24/4/13 Club Notes: AGM, Junior Training and Vets Day

Posted on 24/04/2013 by Donaghadee LHC
The match reports may have come to an end with the conclusion of the 12/13 season in which Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club finished a most satisfying sixth position – their highest since the league was formed in 2004 – but the club members have not been idle since the beginning of March. After the final whistle of the last game, ten intrepid members swapped their sticks for skis and headed off for a week on the slopes of Sauze d’Oulx in Italy. Empty pistes, blue skies and bright sunshine were the order of the day and the legendary Hockettes’ camaraderie was in abundance. Thankfully all limbs returned intact with many vows being made that this would definitely not be the last Hockettes on the Piste trip!
AGM
The club AGM was held last week in the Yachstman in Donaghadee. It was well attended with approximately 20 members turning up to reflect on the season past and to look forward to the incoming new term. The First XI will be hoping to build on their form and results from the 12/13 season and the Second XI will be looking forward for the first time in 30 odd years to official league games as the club proposes to enter a Seconds into Ulster Hockey’s Junior League 9B. With this in mind, the committee for the 13/14 season sees the creation of a couple of new positions, 2nd XI Captain and Vice Captain which will be filled by Lisa Alexander and Deborah Gilmour respectively. Suzie Ferguson steps up from First XI Vice to the Captain’s role, with Ruth Kennedy now backing Suzie up in the VC position and Ali Lawther operating as Match Sec. Kerrie Turtle (Club Sec), Katie Donnelly (Treasurer) and Carolyn Scott (PRO and Social Sec) all retain their positions with Siobhan McAdam stepping in to the newly created Assistant Club Sec’s role to give Kerrie a hand when required. All the very best to the new office bearers and good luck to everyone in the club for the new season!
Juniors
The Club is absolutely delighted to be running another Juniors training programme for the next 5 weeks. The first session took place on Tuesday past and it was wonderful to see both returning girls and some new faces too. The sessions are designed for all girls aged between 10 and 15, regardless of experience or ability and all keen and budding hockey stars are encouraged to join in. The sessions are scheduled for every Tuesday until 28th May, 6.30-7.30pm on the astroturf at Bangor Academy. Cost is £20 per girl or £30 for siblings. Email dlhc@hotmail.co.uk for further details.
Vets Day
This Saturday the club is holding a Vets Day for former players of DLHC, along with a few of the “more experienced” current crop! An entirely social game is planned, though it would not be surprising to see a competitive edge being dusted off along with all the old sticks and kit. It wouldn’t be proper old school on that old new-fangled artificial surface so the lime bucket is being filled, the rollers are out and the boards and nets put up – hockey returns to the gravel at Crommelin Park. Refreshments (and oranges) will be provided; let’s just hope the weather plays nicely! If you haven’t heard from Alison McNeice about this event and fancy joining in, please contact her on 07821151034 or email dlhc@hotmail.co.uk for more info.
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1/3/13 Senior League 4: Ballynahinch 2-1 Donaghadee LHC

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club were in league action for the last time in the 12/13 season when they travelled to St Colman’s High School on Friday evening to play Ballynahinch. Over the course of the season a number of teams – Donaghadee, Cooke and Ballynahinch – have all been vying for the mid-table spots with the 3 teams swapping the 4th, 5th and 6th berths several times over the last number of weeks. With the Dee beating Ballynahinch 1-0 earlier in the season in Bangor, everything pointed to another tight game this time round.

With a number of 1st team players returning after the Cooke game the previous week, Captain Ali Lawther had almost her strongest team available and Donaghadee aimed to get a good strong start under their belts. Both teams started well in fact although Donaghadee certainly weren’t playing the flowing hockey so evident in recent games with the final ball quite often going awry. Ballynahinch forced a penalty corner towards the end of the first half and were able to finish the move with a deflected shot to go into the half time break 1-0 up.

Although Ballynahinch scored again shortly after the restart, Donaghadee started to play much better hockey and the stats from the second half were in direct contrast to the opening period: more shots on goal, more shots on target, penalty corners won… And it was from one of these penalty corners where the Dee found some joy. The initial shot was parried away by the Hinch keeper but only as far as Ali, who was very quick to return the ball with interest, much to the delight of her team mates. This was all the encouragement Donaghadee needed and they continued to press in search of an equaliser. The Dee goal came just too late however with the final score 2-1 to the home side. With Cooke beating bottom side Instonians in their final match, Donaghadee finish the 12/13 season, 2 points behind Cooke, in sixth place out of ten, winning 8 games along the way, which is their best finish to a league campaign since Senior 4 was formed almost 10 years ago.

The season may be over but there is still plenty to look forward to in the coming months for everyone at the club. In less than two weeks, the much anticipated Hockettes on the Piste ski trip takes place with 10 members of the club heading to Sauze d’Oulx in Italy for a week on the slopes. Hopefully all will return with limbs and bones intact with the club AGM set for Friday 19th April!

The club is also in the process of organising a Vets’ Day, scheduled for Saturday 27th April at Crommelin Park, Donaghadee. The exact format of the match(es) has not yet been finalised but all members and supporters of Donaghadee LHC are invited to partake in the festivities – come and watch former DLHC players as they dust off their sticks and their old kit to relive the good old days when sticks had heads long enough to trip up opposition on the far side of the pitch and wrap around skirts and green knickers were all the rage! If any former player is interested, has one last game in the old bones and has not yet been contacted, please get in touch with Alison McNeice on 07821151034 or 91888243. Lasting a full match is optional/optimistic, oxygen will be provided and the craic will be the usual. Non playing former members also most welcome.

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16/2/13 Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 2-3 Cooke LHC

Posted on 19/02/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Last Saturday (16th) saw the final home match of the season for Donaghadee Ladies in their Section 4 league campaign with what promised to be an interesting and close encounter with Cooke Ladies, who were close behind in the table.

Whilst the Dee welcomed back Captain Ali Lawther and defensive legend Nina Wells to the team they were missing six of the first team squad who were unavailable due to other commitments. Andrea Girvin and Caitland Crockett stepped up from the seconds to help out but with no subs available everyone knew that it was going to be a tough game.

Both teams started off at a fair pace and the first half developed quickly in to a fast and open game; Andrea Girvin on the right and Ruth Kennedy on the left getting a number of good runs down the wings and breaking through into the Cooke circle on a number of occasions and Kerrie Turtle trying to add to her lead in the Dee goal-scoring table but some excellent work by the Cooke defenders and keeper held them at bay. At the other end Cooke also had their opportunities but solid defence from Lisa Higgins, Nina Wells, Susie Ferguson and Hannah McAdam kept them out, backed up by a couple of excellent saves from keeper Siobhan McAdam, including one full length dive! In midfield Ali Lawther and Kerry Kennedy fought for every ball and covered a lot of ground, whilst young Caitland battled throughout with great enthusiasm in what was only her second appearance for the team. The half time whistle brought a welcome break for both teams as they turned round at 0-0.

On some occasions this season the Dee have been caught a little cold from the restart and unfortunately this was again one of those times as just four minutes into the second half and Cooke won a penalty corner which they successfully converted into a 1-0 lead. It was important that the Dee fight back quickly and they mounted a wave of attacks down the flanks but Cooke held firm. Then the start of a crazy six minutes brought an amazing run through from midfield by Kerry Kennedy to the right of the circle and a driving, diving and powerful shot went high in to the top right corner, giving the Cooke keeper no chance. One each and all to play for.

The pace of the game kept up, and as legs started to get a little wearier there were a number of gaps starting to appear. Both teams had chances and a sweeping move from Cooke through the middle went out right and was quickly drilled back in with a shot from the top of the circle somehow finding its way though defence and keeper and Cooke were back in front, 2-1.The visitors found a new confidence with their lead and they mounted a period of sustained pressure which was dealt with well by the Dee defence, with a number of swift counter-attacks coming through Lisa, Ali, Ruth and Andrea. One of these forays forward from Ali resulted in a driving cross from the right and Kerrie was on hand to add to her already impressive tally and bring the score to 2-2 as we entered the final quarter.

Cue more attacking from Cooke but two penalty corners were defended well and the match headed into the final ten minutes with all to play for. A midfield tussle looked like a free hit for the Dee but went Cooke’s way and a quickly taken hit drove them into the circle. Before the Dee defence could react the ball was in the back of net despite a valiant dive from Siobhan in the Dee goals. Cooke back in front again! Despite a number of counter attacks in the final five minutes the Dee were unable to get any more real attempts on goal and the whistle blew with a 2-3 defeat for the home side. The whole team fought hard throughout and kept up the pace right to the end and there was an air of slight disappointment at the outcome. Thanks to Mike for umpiring and to all the gang who came along to add their support.

With no league match this week, there will be another Reds versus Whites as the Firsts and Seconds come together for an in-club match at Bangor Academy, pass back 1pm, before the final game of the Firsts’ season takes place on Friday 1 March away to Ballynahinch, with still all to play for in the battle for the places in the top half of the table. All the info is at http://www.DonaghadeeLHC.co.uk and on Facebook/DonaghadeeLHC.

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9/2/13 Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 5-2 Newcastle Nomads

Posted on 11/02/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Last Saturday Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club were at home to Newcastle Nomads as the 12/13 league programme draws to its conclusion. The afternoon started off on a delightful note when, despite the relentless rain, members of the club were able to present Nigel Kearney of the Children’s MRI Scanner Appeal with a cheque for £540.40, raised when they took part in the 5k Santa Fun Run which took place in Donaghadee before Christmas.

With the presentation out of the way and no sign of the steady drizzle stopping, the match got underway. Newcastle have maintained a top three position – never conceding more than one goal per game – in the league all season, so this would be a stern test of just how far Donaghadee have progressed this year. Prior to this match the Dee have run top two sides Mossley and Holywood very close, narrowly losing 2-1 each time when they really should have got something from the games and they were coming in to this match after a heartening 6-1 win against Instonians last week, so the confidence and belief has been growing within the team.

Donaghadee’s Suzie Ferguson, deputising for unavailable Captain Ali Lawther, won the toss for pass back but within minutes, Newcastle had carved their way through the Dee to fashion a shot on goal. In what was to set the tone for the day, Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam was on the front foot to meet the shot aggressively, clearing with length to set up Donaghadee going forward. With Kerry Kennedy – starting only her third game for the club but already showing what a classy player she is – pulling the strings in the middle to ensure Donaghadee used the width on both sides to great effect, Donaghadee quickly began to exert pressure on the visiting team. Lisa Higgins, Katie Donnelly and Ruth Kennedy combined beautifully down the left and they were quick to work their way into the attacking 25. The cross duly arrived and was met by an unmarked Carolyn Scott at the top of the circle. The right winger will definitely hit better shots than this but thanks to a deflection from a defending stick leaving the Newcastle keeper totally wrong-footed, the ball ended up in the back of the net and the Dee were off and running. The ferocious pace from the home side continued and within minutes current top goalscorer Kerrie Turtle was next to make her mark on the visitors’ goal; 2-0 to Donaghadee with barely 15 minutes gone.

With Hannah McAdam and Suzie commanding play at the back ably aided by Emma Gray and Christine Hooks, Newcastle weren’t finding much joy in their forays into the Donaghadee circle and the clearances were being really well picked up by the willing Dee runners all over the pitch. Donaghadee added a third shortly before half time when again, tireless running from Katie and jinky stick skills from Ruth down the left provided yet another cross. A little bobbly ball – the sort defenders have nightmares about but which wingers will claim they absolutely meant – evaded several defending sticks and arrived, smooth as you like, on to Carolyn’s stick at the back post. The forward was more than happy to oblige and with a simple tap in for her second, made it 3-0 to the Dee going in to half time.

Experience has told that games against Newcastle are never easy, especially so when they’re 3-0 down and rattled so Donaghadee knew that they’d need to keep their shape, their discipline and their concentration in the second half if the result was going to be secured. The half time chat is all well and good but in true Dee fashion, they went out and ignored every word of it, with Nomads scoring with virtually the first move of the second half. This concentrated the Donaghadee minds somewhat and they got back down to it. The Dee forwards – who had been pressing high up the pitch all match – forced a Newcastle error just outside the circle on the left with a loose ball heading back across goal. Carolyn, in search of her first ever hockey hat trick, had cut in from the right wing and was lurking at the top of the circle. Being half a step ahead of her marker was enough to allow her to intercept the ball and she managed to get enough on the shot for it to bypass the onrushing Nomads keeper and in to the bottom corner of the goal. 4-1 to Donaghadee.

Newcastle were not settling for defeat however and they won themselves a couple of penalty corners after a lack of communication in the Dee defence led to infringements in the home circle. As first runner, Lisa was out like a flash, making two superb blocks to prevent Newcastle getting any shots away. Donaghadee continued to play with the accuracy and belief which was a highlight of this game. In what capped a good personal performance for Carolyn and an exceptional performance from the team, the cherry was placed firmly on the icing on the cake with Donaghadee’s fifth goal, arguably the best of the afternoon. With Leona Wells on for Kerry K, fresh impetus was added to Donaghadee’s midfield and she and Kerry Savage in the right midfield position stormed their way up the pitch. The ball was worked up to Carolyn on right of the Newcastle circle and, from an improbable angle, she managed to squeeze the shot between keeper and post high into the net, taking her tally for the afternoon to 4 and 5 for Donaghadee. Newcastle grabbed a late consolation goal late on to make the final score 5-2 but Donaghadee were delighted with the win and also the performance of every player involved. Donaghadee now have two games remaining; next week at home to Cooke, directly below them in the table, and Ballynahinch, directly above them, away on 2nd March, and if the performance and results of those two games can match last weekend’s, the Dee will be in with a very good shout of finishing fourth in the league. Many thanks to Will McAdam for Stats and to Mike Smyth for umpiring. All the info at http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk or on Facebook.com/DonaghadeeLHC.

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Sat 2 Feb 13 Friendly: Bangor 2nd XI 1-1 Donaghadee XI

Posted on 04/02/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee Ladies 2nd XI had been due to play a friendly against Civil Service 3rds last Saturday but thanks to a rearranging of Service’s league games, they were forced to pull out leaving the Dee 2nds with the prospect of no game. Then an opportune phonecall midweek from Bangor Ladies looking for opposition for their 2nds for a game at the weekend meant that a match was back on the cards. Bangor 2nds currently play in Ulster Hockey’s Junior 9B; the league in which Donaghadee would play should a 2nd XI be entered in to the league in the coming seasons and therefore a great opportunity for the Dee to gauge the level of hockey which would be required.

With the late change in pass back time and the venue switched to Bangor Sportsplex, the Dee were several players short so a few of the 1st XI players stepped in to bring the Dee complement to 12. In her second match as 2nds captain, Lisa Alexander won the toss for first pass back for Donaghadee and the girls in red and green were eager to get stuck in. Bangor probably just shaded it in terms of possession in the first period – experience of regular games undoubtedly helping – and the Donaghadee defence of Hannah McAdam, Lisa A and Alex McVeigh were kept busy in the early stages. Strong running and crisp passing from the Bangor forwards cut through the Dee defence with the final ball at the back post giving keeper Tina Sterling little chance to clear her lines. 1-0 to Bangor at half time.

Donaghadee did then start to get to grips with the match and, undeterred at being a goal down, pressed on in search of the equaliser. Leona Wells and Deborah Gilmour were both extremely industrious in the midfield for Donaghadee, working hard to get the balls out to Emily Morris on the left wing and Maura Hennessey on the right. Pressing the ball much higher up the pitch, Donaghadee started to force the Bangor defence in to the odd mistake and it was just such pressure from Emily which earned the Dee the goal to even the scoreline. Giving her opposite number no time to settle on the ball as she tried to make the clearance, Emily forced her defender back into the corner until the mistake came. The quick resulting pass found Carolyn unmarked in the circle and the centre forward finished cleanly with a first time shot. Both sides had good chances to win the game, but both goalkeepers were a match for the shots; Tina in particular showing some pretty quick reactions to parry the ball away. Dee 1st XI players Ali Lawther, Suzie Ferguson and Lisa Higgins all helped to steady the ship with their experience but on the basis of both Saturday’s performance and result, Donaghadee 2nds could more than hold their own in Junior 9B and, with the benefit of regular matches, would be able to add experience to their enthusiasm. Many thanks to Bangor for the match and to Will and Alfie for umpiring.

Next action for the Dee is the 1sts at home to Newcastle on Saturday (9th Feb) at Bangor Academy. With only 3 games remaining, the Dee will be looking to finish strongly to consolidate a top half finish to the league. More info at http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk and on Facebook.com/DonaghadeeLHC.

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26/1/13 Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 6-1 Instonians LHC

Posted on 28/01/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club were back on home turf for the first time since before Christmas when bottom side Instonians came to Bangor Academy last Saturday. With only four games of the 12/13 season remaining, Donaghadee are battling it out with Cooke and Ballynahinch to secure a good mid-table finish and Saturday was targeted as a chance to improve the goal tally: while matches against Instonians in the past have been very tight, closely fought affairs, Inst have been really struggling this year having lost a number of players before the season kicked off, with their results reflecting this.

With captain Ali Lawther unavailable due to work commitments, vice captain Suzie Ferguson stepped up and won the toss for first pass back. Despite a couple of quick forays into the attacking half in the opening minutes, Donaghadee weren’t able to string more than one or two passes together – seemingly a collective attack of the jitters affecting the home sticks, with misplaced passes and overhit shots not doing anything to settle play down. Instonians took advantage of this and with strong running through the middle – a feature of their play all afternoon – caught the Dee napping to work themselves an opening. The Inst centre forward gladly took the chance and the visitors were 1-0 to the good. Whether this was the wake-up call required we’ll never know but dogged determination from the Dee midfield to play through the misplaced balls manifested itself perfectly when Kerry Kennedy took matters in to her own hands, driving from a deep midfield position into the Inst circle. Rather than taking a snap shot, she dodged several defenders with some beautiful stick work and calmly rounded the keeper to get the Dee up and running. This undoubtedly helped settle Donaghadee and shortly after, Carolyn worked her way to the byline on the right hand side and drew the keeper over to her near post before passing the ball back across goal where both centre forward Natasha Cameron and left wing Ruth Kennedy were waiting; Ruth getting the final touch to make it 2-1. A third was added just before half time when Lisa Higgins made her bi-annual trip into the attacking circle. The confusion this creates for not only the defending team, unsure where this extra attacking maestro has come from, but also Lisa’s team-mates (where did she come from?!) usually results in a goal and Saturday was no different although this time the additional confusion came from who actually scored the goal, with both Lisa and Katie Donnelly generously awarding it to each other. With no TMO to consult, the goals panel will award each half – could be vital at the end of season totting up!

The chat at half time was to try and settle things down, to try and start playing passes to sticks and that the goals would come. The midfield were getting through a lot of work, with Emma Gray on for Katie D to provide fresh legs and Leona Wells on the right doing well to keep the ball moving forward. Goals four and five came courtesy of Carolyn, with her second in particular doing well to evade the onrushing Inst keeper. Replacement centre forward Kerrie Turtle connected with a ball at the top of the Inst circle and Carolyn, with her back to goal and under pressure from the keeper, managed a neat reverse stick flick which snuck inside the post. Carolyn and Kerrie then combined again to round off the scoring with another ball cut back from the byline for Kerrie to tap home. Instonians weren’t giving in without a fight though and on several occasions their centre forward threatened but Nina Wells, Hannah McAdam and Christine Hooks were alert to the threat, protecting Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam right to the final whistle. Final score 6-1 to Donaghadee. Many thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and to Stanley Woods Accountants for sponsoring the match ball. The next match for the club is on Saturday 2nd February when DLHC 2nd XI welcome Civil Service 3rds in the return fixture from a few weeks ago. Pass back is at 1pm at Bangor Academy and all support will be very welcome. More info at http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk and on Facebook.com/donaghadeelhc

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19/1/13 Senior League 4: Newry Olympic LHC 0-1 Donaghadee LHC

Posted on 21/01/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee LHC were on their travels again last weekend when they headed off down the A1 to play Newry Olympic. Following the epic karaoke bus trip to Ballycastle last year, this match was earmarked at the start of the season as The Bus Trip Match and with nineteen of the club travelling, it was only ever going to be as good – if not better – than last year! Newry kept in close contact in the 24 hours before the match with assurances that, despite much of the rest of the country lying under plenty of white stuff, their pitch was in fine condition. Having left the Dee in lots of time, the journey was progressing well until just before Katesbridge when the bus driver suddenly pulled over to the hard shoulder. After a quick investigation a flat tyre was discovered and, with no jack on board, a new bus was called for. Cue an anxious half hour wait for the replacement bus with pass back time looming ever closer…

Newry were extremely accommodating however and were generous with the fifteen minute grace afforded to the away team, so the Dee arrived with minutes to spare. With a fabulous backdrop of snowy Mournes, the pitch was indeed in good shape and the game got underway with Donaghadee’s pass back. Despite only having a very brief warm up the Dee started well, putting a fair amount of pressure on the home defence. Standing in at centre forward in place of the unavailable Kerrie Turtle, Carolyn Scott had a great chance early on when she met a Newry clearance at the top left of the circle. The resultant shot whistled wide of the far post and the chance was lost. It seemed it was going to be one of those days – both left wing Ruth Kennedy and right wing Kerry Savage also had chances to get the scoreline moving, but the Newry goal remained intact.

After a quick turn around at half time, Donaghadee started to find a lot more joy in midfield, with Ali Lawther having lots of room to spread the ball left to Lisa Higgins and Katie Donnelly and right to Suzie Ferguson and Leona Wells. The breakthrough came for the Dee when the ball was worked well down the right with Leona and Kerry S exchanging a couple of great passes enabling Kerry to work her way to the Newry byline. Leona continued her run and met the ball pulled back at the top of the circle. Her snap shot, heading goalwards anyway, was helped on its way by a Newry stick and beyond the Newry keeper; what a great time for Leo to score her first goal for the club! Newry certainly weren’t giving up and they won themselves several penalty corners as the match wore on but the defensive duo of Hannah McAdam and Nina Wells protected Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam really well, enabling the Dee to hold on for the 1-0 victory and a vital three points as they battle it out for fifth position with Cooke in the league table. Many thanks to Newry Olympic for their accommodation of flat tyres, for providing two umpires for the game, and for the soup, sandwiches and excellent hospitality after the match – the Dee will look forward to returning the compliment in the near future! Donaghadee’s next match is against bottom side Instonians at Bangor Academy on Saturday (26th), time tbc. Up to date info is on http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk and on Facebook.com/DonaghadeeLHC

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12/1/13 Intermediate Plate: Larne 2XI 2-2 Donaghadee 1XI (4-2 AET)

Posted on 14/01/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

It was a double bill last weekend for members of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club with two teams in action on Saturday. The 1st XI travelled to Larne for the first round of the Plate and the 2nd XI headed to Stormont to take on Civil Service 3rd XI in the 4 o’clock slot.

1st XI

With several players unavailable for the trip to Larne, Captain Ali Lawther was down to her starting eleven for this first round match in the Intermediate Plate. Undaunted, the Dee started well with the midfield quartet of Ali, Christine Hooks, Kerry Savage and Kerry Kennedy linking neatly and ensuring the ball was kept moving forward to the front two of Kerrie Turtle and Carolyn Scott. Great stick work from Kerry K bursting in to the home circle won the Dee a penalty corner which Ali converted thanks to her shot from wide left sneaking in at the near post. Despite further end-to-end play from both sides, the score remained 1-0 to Donaghadee for the rest of the half, with defensive duo of Hannah McAdam and Suzie Ferguson in particular both calmly clearing when called in to action.

Both sides came out with renewed purpose in the second period, knowing that a win was necessary for one team on the day. And what an exciting half it turned out to be. It didn’t take Larne long to respond, scoring from a well worked penalty corner to level things up at 1-1. Donaghadee weren’t done yet however and after some lovely play in midfield the ball was worked down the Dee right from Emma Gray to Carolyn with Kerry S providing the final cross in to the circle where Kerrie was unmarked. Twisting away from goal and seemingly on her back foot she somehow managed to get the shot away and, with the nearby defenders also all wrong footed, the ball was in the back of the net – 2-1 to Donaghadee. Larne showed great resilience, soon answering with another goal of their own and it was back to all square. The home team had a great chance to finish the match in normal time with a penalty corner right on the final whistle, but a combination of a great charge out by Lisa Higgins and subsequent save by keeper Siobhan McAdam kept them out.

Neither side was able to score the winning goal in extra time so penalty flicks were to decide the match. In only her second game for the Dee Kerry K stepped up to take the first flick, making no mistake to get the Dee off the mark. Larne were also successful with their first flick. Both teams failed with their second attempt then Larne edged ahead after converting the third. Unfortunately for the Dee, Carolyn was the only other to convert, meaning that Larne progress to the next stage with the final flicks tally of 4-2. Many thanks to Larne for providing two umpires on the day and good luck to them in the next round.

2nd XI

Following an initial game against near neighbours Bangor in early December, Donaghadee LHC 2nd XI took to the pitch for their first away match, on this occasion travelling to Stormont for a game against Civil Service 3rd XI, a team playing regularly in Ulster Hockey’s Junior 8 league and currently sitting in 3rd position. If the Dee are to enter a 2nds in to the league programme next year, they will do so at Junior 10 level – two below Saturday’s opposition; Saturday was therefore a great marker of where the Dee team is and the standard of hockey required.

Both teams started well with plenty of action in the midfield section of the pitch, and Donaghadee’s Deborah Gilmour, Caroline Davison and Jessica McCready were not to be over-awed by their young opponents. Once the match settled down the Civil Service forwards started to find some joy down the wide channels, but Natasha Cameron and Norma Ewart were alert to the danger and did well to ensure the crosses didn’t meet their targets. Any attacking balls which came through the middle were met by a determined Hannah McAdam – playing her third match of the day! – and captain Lisa Alexander at the back.

The break through came for Civil Service when a hopeful ball forward from well outside the Donaghadee circle was parried away by Dee keeper Tina Sterling. The home side reacted more quickly and were delighted to slot the ball home to make it 1-0 going in to the break. In the second half the Donaghadee forward trio of Emily Morris, Caitland Crockett and Andrea Girvan began to assert themselves on the game and, thanks to some tireless running, posed a few questions of the home defence. Service were able to draw on the experience of playing regular league hockey however to add another 2 goals to their tally before the final whistle, making it 3-0 for the home side. Despite this scoreline, Donaghadee were more than up to the task and it was a really good performance from a team which had not played together competitively. There will hopefully be a return fixture on Saturday 2nd February, time and venue to be confirmed. Many thanks to Will McAdam for umpiring duties.

Next up for DLHC is the bus trip for the league fixture against Newry on Saturday (19th). With 22 current and former club members signed up for the shenanigans, there will be plenty of support for the 11 who take to the pitch! If you’d like to be part of this exciting time in Donaghadee LHC’s history, you can find out more info at http://www.DonaghadeeLHC.co.uk or on Facebook.com/DonaghadeeLHC. Training continues at 7.30pm at Bangor Sportsplex – all ages, abilities and experience most welcome.

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5/1/13 Senior League 4: Holywood LHC 2-1 Donaghadee LHC

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Donaghadee LHC

Last Saturday (5th) saw the resumption of league duties after the Christmas break for Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club. Having started back at training the previous week to dust off any lingering festivities, the Dee were keen to make the short trip to Ashfield Girls School to play Holywood LHC. Holywood have been vying with Mossley for top of the league all season so this wasn’t going to be an easy task by any means but with a strong side available to her, Captain Ali Lawther was in positive form.

The Dee won first pass back and were very quick to settle into their game. Whether it was home side sluggishness, or the Dee’s packed midfield – Ali opting to play four across – herself, Katie Donnelly, Leona Wells and debutant Kerry Kennedy – or a happy combination of the two, Donaghadee started very brightly. The passing and movement was a sight to behold for the Dee spectators on the sideline and it wasn’t long before the Dee forwards Ruth Kennedy and Carolyn Scott were worked into the circle. Despite a number of chances – both from penalty corners and open play, with Kerry K making one great burst in on the home goal – the Holywood keeper was able for the task, and the score remained resolutely at 0-0.

All too aware that Holywood are at the top of the table for a reason the team knew that they would need to continue to play as they had done in the first half if they were to get something from the match. Full use was made of the Dee subs with Kerry Savage, Emma Gray and Natasha Cameron all rolling on to provide fresh legs and added impetus. Holywood were starting to string more passes together and threaten the Donaghadee circle however. In a defensive partnership which has started to blossom over the last number of games, Hannah McAdam and Nina Wells dealt admirably with the increasing pressure from the home side, getting the ball out to the two wider half players Lisa Higgins and Suzie Ferguson, and the Dee continued to play some of the best hockey they’ve done all season. Midway through the second half though, Holywood’s attacking pressure told when they were awarded a penalty corner. The finish was clinical and Holywood were ahead. It wasn’t long before history repeated itself and the home team were 2-0 up. Shortly before the end, Carolyn managed to pull one back for the Dee when her shot in a crowded circle squeezed agonisingly slowly between the keeper and the post. It got there eventually though and gave the Dee a renewed sense of hope that they could get something from the game. It was just too little too late however, with the final whistle blowing minutes later. Final score 2-1 to Holywood. Many thanks to William McAdam for umpiring duties.

While this really was the one that got away and the Dee will be frustrated not to have taken something from the game, it is a measure of just how far the team (and the club) have come over the last few years. It wasn’t so long ago that Holywood put seven past the Dee, yet in this match goalkeeper Siobhan McAdam didn’t have an awful lot to do (though when called into service, she was up to the challenge, naturally!) and there are many reasons to be optimistic as we start a new year. This Saturday will see the fielding of two Donaghadee teams, with the 1st XI away to Larne in the Plate (time tbc) and the 2nd XI away to Civil Service at Stormont, pass back 4pm. Further info on the club can be found at http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk and on Facebook/donaghadeelhc.

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15/12/12 Senior League 4: Donaghadee LHC 3-0 South Antrim

Posted on 17/12/2012 by Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club were in action last Saturday for the final time before the Christmas break when South Antrim came to Bangor Academy. The current standings in the league table see the Dee sitting in 5th position on 15 points with 5 wins and 5 defeats to date. Ballynahinch LHC are in 4th on 20 points with Cooke just below the Dee on 14 points so the middle section of the table is looking tight at the halfway stage. While newly promoted South Antrim are some way below the Dee in the table, their results have been improving as the season has progressed and Donaghadee were cautious about taking any result for granted.

The first half started off a little bit scrappily as both teams felt their way in to the game. Donaghadee probably shaded it in terms of possession but there wasn’t much in the way of shots on goal from either side to threaten the 0-0 score line. South Antrim did make Dee keeper Siobhan McAdam work for her crust midway through the first half, with Siobhan coming far off her line to ensure the attacker could make nothing of the chance – those magical new kickers clearly relishing the challenge again this week! Just in front of Siobhan, Jen McVeigh, Suzie Ferguson, Hannah McAdam provided solid cover with Hannah in particular having a great game; not much got past the youngster all afternoon.

With the game still very much in the balance after half time, Donaghadee knew they would have to step up their efforts if there was any chance of the three points and it didn’t take long before some play down the right yielded a reward. A horrible, bobbly cross – a total miscue and one of those ones that is a nightmare to deal with – came in from right winger Carolyn Scott and was missed by the defender on the near post. The keeper was drawn towards the ball and, with plenty of space to aim at, left wing Ruth Kennedy made no mistake to get Donaghadee up and running. A second was added shortly after with midfielder Katie Donnelly providing centre forward Kerrie Turtle with a through ball, which the centre forward gladly latched on to. Her determined burst into the circle was justly rewarded by a fine solo effort. 2-0 to the Dee.

The third and final goal for Donaghadee was arguably the best, with much of the team involved. The move started off on the Dee’s defensive left with Lisa Higgins making one of her now customary blocks to thwart the attacking right winger. The ball was passed across midfield with Leona Wells, Ali Lawther and Kerry Savage all linking up beautifully to get the ball out to the right wing where second half substitute Andrea Girvan was finding plenty of space. A swift interchange of one-two passes between Andrea and Kerry got the ball in to the South Antrim circle and Kerrie was on hand to grab her second of the match. A fine score to wrap up the 2012 portion of the 12/13 season and the Dee will be looking to carry on the winning momentum when they travel to near neighbours table-topping Holywood on Saturday 5th January. Many thanks for Will McAdam for umpiring duties, to Lisa Alexander for stepping in to his Statman’s role to record the match statistics and to Regency Cars for sponsoring this week’s match ball. All the club news, info and match pics can be found on http://www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk or Facebook/DonaghadeeLHC and in the meantime, DLHC would like to wish all their friends and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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