight of the red and green supporters, the final whistle blew shortly after to give Donaghadee a final win of 2014 as they head into the three week Christmas break. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring duties. The 1XI are next in action away to PSNI on Saturday 3rd January 2015.

Junior 8: Malone P-P DLHC 2XI
Donaghadee LHC’s 2XI were due to play Malone but the cold weather put paid to that, with an early call made to postpone the match due to a frozen pitch. The Seconds resume league action on Saturday 3rd January at home to Mossley.

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6/12/14 DLHC 1XI v South Antrim and DLHC 2XI v Elks

Posted on 08/12/2014 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 4: South Antrim P-P DLHC 1XI
Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club’s 1XI set off for Friends School, Lisburn last Friday night on what turned out to be a bitterly cold evening. Even as both teams warmed up, the pitch was starting to turn white with frost, with the temperature hovering just above freezing. There were lively opening exchanges with both teams testing the other’s defence in what looked to be a promising open game of hockey, but with several players from both teams slipping on the ever-cooling surface within the first fifteen minutes, the two umpires and captains convened in the centre of the pitch and made the decision to postpone the fixture to a date when the pitch is considered playable.

In the final game before the Christmas break, the Firsts are at home to Ballynahinch on Saturday, pass back 1pm at Bangor Grammar before both teams head to The Moat for the club’s Christmas dinner that evening.

Minor Cup Round 2: Elks 4-0 DLHC 2XI
Last Saturday Donaghadee 2XI looked forward to finally getting back to match action following several weeks of cancelled or conceded games. They travelled to Jordanstown to play the Ulster Elks 4XI in the second round of the Minor Cup and although they were aware the match would be difficult as the Elks currently sit well up the league table in the league above Donaghadee, the players were keen to enjoy a competitive match.

Play started with the Elks predictably the more dominant team and it wasn’t long before they had worked the ball into the Dee circle and earned themselves a penalty corner. The strong Dee defence of Lisa Alexander, Tori Rollo, Lisa Higgins and Amy Long were quick to clear the ball from the circle, but it wasn’t long before the Elks were penetrating the circle again. Keeper Janice McVeigh made some impressive saves throughout the course of the match, and the defenders continued to clear the ball away from danger to the midfield trio of Natasha Cameron, Deborah Gilmore and Victoria Speers who worked hard to keep the pressure off the Donaghadee defence.

However the Ulster Elks’ continued pressure eventually earned the break they were after and they slotted the ball past Janice to take the lead, much to the delight of their large group of spectators. Unfortunately then a ball struck Amy hard on the knee so she was forced to take a break to recover and, with the Dee team down to 10 players, the Elks won another penalty corner from which they scored just before half time to add another to their tally.

After the break the Dee came back fighting and held more possession than in the previous half. All three Dee forwards Karen Fegan, Jan Morrow and Emily Morris enjoyed shots at goal, but they either just passed wide of the net or were saved by the Elks keeper. With the Elks team having the luxury of subs they were able to keep their high tempo of play up throughout the entire game and a break after one Donaghadee strike, saw them work the ball back down the pitch. Despite further sterling work from the Dee defence, a shot at goal looked like it was going wide, only to sneak inside the post giving the Elks another goal.

The home side earned themselves several penalty corners throughout the match and even though the Dee defence made numerous clearances and saves, a final goal from one such set piece occurred towards the end of the game. With continued determination and looking for a consolation goal Donaghadee did not give up and Natasha carried the ball up the pitch to allow Karen an impressive strike at goal but sadly the ball went just wide. The Dee earned themselves a last minute penalty corner but despite Emily’s best efforts the Elks keeper saved the shot.

Final score 4-0 to the Ulster Elks who were happy to proceed to the next round of the cup.
Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring.  Next week sees Donaghadee 2nd XI back to normal league action with an away match against Malone.

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