Donaghadee 1XI went into Saturday’s game knowing that a win or draw would be enough to secure second place in the league and with it, a promotion playoff spot against second-from-bottom in Senior Two.
Donaghadee started possibly a little nervier than in other matches this season and the action was end to end from the start with some lively attacking exchanges but excellent defensive play from both teams restricting clear chances.
Despite the even action in the middle of the pitch, there was little quarter given in either circle: Donaghadee had one shot on target and one saved, and in testament to the strong defending from Jodie MacLaren, Kathyrn Cunningham, Paige Reilly and Row Moore, PSNI were denied any shots on goal.
The quarter two action saw more of the same. Donaghadee won a penalty corner midway through the quarter and a scooped shot from Leanna McGimpsey-Young was well saved by the PSNI keeper, Jess Moore following up on the rebound was unlucky to see her shot go just wide of the post.
Again the home side was enjoying more possession and looked the more dangerous but only one other attempt on target. At the other end. the visitors were again stopped from getting any shots but did win three penalty corners in quick succession, striking the far post on the third attempt but Donaghadee were quick to get the ball away from Dee keeper Faith McMillen and cleared from danger. Half-time 0-0.
PSNI hit a purple patch in the third quarter, attacking from the start but again the defensive work from the Dee – working well as a unit – was good and clear chances were limited to a single penalty corner, well saved and away by Donaghadee.
A shuffling of personnel saw Jan Burgess on in the defensive midfield role with Kerry Kennedy and Hannah Younge rotating in the higher central positions, as Donaghadee looked to convert some of their own pressure into more of an attacking threat. Tasha McGimpsey replaced sister Jess on the right, with Jess then rotating during the quarter with Jordan McWilliams as the Dee looked to keep the pace and intensity high.
Donaghadee then began to create some better opportunities to win a couple of penalty corners, one of which was fired wide but the second struck gold with Carolyn Scott finding the backboard to open the scoring: 1-0 to Donaghadee. Donaghadee then almost doubled their advantage but the visitors’ keeper saved the shot to keep it 1-0 heading into final quarter.
Pushing forward to try and build on the lead, Donaghadee had much of the ball in the opening moments of quarter four but a quick counter from the visitors saw a penalty corner awarded (much to the disappointment of the home defence!), the resulting shot finding its target and levelling the score at 1-1.
Much of the remainder of the game saw attack after attack from both sides, with both sides playing much freer and open hockey, and Donaghadee launched attacks down both flanks. Despite having another couple of penalty corners on target, the PSNI keeper was equal to the task, leaving the score 1-1, and giving Donaghadee the point needed to secure second position in the league on the last day of the season, with a play off to come for a potential promotion to Senior 2.
The 1XI do it all again next week against PSNI, this time in the Quarter Final of the Intermediate Plate, pass back 1pm at BGS.
A goal and player of the match for Hannah on Saturday against Holywood
Senior 3: Holywood 1-2 DLHC 1XI
Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI took one step closer to a promotion playoff position on Saturday thanks to a 2-1 victory over neighbours Holywood.
With league leaders Club KV playing their final match of the season against Cookstown knowing a win would take them beyond Donaghadee’s reach, Donaghadee were aware that the final league positions were not entirely within their own control, but with a second place playoff position firmly within sight, there was still much to play for in their two remaining games, starting at Holywood away on Saturday.
Holywood started the more brightly of the two sides, on the attack from the start and pressing Donaghadee back but yet another reshaped defence which saw Chloe Ferguson dropping in beside captain Jodie MacLaren, flanked in the wide defensive positions by Row Moore and Kathy Sinnamon, coped well with all that was thrown at them.
Donaghadee took advantage of their pace going forward with Jordan McWilliams and Jess Moore both causing lots of problems on the counterattack, although neither side was able to capitalise on their shots on target to take the upper hand; Faith McMillen in the Donaghadee goal and her Holywood counterpart both made smart saves to keep the score goalless at the quarter mark.
Donaghadee started quarter two on the attack and within two minutes an attack down the left saw Vicky O’Neill combining with Jess to get a ball into the Holywood circle which midfielder Hannah Younge gladly accepted, firing home for Donaghadee to lead 1-0.
With the game now flowing from end to end, both sides were playing some good attacking hockey as they searched for the next goal. Unfortunately one Holywood attack from the right saw a lifted ball strike Row on the head and she had to go off for a check. That meant a bit of a reshuffle of personnel, with Kerrie Turtle joining the fray to play on the left side of midfield – the forward doing well in the different role asked of her!
Donaghadee continued to probe and a break by Tasha McGimpsey – swapping on for sister Jess – on the right saw the ball fired across goal but Leanna McGimpsey-Younge shot wide.
Half-time score a very close 1-0.
Into the second half and a quick start from the Dee won them a penalty corner within minutes. Hannah initial shot was saved, Leanna followed up with Jess sneaking in at the back post to bundle the ball over the line to double Donaghadee’s lead.
There followed lots of end to end play with the game becoming stretched as both teams looked to break forward. The hosts shaded the momentum in the final quarter but were constantly thwarted by the Dee defensive effort, Helen Herron dominating the space in front of Donaghadee’s defence to break up any threatening moves that Holywood looked to put together.
In Donaghadee’s attacking circle, forward Carolyn Scott had a shot well saved by the Holywood keeper before a goalmouth scramble at the other end saw Holywood force the ball home to get back into the game, their only shot on target of the quarter, making it 2-1 in the final stages.
Just close enough to make things slightly nervy for Donaghadee and their quest for 3 points but neither side added any further to their tally and the final whistle went at 2-1 win for Donaghadee. Thanks to Nicola Patton for umpiring and congrats to Hannah Younge for her Player of the Match performance.
Having now completed their league matches, Club KV finish with an unassailable 36 points, having lost only 1 game all season, with second place to be decided on Saturday, the final day of the league programme. Donaghadee are on 32 points, three points clear of third-placed Kilkeel (29 points) so will be looking to get something from their final game on Saturday against PSNI (24 points). Pass back is at 1pm at BGS and all support will be very welcome as Donaghadee look to reserve the promotion play off spot.
Junior League 10
Donaghadee 2s welcomed Limavady to BGS on Saturday. Despite being a fairly evenly matched game, it was Limavady who scored first – a one-on-one between Dee keeper Janice McVeigh and a Limavady forward went the way of the visitors, giving them a 1-0 lead. The visitors made sure of their victory in the final quarter when they doubled the advantage thanks to a goal from a short corner.
Thanks to Debs Gilmore for umpiring and to Elevate Storage Solutions for sponsoring the match ball.
The 2XI have a midweek trip to Dromore for the next round of the Junior Plate tomorrow (Tuesday) night before heading on their travels again, away to Larne on Saturday, pass back there 4pm.
An emotional victory sees Donaghadee LHC’s 1XI through to the quarter final of the Intermediate Plate following a comprehensive victory over Parkview on Friday night.
Earlier in the week the club was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of 1XI defender Sarah Hooks following a two year battle with cancer. Sarah joined the club in 2018 but was no stranger to Donaghadee having played for Annadale against the club on numerous occasions. When Annadale folded, Sarah opted to join sister-in-law Helen Herron (nee Hooks) at the Dee, quickly becoming a stalwart in defence and queen of the one-liners.
With her “man, or ball, or both” defensive strategy, the occasional foul may have been given away but when she could get away with it, “Umpire didn’t see, play on!” made her a firm favourite with her fellow defenders, while she was also happy to give her attackers the odd word of advice: “Sure, I’ll just do one hit up into the circle and you can all score from there”. Route one hockey from a rock solid defender which was often a very effective method of attack!
When illness curtailed her playing, she was a frequent – and fervent – supporter on the sideline, often urging on the team on the pitch, or offering helpful observations at half time (“You probably should have been carded there, but the umpire didn’t see it…”) – there is no doubt she, her warmth and her wit will be sorely missed but we will always be grateful to have had her as a team-mate and proud to have called her a friend.
The match on Friday night began with a minute’s silence and it was an emotional Donaghadee team which took to the pitch, determined to do Sarah proud one last time.
On the front foot from the first whistle, Donaghadee won a penalty corner within the first two minutes with Leanna McGimpsey-Young opening the scoring before continual pressure on the home side led to the defence caving and Hannah Younge bursting through from midfield to double the lead after six minutes. Leanna then made it three after 12 minutes and Donaghadee were able to relax into the game and start pinging the ball around.
Vicky O’Neill, Jordan McWilliams and Kerrie Turtle came on to replace Row Moore, Kerry Kennedy and Leanna for the second quarter, and before long Jordan and Kerrie were adding to the tally; Jordan getting her first on 23 minutes followed a couple of minutes later by Kerrie at the back post tapping in for number five.
Shortly before the quarter end disaster struck when Hannah was caught by a stick on the back of the hand, leaving her unable to continue. Into the second half a bit of a reshuffle and a change of tactics saw the team switch to a back three of Kathryn Cunningham, Jodie MacLaren and Row steadying the ship and keeping Dee keeper Nicola well shielded from the action and giving more weight to the attack which saw Donaghadee begin to run the home defence ragged.
A front three of Carolyn Scott, Leanna and Kerrie harassed the home defence with support from Jordan and Kerry running the lines from midfield, initially without success but then Leanna completed her hat trick in 37th minute and Carolyn getting her name on the scoreboard three minutes later. 7-0 at the three quarter mark.
Donaghadee were desperate to get Helen on the scoresheet and with some crafty movement and slick passing, a number of opportunities allowed the midfielder to drive through to the edge of the attacking circle but that final ball just would not cross the line inside the posts (about which Sarah would most definitely had some helpful advice!)
Into the final quarter and Carolyn and Vicky came off for Lisa Higgins and Jess Moore, the latter back on to terrorise the Parkview defence with her fast attacking down the right wing. As attack followed attack, Jordan got her second to bring it up to 8, Carolyn returned for Kerrie with 6 minutes left and fired just wide before Jordan got her third (and first ever hat trick) to take it to 9-0 with mere minutes left.
A convincing win on an emotional night, with thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and to Parkview for facilitating and observing the minute’s silence at the start. The victory takes the 1s into the quarter final of the Intermediate Plate, to be played on 15th March, with action continuing this Saturday in the penultimate league match, pass back against Holywood at Sullivan is at 1.30pm.
Sarah Hooks in action back in October 2021
Junior League 10: Saintfield 0-2 DLHC 2XI
The 2XI’s initial trip to Saintfield had previously been postponed due to a frozen pitch but Saturday past was the perfect weather for a game of hockey.
Half term holidays changed up the team a bit and Donaghadee’s 1XI keeper Faith McMillen had an enjoyable game without her pads, putting into practice the marking calls she is so good at communicating from her nets. After the previous week’s incredibly defensive game, usual 2XI keeper Janice had a somewhat easier game this week with much of the play being dominated by the Dee team.
There was some excellent play all over the pitch with Coach Willie McAdam delighted to see the team putting into action some of those long passes and switches across the back that we have been practising at training.
Emily Morris and Tasha McGimpsey positioned themselves brilliantly up front ready to receive balls, enjoying many shots on target and it took fantastic form from Saintfield’s keeper to clear the threats. leaving the score a frustrating 0-0 at half time.
Donaghadee started the third quarter with great determination to get that ball over the line and a penalty corner awarded midway through was the chance. Natalie Jamieson received the ball and slipped to Tasha with the first shot saved by the home keeper but Natalie was on hand to fire home the rebound to give Donaghadee the lead.
While the majority of the play was against Saintfield, there were some very skilled Saint players in midfield so when they did get the ball through, they were a threat going forward but Donaghadee’s defence of Jan Burgess, Megan Inglis, Natalie and Row Moore stood firm, clearing the ball back to mids Caroline Davison, Johneena Brown and Faith. Thankfully at 54 mins, Tasha raced into the circle and beat the keeper to make the score 2-0 to give the team a little breathing room to hold on the win for the last minutes of the game.
Emily was voted player of the match for her tireless running up front, in the circle and positioning herself brilliantly to receive the ball. It was just not her day to get that ball over the line – but it certainly was not for the lack of shots on target!
Thanks to Willie who umpired on the day. The 2XI are back in action this weekend with a home match against Limavady, pass back at BGS 2.30pm.
Emily put in a Player of the Match performance against Saintfield
A massive shift from Player of the Match Helen against Cookstown on Saturday
Senior 3: DLHC 1XI 3-0 Cookstown
Donaghadee 1s were back to winning ways thanks to a 3-0 victory away to Cookstown on Saturday.
Donaghadee headed for mid-Ulster and a 4.15pm pass back with a number of players unavailable for a variety of reasons, with the usual defence hit particularly hard and requiring those playing to step into several unfamiliar positions. In stark contrast to the feast of 30-odd players being available for the double header at home the previous week, it was hitting famine stakes with both teams playing away, and special mention should be made of Chloe Ferguson and Vicky O’Neill who managed to pass through all six counties on their travels, playing first for the 2s against Raphoe in Strabane before hot footing it to Cookstown to make the later pass back for the 1s.
Cookstown had started the post-league-split half of the season with a couple of excellent results on the road, so Donaghadee knew this was not going to an easy game. Indeed the home side were quickly on the front foot and challenging the Dee defence but some excellent work by Vicky, Kathryn Cunningham, Chloe and Row Moore kept them from troubling Dee keeper Faith McMillen.
While Donaghadee managed to restrict Cookstown to a single off-target shot, the home side did earn a number of penalty corners to keep the pressure on Donaghadee, with the home side enjoying more possession in the early stages. Going forward the Dee midfield of Molly McKee, Kerry Kennedy and Jordan McWilliams did their utmost to break up play to feed the ball through the home defence to allow Leanna McGimpsey-Young and Carolyn Scott in on goal but the home keeper made a couple of smart saves to keep the game scoreless.
Into quarter two and it was more of the same: the home side looked threatening but again they were restricted to a single shot wide of goal as Kathryn marshalled her fellow defenders well, with Helen Herron operating just in front of the back four winning ball after ball in the defensive part of the pitch to thwart the Cookstown attacks.
Seven minutes in and a break through the centre – somewhat against the run of play – saw Leanna feed the ball to Carolyn; the latter’s rocket of a shot going straight through the onrushing keeper’s legs to give Donaghadee the lead. With play becoming much more evenly spread across the pitch, both sides fashioned good chances but there were no further goals and half time arrived with Donaghadee just 1-0 to the good.
For all that the first half had been relatively close between the sides, the second half showed a return to a more dominant display from the visitors as Donaghadee started to take control as they searched for their second goal.
Dee created a number of well-worked opportunities with midfield and forward combining: Katie McKee found space on the left to interact with Kerry and her shot was turned away, then Jordan fired in from the right with a cheeky scoop that was only just above the crossbar, Leanna was thwarted by the keeper and Carolyn saw a shot slid just wide: it was certainly no lack of effort which left the score still only 1-0 at the three-quarter mark.
The final quarter was only a minute old when Kerry broke through to the top of the circle, and her shot went through a number of players and found the inside right of the net to finally double the advantage for Donaghadee.
Cookstown started to throw everything forward and while Donaghadee’s defending was frantic at times, it was also very effective: despite all their efforts the mid-Ulster side was limited to just a single shot on target and another wide of the goal, with Donaghadee blocking attack after attack.
But with all of this desperation to get back in the game the home side struggled to contain Donaghadee who soaked up the pressure and turned defence into attack, Kerry breaking out of defence on multiple occasions to feed it forward for Leanna and Carolyn to counter attack, though some last ditch defending kept the Dee out.
The game was put to bed in the final minute as Kerry broke in from the left and the ball crossed the circle to Jordan at the back post and her tap in sealed the 3-0 win in a match that was closer than the score-line suggests, but these valuable three points take Donaghadee back up to second in the league, just a single point behind KV with two league games left to play.
Huge thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and congratulations to Helen for an exhausting end-to-end performance that rightly earned her Player of the Match. There is no match this weekend, the 1s returning to action in the Plate on 21st February away to Parkview.
Junior 10: Raphoe 1-0 DLHC 2XI
Saturday past was a road trip for Dee Seconds when they headed off to play Donegal side Raphoe at Strabane Academy. With unavailability playing a big part all week, those confirmed as travelling spent much of the week unsure what the team make up would look like, so they were delighted at having 11 players at the final hour but also slightly apprehensive making the journey to meet the team sitting at the top of the league Raphoe.
Initially feeling a little on the back foot thanks to the long drive, Donaghadee started the match with a few understandable nerves and Raphoe put pressure on the visitors from the first whistle. Keeper Janice McVeigh and the defence of Caroline Davison, Natalie Jamieson, Lisa HIggins and Lauren Niblock worked hard together to clear the continual pressure.
To say the match was a combination of long and short corners against Donaghadee would be no exaggeration, and the end of the first quarter was a welcome break to regroup and enjoy a collective pat on the back for a 0-0 scoreline.
Donaghadee began the second quarter with more confidence and the clearances from the defensive circle out to Chloe Ferguson, Erin Hamilton, Emily Morris and Vicky O’Neill gave the defence a few welcome breaks to allow Kerrie Turtle and Anna Aitken up front to put pressure on the home team. Raphoe did not give up the fight and were very persistent with targeted balls forward and dangerous movement into the Dee circle but Janice was brilliant at instructing her defence, and with great man marking, the home team just could not get the ball over the line. The score line defiantly remained 0-0 at half time.
Unfortunately, early in the third quarter a Raphoe penalty corner was initially saved by Janice but despite best efforts, the defence just could not get the ball cleared from the danger zone. Following a scramble in the goal mouth, Raphoe were able to get their longed for first goal to make it 1-0 to the home team.
Despite tiredness and no subs, Dee refused to admit defeat. There was good communication and players shuffled positions as required, for a ‘slight’ rest or an opportunity for a break. They got one great opportunity for an attacking penalty corner but unfortunately the home side cleared the threat. Another break up the left hand side, cause a ball to deflect off sticks, hitting Kerrie just below her cheekbone. The trooper played on but the incident was a timely a reminder of the importance of gum shields! Happy to report that Kerrie is fine, although now sporting a lovely purple moustache!
The final whistle blew on that stubborn 1-0 scoreline but what a proud performance from the Dee players: the number of long and short corners defended and cleared by the team needed to be seen to be believed, and to come away with only one goal against was almost as good as a win in itself and evidence of a team who pulled together, despite the odds stacked against them. Lisa was voted Player of the Match this week for her tireless work in defence.
Thanks to Raphoe for providing an extra umpire and the lovely surprise of sandwiches, crisps, chocolates and drinks which was gratefully received and enjoyed by the Dee girls.
The 2s are in action this Saturday against Saintfield, pass back at Saintfield Sports Club 12.45pm.
A commanding performance in defence by Kathryn for the 1s against KV
Senior 3: DLHC 1XI 0-1 Club KV
A brand new month and another top of the table clash at BGS, with third placed Club KV – only two points behind Donaghadee – the visitors to BGS last Saturday.
Quarter one was fairly evenly matched with both teams creating a few chances but neither keeper was really challenged; the shots either just wide or easily dealt with by two robust defences. With Captain Jodie Ingham out with a broken finger, fellow defender Paige Reilly deputised and marshalled the defence well – she, Kathyrn Cunningham and Kathy Sinnamon tucked in tight and made things extremely difficult for KV’s forwards to find any space.
Donaghadee shaded it in terms of direct chances with three fashioned, only one of which was on target, in comparison to KV’s one off target. Leanna McGimpsey-Young and Carolyn Scott were combining well up front, and with several piercing balls from midfield from both Hannah Younge and Kerry Kennedy, the movement certainly suggested Donaghadee were capable of finding that killer last ball.
Efforts from both sides picked up in the second quarter but apart from one KV penalty corners being on target there was nothing to trouble Donaghadee keeper Faith McMillen. Jess Moore and Jordan McWilliams both provided good outlets for the defence to turn danger into attack, with both using their speed to transfer the ball quickly as Donaghadee looked to capitalise on the breaks.
Into the second half and the visitors started to build possession and pressure with Donaghadee struggling to get back into the rhythm they had started to build at the end of the first half. Jordan and Hannah were both forced off with hand injuries, with Chloe Ferguson and Natasha McGimpsey coming on in like for like swaps in midfield. Changes in defence too saw Row Moore and Rachel McClatchey both on, with KV only managing a couple of shots during the reshuffling of Donaghadee personnel.
The final quarter saw KV open quickly with a number of attacks down the right building more pressure on Donaghadee but time after time they were thwarted by the home defence and Faith pulling off a couple of good saves. Counter attacks from the Dee racked up more chances for the home side but the visiting defence restricted them to just a couple of on-target shots.
Just as it seemed things were heading for the second goalless draw in a week, and with only two minutes left, a ball in the Donaghadee circle looked to ricochet off a KV shin but instead of a free out for Donaghadee to clear the danger, a penalty corner was awarded to KV, the visitors scrambling home for the lead and ultimately a late winner.
Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and to Ards Fireplaces for sponsoring the match ball, and with congratulations to Kathryn for her Player of the Match performance in the heart of defence. The 1s are on their travels next weekend with a trip to mid Ulster to take on Cookstown in the late match of the day, 4.15pm at Steelweld Park.
Molly’s double sealed a terrific victory for the 2s over Dromore
Junior League 10: DLHC 2XI 2-1 Dromore
The 2XI welcomed Dromore to BGS in the second match of the day in what turned out to be an exciting affair. Donaghadee opened the scoring through Molly McKee, with the visitors equalising before Molly grabbed her second to give Donaghadee the win. Nicola Patton umpired that game, with Elevate Storage Solutions sponsoring the match ball. The 2s are also on their travels next week, heading to Donegal to play Raphoe, pass back there at 1pm.
The 1XI squad for the top-of-the-table clash against Kilkeel
Senior League 3: DLHC 1XI 0-0 Kilkeel
In the first game of 2025 – and indeed a full month since the last match action – the 1XI of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club welcomed Kilkeel in a top-of-the-table clash at Bangor Grammar.
Donaghadee have led Senior 3 since early in the season but in the last match before the Christmas break when the two teams played down at Kilkeel High School, Kilkeel took the 3 points to bring them to one point behind Donaghadee.
Despite the long layoff both teams were up and at it from the first whistle, setting an early frantic pace that didn’t really let up; a speed which perhaps didn’t lend itself to the most free-flowing hockey from either side, with both teams looking to break down and attack quickly.
The visitors had the better of the possession in the first quarter, but the majority of the action was restricted to the middle half of the pitch: neither side managing to get a shot on target and both midfields working hard to cancel each other out.
Donaghadee got a much better foothold in the match in the second quarter, registering their first two shots on target, while Kilkeel enjoyed one penalty corner on target but the Dee defence was tight enough to prevent any other chances from open play.
Quarters three and four saw a bit more ebb and flow as the attacking players from both teams tried to gain the upper hand, and both had chances as the game became a little more stretched, but again, much of the action was outside the circles; neither keeper was overly threatened.
In a game that was finely in the balance for much of the afternoon, a draw was probably a fair result, with only the slimmest of margins between the two sides. Both teams take a point, with Donaghadee keeping that one point advantage over Kilkeel, and two above Club KV, Donaghadee’s next opponents in the league, at home on 1st February.
The next action for the squad is against Parkview in the Intermediate Plate, pass back at Ballyclare High School on Friday night at 7.45pm.
Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring on Saturday and to Red Leaf Kitchens and Interiors for sponsoring the 1XI match ball.
The top two in Senior League 3 met at Kilkeel High School in the late pass back on Saturday with the home side determined to close the four point gap at the top.
Right from the first whistle Kilkeel were racing forward and threatening Donaghadee’s goal and almost before Donaghadee had time to warm their sticks, a burst from a Kilkeel forward into the top of the circle saw an unstoppable shot crashing past Dee keeper Faith McMillen and against the backboard to give Kilkeel the lead. With Donaghadee struggling to find their rhythm, just three minutes later Kilkeel doubled the lead with an almost identical goal.
Finally the Dee started to settle into their stride and some better play in the middle of the pitch saw the ball switching quickly through Hannah Younge and Kerry Kennedy as they worked to get Donaghadee on the attack but the home defence snuffed out any threats before Donaghadee could carve out any real chances.
Into quarter two and finally Donaghadee started to show the form that had taken them to the top of table, with forwards Leanna McGimpsey-Young and Carolyn Scott both going close as Donaghadee started to build some decent possession. Then a quick counter-attack from the home team ten minutes into the quarter saw a direct run in on goal and another goal added – much against the run of play.
Unfortunately for Donaghadee this was quickly followed up by two more goals in the next five minutes and Kilkeel were five up as half time approached. Donaghadee refused to let their heads drop however and a great run down the left from Kerry saw the ball cross goal and Leanna was on hand to scoop it up and over the keeper to pull one back as the half closed.
With no subs to call on, a half-time regroup and a rousing team talk from Captain Jodie Ingham saw Donaghadee making a much better fist of things in the early stages of the second half, and play was much more even between the sides: end to end but with neither side looking like threatening the other goal. The reshuffle in defence saw Row Moore and Kathy Sinnamon switching berths, with the latter moving to the left for the first time in Dee colours and she combined well with Chloe Ferguson to get the ball forward but overall clearcut chances were few and far between.
Donaghadee’s endeavours looked like they were starting to pay off, with three penalty corners in quick succession but they just couldn’t find the killer touch to reduce the deficit. Kilkeel then clicked back in to gear and a fast counter-attack through the centre saw another goal for the home team.
Into the final quarter and most of the game was between the 23s with neither side making any great inroads into the circle. Then ten minutes in a Donaghadee attack saw Vicky O’Neill feeding Jordan McWilliams, with Jordan driving into the circle but the attempt was blocked. A quick counterattack from Kilkeel again split Donaghadee’s defence with the attacker sliding the ball round Faith and into the goal to make it seven goals from nine shots on target.
Donaghadee weren’t quite done yet and a last minute attack down the right saw Leanna get in along the baseline and as she fired it across the face of goal Carolyn got her stick on it for a super deflection past the keeper and into the far side of the net to add a second to Donaghadee’s tally in what turned out to be the last action of the match.
The final score was 7-2 to Kilkeel; a well deserved win with a clinical performance in front of goal for the home side, but overall the match was a lot closer than the score suggested with both sides showing why they are at the top of the league. Thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring duties.
Donaghadee remain top of Senior 3, a point ahead of Kilkeel, a lead they will look to maintain when they welcome Ballynahinch to BGS on Friday night, pass back 7.30pm in what is the final action of the year before the Christmas break.
Junior League 10: DLHC 2XI 0-1 Ballynahinch
Christmas Spirit was the theme of the 2XI’s home match on Saturday against Ballynahinch. With the team spending much of the week thinking they were starting with 10 players and in need of an umpire, Saturday dawned with a Christmas miracle: not only 13 players were able to play but also an umpire becoming available was an even better present!
At the match however, it was Ballynahinch who arrived with only 10 players and no umpire. Therefore when they asked if Donaghadee could provide a player to umpire, we said yes as it would have be Rud-olf the Dee to say no.
Christmas puns aside, the first half was dominated by Donaghadee with a good number of shots on target. Three penalty corners were awarded to the Donaghadee girls for a variety of offences by Ballynahinch, from an unintentional dangerous ball & a couple of feet fouls in the circle, but the Hinch defence and keeper were on form, clearing the chances to safety.
A big positive note of the first half was some good passes round the back by the Donaghadee defence to switch to the more open side of the pitch as Donaghadee tried to find space to attack, but frustratingly it was 0-0 at half time.
Ballynahinch settled into their structure and had no intention of giving up the fight, despite their shortage in numbers. A penalty corner awarded to the visitors gave them an opportunity but thankfully the direct strike was stalled by stout Donaghadee defending.
Unfortunately despite Donaghadee dominating much of the match, five minutes before the final whistle there was some confusion in the defensive circle and Ballynahinch managed to get a shot on target and over the line.
In this season of giving, Donaghadee ended up giving away 3 points with a final score of 0-1 to Ballynahinch, but it would have felt particularly mean-spirited to make Hinch sacrifice another player to umpire, when they were already short. We have no doubt every member of the 2s will most definitely be on the Nice list next week for their sporting spirit!
Many thanks to Laura Logan for umpiring, congratulations to Ruth Coulter for her star player performance and thanks to Elevate Storage Solutions for sponsoring the match ball this week.
Merry Christmas to all our supporters and we look forward to getting back to match action in the new year.
The 1XI of Donaghadee hosted Cookstown after a free weekend, with the squad determined to keep up recent winning momentum. Despite missing a few players it was still a strong team that lined up in the cool and breezy conditions.
From the start Donaghadee were on the front foot and attacking the visitors’ circle, but the away defence worked hard to keep them out and early shots from Leanna McGimpsey-Young and Carolyn Scott were beaten away. Then somewhat against the run of play midway through the quarter, the visitors made their first counter attack and won a penalty corner which found the backboard and an early lead!
One story of the 1XI’s season has been to display a great resilience and belief, especially when going a goal down and they displayed both when Cookstow went ahead, with the team straight back on the attack after the setback.
A good ball threaded through from Helen Herron in midfield saw Tasha McGimpsey break into the left of the circle and her shot ricocheted off the foot of a static defender to beat the Cookstown keeper for Donaghadee’s equaliser just 90 seconds later. Despite another couple of chances there was no further goals and the quarter ended at 1-1.
Quarter two and more of the same with the home team building the pressure and creating chances but with the shots either sliding wide or parried away, Donaghadee weren’t able to take advantage to increase the lead. One particular move late in the quarter saw Jess Moore collect the ball near the half way line and beat player after player as she went right and through to the baseline to pull the ball back towards goal but the resulting shot was saved and cleared.
As the half hour approached a Donaghadee penalty corner saw the ball heading goalwards but with the ball being saved illegally by a defender on the line, a penalty stroke awarded and Leanna stepped up to lift it home and gain the lead for the first time. 2-1 to the Dee at half time.
The start of the second half saw Cookstown coming out with renewed vigour and for ten minutes the ball was almost permanently in the Donaghadee half! However some excellent work by the team, led by Jodie MacLaren and Paige Reilly in the centre of defence with Kathy Sinnamon, Rachel McClatchey and Row Moore on the flanks largely kept them away from the home goal, restricting them to a single shot wide of target – a shot that was well covered by Dee keeper Faith McMillen.
In the final five minutes of the quarter Donaghadee began to rediscover their rhythm with Chloe Ferguson and Jordan McWilliams combining well in midfield to feed sisters Jess and Tasha as Donaghadee looked to get forward again. Three minutes before the break and another run down the right wing saw Jess feed the ball across goal and Leanna was on hand to fire it home and 3-1.
Into the final quarter and the game flowed from end to end with similar number of circle entries for both teams but while the visitors were restricted to a single shot Donaghadee used the space opening up to create half a dozen clear chances. Three minutes in a penalty corner saw Carolyn’s initial shot blocked but she reacted quickly and fed the ball to Leanna who fired home to complete her hat trick.
Then three minutes later a super through ball saw Carolyn run into the circle and round the keeper to get the goal that her efforts had deserved, to conclude the scoring in a convincing 5-1 win, which was slightly harsh on the visitors, to carry Donaghadee to the top of the Senior 3 table, a lead which they extended by a further 3 points thanks to a midweek 2-0 victory over PSNI.
The squad is off to Kilkeel on Saturday in what is the penultimate fixture in this half of the league, pass back at Kilkeel High School 4pm.
Junior League 10
Donaghadee 2s had a tough home game against 4th place league holders Larne.
The early stages saw the visitors on the front foot and the reorganised defence of Floss Patton, Georgia Ferguson, Caroline Davison and Laura Hamilton battled hard to keep them away from Janice Mcveigh’s goal.
Halfway through the quarter Larne won a penalty corner which resulted in them taking a 1-0 lead. An injury to captain Erin Hamilton saw a reshuffle with Lauren Niblock slotting in at left back and Johneena Brown having a chance to show her pace and help to get the ball forward to Kerrie Turtle, Ruth Coulter and Vicky O’Neill.
Quarter two and the game went from end to end with neither side scoring, although Janice was called on to save when it looked like Larne might score.
Into the second half and Donaghadee more than held their own as some great work from Chloe Ferguson and Emily Morris got the the ball moving upfield to the forwards but as both defences were working hard the clear chances were few and far between. Larne however won another penalty corner which resulted in them doubling their lead.
In the final quarter a great ball through from Erin – back on in Donaghadee’s midfield – saw Vicky running in on goal, but the Larne keeper made a great save to keep her out and keep the 2-0 score line for Larne in a game where both sides had few clear chances and the overall fight was quite even. Thanks to Row Moore and Carolyn Scott for umpiring, and to Elevate Storage Solutions for sponsoring the match ball.
The 2XI take on Ballynahinch at home this Saturday, pass back 2.30pm at BGS.
Goalkeeper turns poacher: Erin congratulates 1s keeper Faith on scoring the only goal as the 2s beat Limavady
Junior League 10: Limavady 0-1 Donaghadee 2s
In the only match for Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club last weekend, the mighty 2XI travelled to Limavady Grammar School in what turned out to be a very evenly matched contest.
Limavady were quick off the mark and set the early pace for the game, but great work by the Dee defence of Floss Patton, Lisa Higgins, Suzie Ferguson and Row Moore kept them away from Janice Mcveigh’s goal.
As Donaghadee started to get a bit of a foothold in the game, the midfield won a number of battles and they created some dangerous chances of their own, the best of those coming just a couple of minutes before the break when Erin Hamilton came in from the right and hit a strong shot only for the home keeper to make the save.
The second quarter was much more even; with both sides breaking quickly there were lots of counter attacking opportunities at both ends, but between good defensive work and a couple of saves from both sides the match remained scoreless at halftime.
The third quarter saw Donaghadee growing in confidence as they began to create the better chances – strong runs from Emily Morris and Kerrie Turtle threatened the Limavady goal and Nicola Patton causing lots of disruption up front!
Erin came close again with a fierce shot heading towards the top corner, only to be thwarted by a great save from the home keeper. Faith McMillen and Caroline Davison were dominating the midfield and with Lisa Higgins running through from the back a number of great chances were created, however none were successfully converted.
Donaghadee then had to work hard when the young Limavady squad raced forward but Dee keeper Janice was on her toes as the shots came in: still no score.
In the final quarter Donaghadee created a couple of early chances with Kerrie and Emily again combining but down the other end again, Limavady created a spell of pressure of their own, winning a succession of penalty corners, forcing one superb save from Janice to turn the ball onto the post to be cleared to safety by Lisa.
Donaghadee then got back on the front foot and created a string of chances of their wn, but time was running out and still the goal eluded everyone.
With just under 5 minutes remaining the ball was picked up at the 23 by Faith and as she ran into the attacking circle, the defence opened up in front of her and she took the opportunity with a reverse shot to give Donaghadee the lead – and the win.
The goal was all the more remarkable as Faith is usually to be found in the circle at the other end as one of Donaghadee’s goalkeepers! Indeed it was quite the day for the Dee keepers. With the squad light this week, Nicola Patton joined the outfield ranks to bolster the numbers, so quite the showing from the number ones this week: three of them on the pitch at the same time and one scoring the winning goal – surely some sort of record? Keep ‘er lit!
This Saturday sees a double header at home with the 1XI back in action against Cookstown while the 2s play Larne, pass back at 2:30pm.
Jordna: Player of the Match and on the score sheet on Saturday
Senior League 3: DLHC 1XI 3-0 Parkview
Another great day in the league for Donaghadee as they entertained Ballyclare side Parkview at BGS. Right from the start the home side were on the front foot and looking to attack the Parkview circle at every opportunity.
With a packed defence the visitors worked hard to thwart the attacks; their keeper made three saves and with another three slipping wide, it looked like Donaghadee were going to be frustrated until a super run in from the right by Hannah Younge saw her fire home a great strike to give the Dee the lead with less than 30 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The second quarter saw the home side break into the Parkview circle time and again but with ever more Parkview players dropping deep to help stem the red and green tide, it was hard to get through the crowd to get any meaningful shots on goal, and some last ditch defending and aggressive play from the visitors kept Donaghadee out. Then finally with a couple of minutes left to play in the quarter, Donaghadee won a penalty corner and Carolyn Scott was on hand to smash the ball home to double the lead at half time.
Quarter three and there was more of the same; the visitors were pinned back for much of the quarter as Donaghadee defended a high line – with the Dee rearguard sitting around the halfway line only once were Parkview able to break through but Donaghadee’s defence dealt comfortably before they were able to get a shot away.
Time after time Donaghadee swept forward and with half a dozen chances created, it was Jordan who came sliding in across goal to lift home with only seconds remaining in the quarter: 3-0 and Donaghadee were looking comfortable.
Into the final quarter and the home side continued with the relentless attacking as they took off a defender to overload the front line as they searched for further goals, but despite repeated attempts from the Dee, the visitor’s keeper made a number of saves to keep Donaghadee from scoring again.
A 3-0 win, a further three points added, with Donaghadee playing some lovely hockey to delight the large group of supporters.
Many thanks to Row Moore for umpiring and to Ards Fireplaces for sponsoring the match ball this weekend. The 1s have a break next weekend, with the next action at home to Cookstown on 30th November, pass back 1pm.
Junior League 10: DLHC 2XI 0-0 Ballymena
Donaghadee 2s faced the league’s second place team Ballymena 4s at BGS in the 2.30pm slot on Saturday.
A full squad of 16 players available meant that Donaghadee were able to keep the energy levels up and they needed them as the game flowed from end to end right away.
The visitors had the better of the early chances and some excellent work from defenders Floss Patterson, Natalie Jamieson, Lisa Higgins and Row Moore restricted their shots, with goalkeeper Janice McVeigh being called upon to make three great saves when they did get in. A run of penalty corners for Ballymena and each was well defended by Donaghadee with Natalie Jamieson getting out really quickly to charge down the shots and make sure none went in.
At the other end as Donaghadee looked to make inroads, there were some lovely passing combinations between Kerrie Turtle and Molly McKee as they threatened the visitors’ goal but the keeper was equal to the task, leaving Donaghadee unable to create any clear chances.
In the second quarter Tasha McGimpsey and Dawn McDonald worked hard up front but the visitors defended a high line and again Donaghadee found it hard to get through on goal. Half-time came and the match remained scoreless.
The second half was a more even battle, with both teams having some good attacking opportunities but actual chances on goal were few and far between for both sides. One of Donaghadee’s best moments of the match was Vicky O’Neill feeding a great pass to Katie McKee who raced past two defenders into the circle, but the speedy winger was unable to get her shot away as the keeper came out to smother the danger. Dawn and Kerrie also got into the act but the shots were saved or slid just wide.
Ballymena looked to find dominance and had slightly more of the ball going forward but Lisa Higgins was quick to clear the ball and keep the Ballymena’s players out of Donaghadee circle. Into the final quarter the visitors threatened repeatedly but the whole team worked as a unit to keep them at bay; in the midfield Emily Morris, Erin Hamilton, Chloe Ferguson and Caroline Davison worked hard to help the defence and carry the ball through to Ballymena’s half of the pitch.
Faith McMillen – usually found in goal – also got a run outfield this week, helping out in the right back position and using her experience to keep the team well structured and adding words of encouragement to keep the Dee motivated to hold on for a well deserved point.
Player of the match was awarded to Lisa Higgins for her commanding performance in defence and she thanked Mike Smyth for umpiring and Elevate Storage Solutions for sponsoring the match ball. This Saturday Donaghadee 2s are away to Limavady, pass back at 2pm.
Donaghadee LHC 