Donaghadee LHC

Donaghadee LHC v Ballynahinch LHC (H) 20/11/10

After bagging maximum points from their last two games, the mood in Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club has been good over the last week, and they were very much looking forward to playing Ballynahinch at Crommelin Park last Saturday (20th November), a team sitting mid table and 4 places above the home side. With the luxury of a sub this week, captain Jen McVeigh had her strongest team available. Donaghadee knew that this would be a close game, but having recorded one of their few victories against this Hinch side away last year on a bog of a pitch, they knew a win was well within their grasp.

Both teams started brightly with most of the action happening in a tight and packed midfield. Neither keeper was really called on much in the first half, but when Dee keeper Teagan Greer – surely one of the finds of the season – was needed, she proved herself alert and equal to any shot that Ballynahinch took at her goal. Hinch did however capitalise on some slack Dee defending when a free hit was awarded in their defensive 25, and it was 1-0 in the blink of an eye.

The half time team talk from coach Brian McKee was to try and spread the ball to the wings, and sure enough Carolyn Scott found some joy to cross for Kerrie Turtle for the forward to guide the ball home at the back post to equalise, bringing her tally to 5 for the season. With things all square and the Dee defence of Nina and Jen tightening things up beautifully at the back, the two half backs youngsters Natasha Cameron and Ali Gordon were tucking in and dealing very well with any Hinch threat from the wings.

With about three quarters of the match gone, schoolgirl Ali Gordon was dealing with one such attack from a Hinch midfielder, channeling her attacker down the right wing and out of trouble when a moment of sheer madness took place. The Ballynahinch player took exception to Ali’s – perfectly legal according to the umpire – harrying and raised her stick, smashing it across the nose of the Dee player which connected with a sickening crunch that was audible from the far side of the pitch. A lengthy delay ensued while several of the Dee players tried to administer help to the poleaxed youngster and stem the flow of blood from the wound before helping her to the car where she was taken to hospital. The umpires convened, and both were in total agreement that it had been a deliberate act by the Ballynahinch player, and that it was a straight red card offence. There was some discussion between the shocked Dee players as to whether to carry on, as with more than three quarters having been played, the 1-1 result would have stood, but Jen made the call to finish the match. The final result remained 1-1, but that scoreline was very much secondary in every Dee player’s thoughts, as they anxiously awaited news of Ali.

Ali sustained a wound on her nose which required 6 stitches, has an injury to her sinus, and the tip of her nose may be broken, though this won’t be known until the swelling goes down. Everyone at the club would like to pass on their love and thoughts to both Ali and her family, and are hoping for a speedy recovery for this talented young player. There is no place on a hockey pitch for such shocking and appalling behaviour, and the offence has been passed on to the UHU to take whatever action is required.

On a much happier note, the club would like to pass on their congratulations to winger Connie Singleton and family on the birth of baby Robbie, born a few weeks ago.

The Dee play Bangor tomorrow night (Friday) at Bangor Sportsplex in the latest installment of the league programme. For more information on the club, to see the league table, get more info on the players and on the fundraising ballot the club is currently running, please visit www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk

After their convincing 3-0 win over Ballynure Ladies Hockey Club a couple of weeks ago in which winger Jackie McKee upped her goal tally by two, and Nina Wells got herself on the scoresheet thanks to a well worked penalty corner, Donaghadee LHC were looking to build on those very valuable three points with a visit to the Dee by Newry Olympic last Saturday. Things did not look good first thing on Saturday morning with a late cry off due to illness by Ali Gordon but captain Jen McVeigh opted to go ahead and play the game with 10 players anyway. It turned out to be a fine decision as Newry made the trip down on numbers too, so each team lined up a player short. With regular goal scoring centre forward Kerrie Turtle away on holiday, right winger Carolyn Scott took to the centre of the pitch and it didn’t take long before she found herself through the Newry defence with only the sweeper and keeper to beat. Mis-control and a poor shot kept Newry safe, but shortly after, a clearance through the centre of the pitch from Jen McVeigh (her first direct assist this season?!) found the forward free in the same situation. No mistake made this time, and the ball was duly dispatched into the far corner. 1-0.

Newry hit back very quickly, winning their only penalty corner of the game, and sweeper Tara McShane – who has previously guested for the Dee on several occasions – struck a sweet shot which left the Dee defence flat footed. It’ll be a while before she’s asked back! All level again. In what was an entertaining game of hockey, and fairly end to end stuff with both teams exploiting the extra space created from being 10 apiece, Donaghadee were having more joy in attack and it wasn’t long before Jackie McKee took advantage of some static defending from Newry. Again, the away side didn’t take long to respond, and it was 2-2 fairly quickly. Despite the two goals, coach Brian McKee was happy with how the defence played as a unit, with Nina and Jen both mopping things up nicely in the middle, and the two full backs Orla and Jenny providing ample cover when needed.

Jackie McKee continued her rich vein of scoring with a fine individual effort which saw her dribble along the back line, eliminate the keeper and finish off her move with a reverse stick tap in – a fitting goal to round off a match in which a draw may have been a fair result, but which Donaghadee will be very pleased for the three points. Special mention should go to Katie Drummond, who seemed to be everywhere on the pitch, and Carmen van der Schuyff who, playing in the second striker role, had possibly her best game yet for the Dee with one particularly sweet reverse stick cross springing to mind.

On two points before the Ballynure game, these 6 points have the potential to lift the Dee up to mid-table when everything is totted up, with their goal difference considerably better than the several other teams who are also on 8 points. Next game is at home to Ballynahinch on Saturday, and as has been seen from the trouble Jen has had getting players for the last few matches, all members of the club are asked to make a big effort to make training and to be available for matches. Ballot tickets for the grand draw in December are selling well, and any member of the club will be delighted to avail you of some, so please ask any of them. Details of the prizes and everything else club related can be found on the club’s website www.donaghadeelhc.co.uk.

Senior League 4, Donaghadee LHC v Rainey Ladies L1-0

Donaghadee welcomed Rainey LHC to a Crommelin Park bathed in bright and warm sunshine last Saturday in their latest league fixture. Rainey is a newly formed team, and there is a general thought that they are destined for a higher league than their current Senior 4, but that’s for the future. The task for these girls was how they were going to cope with Donaghadee’s gravel pitch, and the test for Donaghadee was going to be to see how they could measure up to supposedly one of the better teams in the league.

An interesting proposition then. Donaghadee had all personnel available for this game, and it was great to have a sub on the sideline too – a luxury captain Jen McVeigh hasn’t had too many times this season. Coach Brian McKee shifted things around a little this week, with Lisa Higgins pushing into midfield and Nina Wells dropping back to partner Jen and Natasha Cameron in defence, in front of Teagan Greer in goals. The defence worked really well as a unit, with the midfield of Lisa, Ali Lawther, Katie Drummond, Ali Gordon and Carmen van der Schyff pressing and rushing the Rainey attack, and despite their movement in midfield, the visitors didn’t really have too many opportunities in the circle. When they did, Teagan was equal to the task, making a couple of really good stops to keep the score level. Rainey broke late in the first half and a high shot, which was heading goalward, was met by a Rainey stick in something akin to a tennis shot Rafa Nadal would have been proud of, but which I’m not too sure is in the rule books of the Ulster Hockey Union. Despite queries raised from the home umpire, the goal was allowed to stand. 1-0 to Rainey.

The second half continued in much the same vain, with the visitors getting more and more frustrated – vocally so – at Donaghadee’s tight defence. Jackie McKee and Kerrie Turtle led the defence from the front, closing down the Rainey rearguard where they could, and despite a couple of late crosses, were unable to equalise. Brian had the girls working on defence in training before this match, and it really showed, as they closed ranks and defended for all they were worth against a team who had been storming past others in this league with 3-0 and 5-0 wins. All in all, a 1-0 loss courtesy only of a dubious goal was not a bad result, and the girls can be pleased with the execution of the tactics set out by Brian.

In a league which is incredibly close this year, with the lead and subsequent positions changing almost on a weekly basis, Donaghadee are only one win away from catapulting themselves back up to the top half of the table, and a visit to free-scoring, third placed Ballycastle on Saturday would be the perfect time to get those three points – come on the Dee!

The order is about to be placed for new tracksuits and skorts, so could every player please make sure Carolyn knows what sizes they need. Fees are now also due for every player, so please see Lisa to get your dues sorted. For all this, and more information on the club, please visitwww.DonaghadeeLHC.co.uk.

Senior League 4 v Newcastle Nomads (A) L3-2

Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club travelled to Newcastle last Saturday (2nd October) in their 3rd game of the 10/11 season and, well this was a case of so near and yet… Making the journey with possibly the strongest team available, the Dee made their intentions clear right from the start when they hit the ground running from the first whistle. For the first part of the first half, they kept Newcastle well pinned back inside their own half, and Carolyn Scott really should have done better when she found herself back on to the keeper. The Newcastle No.1 was able to exert just enough pressure for the forward to push the ball wide. Despite continued pressure from the Dee side, who were playing well as a unit, Newcastle, who had spent a lot of the first part of the game defending inside their own half, suddenly made a break and left Teagan Greer in goal with no chance. 1-0 to the home side.

The old adage in sport of hitting them as soon as they’ve scored was perfectly exemplified by the Dee girls who, virtually from the restart pushed forward and a cross from the right wing found Kerrie Turtle in the circle. As has been the case so far this season, Kerrie is proving deadly when given just enough space to squeeze a shot away, and it was 1-1 before anyone had time to draw breath. Game on. Newcastle, who had been slow to start, and probably buoyed by an increasing home support, started to find their feet, and it was another break which caught Donaghadee out. 2-1 to the home side. Donaghadee weren’t done yet however, with some lovely link up play between Nina Wells and Jackie McKee on the left. Ally Lawther was having another great game at the base of the midfield diamond, and was able to spread the play about. The ball found its way out to the right wing again for another cross, and again, Kerrie was on hand to rattle home the equaliser. 2-2.

Unfortunately things started to get a little tetchy at this stage with several Dee players getting hurt with, albeit unintentionally, raised balls and the team possibly lost some of their shape a little bit. This allowed the Nomads to push forward and take advantage of the extra space. They managed to squeeze in a winner not long from the end and were able to hold on for the victory. That the Dee girls were as disappointed as they were with the final result shows some measure of how far expectations have come since Brian started working with the club, and although the final result is the only thing to show for the match (aside from the bruises!), positives to take away from that game are the movement that the girls are starting to show, the training ground exercises are beginning to work through in match situations, and the number of goals already scored this season – which may already equal the number scored all last season!

Junior training continues for another couple of weeks from 6.30-7.30 on a Wednesday evening with seniors from 7.15-9pm. All fees are now due – please see Lisa for details. The next game for the Dee is away to Mossley at UUJ on Saturday (9th) with a home game the following week (16th) against Rainey. You can find all these details and more info on the club atwww.DonaghadeeLHC.co.uk

In stark contrast to the appalling conditions the previous week, Donaghadee welcomed College Hill from Armagh to a Crommelin Park bathed in bright sunshine. While slightly nippy, it was a perfect day for hockey, and for a change, the pitch was in excellent condition too. Missing defensive stalwarts Jen McVeigh and Lisa Higgins was always going to make things tough at the back, but the club were pleased to welcome back Nicky Banford and Rachel Johnston, both playing their first game for the club. To be honest, they weren’t really needed in the first half, as Donaghadee pressed, probed and harried the College Hill defence. They were unable to convert, mind you, despite Carolyn Scott having a shot stopped on the line by a grateful stick, and Jackie McKee having a shot deflected off the keeper’s shoulder and on to the roof of the net. Somehow the score stayed 0-0 until half time. The line up remained the same until a short time into the second half, when coach-in-command, Ian, sent on new recruits Alison and Emily for a run. College Hill, who had been penned back, suddenly made a break after another Dee attack and managed to convert what had just about been their only chance until that point. Worse was to follow when they managed to make it 2-0. Jackie McKee was able to reduce the deficit to 2-1 with a calmly taken shot, and despite the Dee’s best efforts in the final ten minutes, they were unable to equalise. A disappointing result, and although coach Brian McKee, umpiring on Saturday, was frustrated, he did take positives from the performance: “It was frustrating that we weren’t able to convert any of the chances we had, but on the plus side, we are starting to win more penalty corners than last year, and the number of shots we had was also encouraging. We just need to practise our finishing a bit more!”

Next game is away to Newcastle on Saturday. Junior training continues apace on Wednesday evenings from 6.30-7.30pm before the seniors start at 7.30 sharp. The club is delighted to announce they have now finally got their website up and running. Although still a work in progress with new bits and pieces still being added, it’s a great place to check out the league table, match results and to keep up to date with what’s happening at the club. You’ll find it at www.donaghadeeLHC.co.uk.

It is usually with some trepidation that I have to approach these match reports, because one of the joys of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club is their power to test any observer’s ability to find one hundred different ways of saying ‘We lost, but we tried hard…’.

Well, dear reader, this is not going to be one of those reports. On what was possibly one of the worst days of rain we’ve had this year (and given the summer we’ve had, that’s saying something), Donaghadee travelled the short distance to Ashfield Girls High School on the Holywood Road to play Malone on the superb new astroturf pitch there. Fielding possibly their strongest team available, Donaghadee set up with a slightly different formation from that which they’ve been used to in previous years, but one which played to their attacking strengths. Right from the first whistle, Donaghadee pressed and harried the home defence, and within a couple of minutes, had won a free outside on the right. Using the new self-pass to great effect, the Dee attack caught Malone on the back foot, and the cross was met superbly by Jackie McKee on the back post. 1-0 to the Dee.

The score remained that for the rest of that half and after a quick turn around in the still-driving rain, Donaghadee were immediately back on the attack. Having won a series of penalty corners – probably more than they won all last season – Carolyn Scott slotted in goal number 2 in the bottom corner with a direct shot from the top of the circle. With new recruit Ally Lawthor, sitting just in front of the defensive unit of Lisa Higgins, Jen McVeigh and Natasha, mopping up and distributing the ball beautifully to her fellow midfielders Nina Wells, Katie Drummond and Carmen, Donaghadee were looking solid – and dare I say it – confident. They were perhaps caught a little high when a through ball from Malone’s defence found a lone forward who duly finished well. 2-1. In previous seasons, when faced with such a scenario, Dee have more often than not not been able to see a game out, but this time they were able to settle themselves and get stuck back into the task in hand. Carolyn on right wing was finding some joy with plenty of space in behind her marker and was able to get in a number of crosses which were being snapped up by Kerrie Pearson at centre forward. She was able to convert two of these shots to make the final score 4-1 to the Dee.

Special mention should be made for Teagan Greer who was making her debut in goal for Donaghadee. Having only tried the pads and kickers on for the first time a couple of weeks ago, Teagan has impressed everyone at the club with her shot-stopping and decision making, and she did not disappoint on Saturday, making several well timed saves. A regular at training, Teagan has been more than willing to learn from the expert coaching on offer, and has the potential to be a really good goalkeeper with a little work and practice.

Next game is at home to College Hill, pass back 2.30pm. Training continues for all seniors on Monday evenings from 7pm and Wednesdays 7.30-9pm, and we will be ordering kit fairly shortly, so it is important for everyone to come to training to get this sorted. Junior training for girls aged 10-14 continues from 6.30-7.30pm – all girls of this age are welcome.