Donaghadee LHC

After the closely fought game against Instonians at Crommelin Park last week, Donaghadee travelled to near neighbours Holywood, currently flying high at the top of Senior 4, to Donaghadee’s somewhat lower position. Despite not being far to travel, captain Katie Drummond was struggling for players right up to the eleventh hour, with work commitments and illness taking their toll on the small club. Holywood are a very capable side, and having come down from Senior 3 at the end of last season, they weren’t long in showing the Dee girls the pace and skill involved in the higher league.

The first half was a bit of a rout to be honest; Donaghadee never really got going, and they were punished accordingly by the rampant Holywood attack. A major reshuffle by coach Brian McKee at half time saw 2 forwards up front with four in midfield – a line up more akin to football rather than the usual hockey 3 forwards and 3 midfielders. Whether this put Holywood on the back foot a little, or gave the Donaghadee girls a renewed sense of purpose, they really got stuck in in the second half, even having a couple of threatening situations in the Holywood circle, and managing to hold Holywood to two goals in the second half.

Much work still to be done on the training pitch, but there are signs that the drills are starting to make it through to match situations on a Saturday, and the girls will continue to learn apace from the coaching expertise of Brian. Thanks to Alfie for umpiring. Next match is against Newcastle at home on Saturday, pass back 2pm when the Dee will be looking to take some points from the team directly above them in the league. Fitness continues on Monday nights at 7pm, with skills training on Wednesdays at Crommelin Park from 7.15 sharp.

After a tough opening couple of games and a week off, Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club was back in action last Saturday when they welcomed Instonians to Crommelin Park. The girls have been fortunate enough to secure the coaching expertise of Brian McKee, formerly of Bangor Mens Hockey Club, and they have been working hard on drills and tactics in the last few weeks in training. After Brian had spoken to each member of the team individually, the girls took to the field with a clear idea of how they wanted to play the game.

After several opening exchanges, Instonians drew first blood when the Donaghadee defence was picked apart by a simple cross to the back post. The unmarked left wing gratefully seized on the chance and slotted the ball home, giving Laura Gibson in goal no chance. Donaghadee were very quick to respond however, with some route one hockey. A hit out from the back taken by Nicky Banford found Carolyn Scott round the halfway line. Accelerating forward, she dodged the defender in her path and got to the edge of the circle where she was quickly surrounded by several other defenders. Somehow she managed to get the shot away, where it snuck past the keeper’s left hand side. Game on.

After half time, an almost carbon copy of Inst’s first goal undid Donaghadee again, but once more, the Dee responded almost immediately. Brian will have been delighted with the Dee’s second goal, as it came straight from the training ground. A right wing cross from Carolyn Scott found new girl Connie Singleton unmarked at Inst’s back post. With a deft reverse stick flick, she skilfully beat the visitors’ keeper. Donaghadee then took the lead for the first time in the match when a scramble in the Inst circle saw Connie grab her second of the day. Donaghadee then sat back to try and protect their lead, which proved to be costly, as Instonians not only equalised to make the score 3-3, but put another one in for good measure. Final score 4-3.

Although the girls were disappointed not to have taken anything from the game, coach Brian was generally pleased with the performance and saw positives in the girls’ play. Thanks to Alfie Balfour for umpiring. The next game is away to Holywood, with fitness training on Monday nights at 7pm and skills training at 7.15 on Wednesdays. Thanks to our sponsors Cafe Manor and Heathview Equestrian for their continued support.

Donagahdee Ladies Hockey Club’s season is drawing to a close, with the final few games coming thick and fast to try and get them finished off as quickly as possible. It was a difficult season for the ladies, who saw local rivals Bangor join their league, along with a couple of trips up to the north coast to Limavady and Ballycastle. The going was tough for much of the season, and some narrow (and sometimes unlucky) defeats, coupled with more comprehensive losses left the Dee fairly far down the table.

They managed to start putting together a few better results towards the latter half of the season mind you, with a very exciting and competitve 4-3 win against Newcastle Nomads, and a 3-1 defeat of Malone giving them a much needed boost up the table. A 2-2 draw against Ballycastle on Bangor’s astroturf on Saturday also helped the points tally, and the girls will be hoping for at least another point in their final game of the season away to Cooke this week.

While the girls’ home pitch at Crommelin Park has yet again been a disgrace – many of Donaghadee’s ‘home’ games have been played at Londonderry Park in Newtownards, and last week in Comber and Bangor – Donaghadee LHC have benefited from a couple of kit sponsors this year, both of which – Cafe Manor and Heathview Equestrian – the club is very grateful to for their continued support in these challenging times.

As a final fundraiser and to bring the curtain down on the season, DLHC is holding a table quiz in the Meadowbank Social Club in Donaghadee tomorrow (Friday 24th) night. Tickets are £5, the start time is 7.30 and a light supper will be provided. If you are interested, please see any member of the hockey team – it promises to be a great night!

Last Saturday, Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club welcomed Ballynahinch to Crommelin Park for their first home fixture of the 08/09 season. Following a tough away trip to Ballycastle the previous week, Donaghadee were looking forward to playing on their home turf – especially as much of last season they were forced to play the majority of their home games in Newtownards, thanks to the Dee pitch being deemed unplayable for one reason or another for much of the year.

The spell of dry weather leading up to this game then was much appreciated by everyone at the club, though typically it was almost too dry, rendering the freshly rolled gravel very dusty and bumpy for both teams. Ballynahinch won the toss and elected to pass back first, and the dry pitch did little to help either team settle into any rhythm. The first half was a fairly even affair, with play swinging from end to end without anybody really grabbing the match by the scruff of the neck, though Dee keepr Alison McNeice did pull off several fine saves to keep the score level. Ballynahinch however managed to draw first blood within sight of half time with a well taken goal. They didn’t take long to add a second, which came in somewhat comical circumstances which led to most of the Dee defence collapsing in laughter. Centre back Jen McVeigh lost her skirt going into a tackle, and while the Dee girls saw the funny side, the Hinch forward continued her run and finished clinically, leaving the Dee keeper no chance. Despite persistance in midfield and up front, the Dee weren’t able to break the visitors’ defence, and Hinch added a third seconds before the final whistle.

The next game is away to Cooke on Saturday, and training continues every Wednesday at 7.30pm sharp. Players are reminded that this year’s fees are now due.

After an inspection of the pitch at Crommelin Park on Saturday deemed the ground unplayable after the heavy rain, this league fixture was moved to Londonderry Park in Newtownards. Donaghadee welcomed back several players from injury and other commitments, and the girls were keen to get the match underway, having played Newcastle away earlier in the season in a 5 goal thriller which they were unlucky to lose by the odd goal.

The added experience at the back really steadied the ship, and allowed Donaghadee to start playing a bit more controlled hockey than they had been doing of late. Right from the off, Donaghadee got stuck in, with a lot of the play going down the right hand side, where several good crosses were unlucky not to be finished off at the back post. Newcastle did have the odd good break from midfield, but Donagahdee were up to the task, and kept the pressure on. It eventually paid off when Carolyn Scott scored from a tight angle from the very edge of the circle just before half time. Ashley McCormack made it two after the turn around, but just to keep the Dee on their toes, Newcastle pulled one back.

The girls were however able to hold on for what was their second win of what has been a really tough season, and puts them in a great position to overtake a couple of teams, should they win their two games in hand. Next game is at home to Derg Valley, pass back 2pm. All players are reminded that fees are now due, and the club would like to remind footballers using the pitch at Crommelin Park not to wear studs when training there.

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club travelled to Newforge on Saturday to replay the league fixture which had to be postponed before Christmas due to a waterlogged pitch. Donaghadee welcomed back a couple of players who had been unavailable for the trip to Ballycastle the previous week, and this added a little experience and nous to a team which had been comprehensively beaten by the team from the North coast.

Malone sit just above Donaghadee in the league table, so this was a good opportunity for the Dee girls to put some pressure on their hosts. Right from the outset, Donagahdee looked much more up for the game than they had been, and they were in no way out played or outfought anywhere on the pitch. They did in fact create several gilt-edged chances in the Malone goal mouth, and were very unlucky not to put at least one of them away. Malone managed to capitalise on their fortune when they scored from just about the only chance they created in the first half, and so went into the break 1-0 up.

Captain Jen McVeigh rallied the troops, and Donaghadee went into the second half with renewed purpose and vigour, but despite pressing for periods, they were unable to take any of the chances, and Malone were able to hold on for their win. Donaghadee welcome 6th placed Newcastle Nomads to Crommelin Park on Saturday, pass back 2pm. Training continues for everyone at 7.30pm every Wednesday evening, and new faces are always welcomed.

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club kicked off 2008 with a trip to Ballycastle on Saturday to play the team directly below them in the League. Having beaten this team at home a few months ago, the girls travelled to the North coast in the hope of a good game of hockey and more importantly the much needed boost of a win and 3 points in the bag.

With Donagahdee having soaked up a fair bit of Ballycastle pressure in the first half, the teams turned round with the score level at 0-0. The Ballycastle defence were dealing capably with any Donaghadee forays forward, and crucially for them, were able to set up their midfield and forwards with attack after attack. The Dee defence was only able to hold out for so long in the second half before they were hit with several on the trot.

While Ballycastle proved themselves an able team, this was a bitterly disappointing result for Donaghadee, and it is hard to take too many positives from the game. There is no league action now until the final week of January, with a Plate match to be confirmed, so full attendance is expected at training for the next couple of weeks, as last Saturday’s game showed there is plenty of work to be done by everyone in the club.

After the abandonment of the previous week’s match away to Malone due to driving rain and a waterlogged pitch, Donaghadee were back on their travels last Saturday, away to College Hill in Armagh. With College Hill in the top three, and Donaghadee in the bottom half of the table, this was always going to be a tricky fixture for the girls, but captain Jen McVeigh had fourteen players to call on, possibly for the first time this season, and almost definitely for the first time for an away match – a positive sign that this season’s new players are fitting in well at the club. Donaghadee had first pass back on what turned out to be a heavy, stodgy pitch, which restricted dribbling opportunities for both sides. The two teams were fairly evenly matched for much of the first half, with neither side really creating many chances.

College Hill drew first blood in the second half when Donaghadee were unable to clear. Alison McNeice was off her line like a young ‘un to close down the threat, and was dreadfully unlucky when the forward sneaked the ball in through a narrow space at the near post. Donaghadee kept plugging away however, with Ashlee McCormack and Becca Ambrose up front hassling their markers at every turn. Katie Drummond and Ann Savage were doing some sterling work in midfield, and Jen and Suzie looked really solid at the back. So far so good, until College Hill won themselves a penalty stroke after a hopeful ball goalwards hit a Donaghadee foot on the line. The College Hill umpire correctly awarded a stroke, but what followed left everyone not a little confused. The home forward stepped up to the ball, and whacked it as hard as she could, burying it in the back corner. The home umpire duly awarded the goal, leaving the Donaghadee players wondering when the rule change allowing hitting the ball at a stroke had come into force. (After consulting the rule book, I’m still wondering…)

Final score 2-0 to College Hill. Donaghadee’s next match is on Saturday at home to League leaders Holywood. Pass back 2pm.

After losing in the Intermediate Cup the previous week, Donaghadee LHC were back in league action on Saturday. They welcomed to Crommelin Park Ballynahinch 1sts, a team sitting 3 places above them in the league. The first half was extremely even, with both midfields enjoying good possession. Both defences snuffed out any real attacking chances, though this is not to say that the half was a dull affair. Quite the opposite in fact, with the two teams seemingly very evenly matched.

The second half continued in much the same vein, with both sides keeping their defence tight. Chances did start to appear however though nobody was able to capitalise. Ballynahinch went close a couple of times, with several shots going wide. With only about five minutes of the match remaining, Donaghadee won a free hit on the edge of the opposition circle. The ball was duly delivered at speed, was directed goalwards by Ann Savage, with the final touch deflected in by Lisa Higgins. Donaghadee were able to hold on for the remaining minutes, for what was a great win in a very tight game, one which should see Donaghadee move up a couple of places in the league table. Next match is a league match away to Malone on Saturday.

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club played host to Instonians at Crommelin Park last Saturday. Having encountered this team, a team 3 leagues above the girls in the old league system, last year in the Intermediate Cup, Donaghadee knew they were going to be in for a very tough game, and they were not proved wrong. With the match taking place in bright October sunshine, Instonians attacked from the first whistle, and they kept Donaghadee under sustained pressure for long periods in the match. The Donaghadee defence was only breached twice in the first half, with plenty of strong tackling and chasing back being done by everyone on the team. The second half continued in much the same vein, with the visitors enjoying much of the possession, scoring a couple of absolutely unstoppable shots from the edge of the circle. All in all, not one of Donaghadee’s better performances, but they will be looking forward to hosting a Cup match in Donaghadee on Saturday against Larne, pass back 2pm. Training continues as usual on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm at Crommelin Park.