REPORT | 6 January 2024: DLHC 1XI 6-0 Antrim and Owls 0-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 09/01/2024 by Donaghadee LHC
Carolyn (3), Jess (2) and Kerry were all on the score sheet for the Firsts on Saturday

Senior 3: DLHC 1XI 6-0 Antrim
In the first match back after the Christmas break, Donaghadee welcomed newcomers to Senior 3, Antrim Ladies to BGS. In what turned out to be the only Senior 3 match not to be postponed due to frozen pitches, Donaghadee got off to a flying start with the midfield trio of Helen Herron, Kerry Kennedy and Jess Moore driving forward and causing lots of trouble for the visitors.

Despite some great work – especially in the wide areas with a number of balls fired across the circle from both sides, Antrim’s goalkeeper was largely untroubled early on.

With Donaghadee now firmly in the groove, a driving move down the right saw Kerry and Jess swapping passes before the ball was injected into the circle again. The keeper thought it was going wide of the back post but as it came back off the upright Carolyn Scott reacted the quickest to sneak a reverse stick dink beyond the scrambling keeper to give Donaghadee the lead.

Antrim countered well however, quickly putting together some good interchanges to mount a couple of threatening attacks of their own. Despite some good blocking by Rachel McClatchey, the visitors won themselves a penalty corner; the shot was on target but Nicola Patton was on her toes to repel the initial shot and Antrim were unable to follow up, leaving the quarter to finish 1-0 to Donaghadee.

The early stages of quarter two started in much the same vein but there was better success in front of goal for Donaghadee as any lingering Christmas rustiness melted away in the low afternoon sun. 

The Dee midfield were able to push forward and support the attack as they searched for their second goal. Kerrie Turtle went agonisingly close when she made a super run across the circle to collect a straight pass forward, but the ball just evaded her outstretched stick before she could get the final killer touch.

A few moments later, a lovely sequence of passes between Catherine Armstrong and Kerry bamboozled the defence with Kerry finishing the move to beat the keeper from just inside the right hand side of the circle to make it 2-0 after 25 minutes.

With Jess back on to freshen the front line, she got herself on the scoresheet five minutes later when her shot from the left looped up and over the Antrim keeper to give the Dee a comfortable 3-0 lead at half time.

Right from the restart it was very much one way traffic; all over the pitch the Dee players closed down the opposition to ensure possession and retention was very much in Donaghadee’s favour, with the Dee racing towards the visitors’ goal at every opportunity. 

One move down Donaghadee’s left started with Row Moore feeding Helen who went on one of her mazy midfield runs to win another penalty corner. Donaghadee kept the visiting defence guessing with their routine and Jess got her second of the day to make it 4-0.

Then with 44 on the clock Carolyn picked up the ball following a great ball fed in by Jan Morrow on the right to fire it home for number five.

Antrim tried to push forward – and enjoyed probably their best spell of the match – but both Kathryn Cunningham and Jordan McWilliams were on top form when required and they restricted the visitors to only two circle penetrations; both of which were cleared before they could cause any damage.

Into the final quarter and it started with a bang as Carolyn completed her hat trick – a lovely snap shot from the top of the circle fired just inside the keeper’s left hand post a fitting goal to round off the scoring!

The pace started to tell as the match headed for the final whistle and Antrim were finally able to reach Donaghadee’s circle but two resulting shots and a penalty corner were off target, leaving Donaghadee with a well deserved 6-0 win to start the year.

Coach Willie McAdam was very pleased with the result, saying “It was very much a story of excellent finishing with eight shots on target, five of which came from open play, and everyone played their part in what was a super start to 2024!”

The 1XI travel to Parkview on Saturday, pass back 1pm.

Junior 9A: Owls 0-0 Donaghadee
After a long five week winter break, the Dee 2nd XI restarted their season away to Owls 4s on a very cold Friday night at Roughfort. But there was no sign of Christmas malaise as the game was high energy and end to end right from the start. 

Defensive pairing Claire Horne and Vicky O’Neill were called into early action, and keeper Faith McMillen proved she was well refreshed from her break with a series of good saves. At the other end of the pitch, Katie and Molly McKee forced the Owls keeper to work equally hard, but both sides were frustrated as it was scoreless at the quarter end.

With Natalie Jamison on in her centre half role, Vicky was able to push forward at the start of Q2, and the Dee enjoyed more possession, with Floss Patton and Lisa Higgins providing support to Caroline Davison in midfield. 

The home side managed to get through on goal once, but Faith was again equal to the task. Up front, Molly’s mazy runs were causing the opposition lots of problems, but despite a penalty corner forcing a save from the keeper, it remained scoreless at halftime.

There was more of the same to come throughout the second half. With Johneena Brown showing fierce determination to support the front line and Anna Aitken, on her Dee debut, now playing a higher position, the team started to create more opportunities.

 The home team defended fiercely and Dee struggled to hit the target. Still goalless at the end of the third quarter, and in a blow to Dee’s defence, a recurrence of a foot injury ended Floss’ game, and possibly her season. Vicky’s versatility came to the fore once more as she slotted in to cover, with Lauren Niblock adding her tenacity to the midfield.

The final quarter was just as frantic, with no let up in intensity. The defence worked well and largely kept Owls at bay.  At the other end another storming run from Molly, cutting in towards the circle, saw her slip a great pass through the defence but it was just beyond Katie’s reach. 

The final minute arrived with the score still 0-0. A great ball from Emily Morris, who had been her usual all-action self, saw the Dee win a PC with just seconds remaining; Natalie fired off a great shot but it was saved onto a foot and another chance! This time the ball was switched right, with a difficult chance falling to Lauren, but again the Owls defence held firm and the whistle blew on what was possibly the most exciting 0-0 you will see!

Thanks go to Nicola Patton for umpiring a rare dry match – long may that continue! Joint Star Players this week go to Anna for a great debut and Vicky for her many roles. The Seconds are at home next Saturday with a 1pm start against Dromore, and all support is welcome, as ever.

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REPORT | 16 December 2023: DLHC 1XI 1-1 Holywood

Posted on 18/12/2023 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 3: DLHC 1XI 1-1 Holywood
Last Saturday saw the last match action of 2023 for the 1XI of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club and it was a big local derby with Holywood making the short hop to BGS, with both teams in the top five and only two points between them.

From the start Dee were soon putting pressure on the visitors’ defence, with lots of good work by t​he front five – especially down the left – but for all the efforts they could only create a couple of chances, none of which overly troubled the Holywood keeper.

Holywood countered on occasions but a well marshalled Donaghadee defensive unit meant they broke through once leaving things scoreless at quarter end.

A more even second quarter saw both sides push for a goal, and on the half hour Holywood thought they had broken the deadlock from a straight strike at a penalty corner, but it was disallowed for being too high. 

A couple of minutes later Donaghadee countered through an inventive attack that started just inside the Holywood half. The ball was pushed on to a Holywood foot in the circle and just as Donaghadee reacted quickest to push it goalward the whistle blew for the penalty corner milliseconds before the ball crossed the line. Unfortunately for Donaghadee the resulting penalty corner went wide.

Still scoreless at half-time with both sides thinking they had scored!

Into the second half and the ball flew from end to end with both keepers making a couple of strong saves to keep the sides level. Donaghadee’s first meaningful attack of the second half saw some great work on the left of the circle by Kerrie Turtle to beat the keeper with Jess Moore sliding in at the back post to push the ball over the line just as a defender thought she could get it. 1-0 to Donaghadee.

Holywood then produced a dangerous attack late in the quarter and a resulting penalty corner for the visitors took a deflection to squeeze home to make it 1-1.

Donaghadee threw everything into the game in the final quarter as they searched for the win, with a superb double save by the Holywood keeper and shot off the post showing how close the Dee would come without the ball actually crossing the line again.

Holywood too had their chances to win the game but smart defending from the Dee ensured the honours ended even, with the two point gap the same at the end of the day as at the start.

The whole Donaghadee squad played their part in a well-fought draw, and the 1XI end the year sitting on 20 points, just five off Senior 3 leaders Castle, with still 2 games to the halfway point!

The club now has a well-earned break over the Christmas period with training starting back on Wednesday 3rd January in anticipation of the Friday night league game for the 2XI away to Owls, and the 1XI at home to Antrim on Saturday 6th January.

With thanks to match ball sponsor Burgess Performance Training and club sponsor Stanley Woods & Co Accountants for all their support this season.

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REPORT | 9 Dec 2023: Ballynahinch 0-2 DLHC 1XI and Bangor 1-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 11/12/2023 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior 3: Ballynahinch 0-2 DLHC 1XI
Any Donaghadee vs Ballynahinch match is usually a tight and keenly fought game and this one didn’t fail to deliver!

With the predicted storm overhead holding off as the game got underway, the home team flew out of the blocks from the first whistle and soon threatened the Donaghadee circle, but some excellent defensive efforts kept them at bay, with Jodie Ingham commanding the heart of the Dee defence.

Having weathered the initial on-pitch storm, when Donaghadee made it over the halfway line a quick interchange through the midfield saw Kerry Kennedy feed the ball to Carolyn Scott off to the left of the circle. A clever touch took the ball away from the last defender and with only the keeper to beat, Carolyn shot with pinpoint accuracy to ping the ball in off the inside of the far post to give Donaghadee the early lead.

The game continued from end to end, with play stopped momentarily for an unfortunate ball to the knee for Kathryn Cunningham; the defender having to come off for an ice pack but being replaced by Row Moore who slotted in to continue the defensive effort. 

Both keepers were involved both with one save apiece; Dee keeper Emma McGimpsey-Young in particular made a terrific stop with her left hand to turn the ball wide following a looping deflection at a penalty corner, and the quarter ended 1-0.

Donaghadee dominated the game through the second quarter thanks to some excellent midfield play: Helen Herron was finding lots of space to burst forward on the left, while Jordan McWilliams and Catherine Armstrong interchanged on the right, but despite some excellent passing and creative play, Donaghadee’s eight shots – five of which were on target – just would not find a way through to increase the score.

Early in the second half a terrific team move saw the ball passing quickly through Jordan, Kerry and Carolyn with Kerrie Turtle sweeping home to double the lead: 2-0 to Donaghadee. 

Ballynahinch did have their chances and Donaghadee’s rearguard needed to be on their mettle to successfully defend three penalty corners in quick succession, with Jan Morrow making a vital interception to clear to safety and Rachel McClatchey a cool head as she dribbled the ball out of defence on several occasions. 

The final quarter followed much the same pattern, with the home team throwing everything forward as they tried to get back into the game with Emma making another excellent save at a penalty corner and Vicky O’Neill sweeping in front of the defence to keep the threats at bay.

Donaghadee did create some further chances but they were repeatedly pushed back with dogged Hinch defending and the game ended 2-0 to Donaghadee.

Star Player this week was Emma for her stout, brave keeping and she thanked Mike Smyth for umpiring. The Firsts have one more game before Christmas when they welcome Holywood to BGS on Saturday, pass back 2.30pm.

Junior 9A: Bangor 1-0 DLHC 2XI
On Friday night, Donaghadee 2XI were on the road for an ‘away’ trip to play second in the league Bangor, at the Dee home pitch at BGS, no less! The familiarity of the pitch was small comfort, however, as Bangor were quickly on the attack and the Dee team had to work hard to keep them at bay during the opening exchanges. 

With just 6 minutes on the clock, Bangor finished a flowing move with a strong strike and the ball beat the returning Janice McVeigh in goal to give them the lead. The hosts thought they had doubled their lead just before the end of the quarter, when a break down their left ended with the ball in the net, but after the goal was originally given, a discussion between the umpires ruled it out for hitting a Bangor foot in the build-up, and the quarter ended 1-0.  

After some strong words at the first break, the Dee girls lifted the pace and their game in Q2, pressing the home team back with some excellent attacking play, particularly down the left flank from Molly McKee and Emily Morris, but disappointingly no-one was able to get a shot on target. Vicky O’Neill came close to getting on the end of a cross at the back post, but couldn’t make a firm enough connection. The Dee did however keep the opposition at bay and half time the score remained 1-0 to Bangor.

Into the second half, Bangor got themselves back into the action again, and the Dee struggled to get out of their own half for long periods. There was some excellent defensive work on show, with Laura Hamilton snuffing out dangerous attacks down the Bangor right wing, earning her title as this week’s Star Player whilst Natalie Jamieson made many strong clearances, creating chances for Dee attack to run onto the ball. The one time the defenders were beaten, Janice showed that in spite of not having played all season, class is permanent, as she pulled out an excellent double save to prevent an increase to the scoreline. 

The final quarter was yet more of the same, with the Dee deep in defence for most of the time, but they weathered the onslaught, in spite of losing their captain Floss Patton to a foot injury which ended her game. The final score was 1-0 to Bangor, a repeat of the result at the start of the season. 

Overall it was a deserved victory to the home team, but Donaghadee put in a gritty, determined performance that the team can be proud of as they head into their Christmas break. Many thanks to Row Moore for umpiring, and the Seconds look forward to seeing their supporters back at BGS in the New Year.

Janice pulled off a great double save against Bangor

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REPORT | 25 November 2023: Enniskillen 0-5 DLHC 1XI and Instonians 5-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 27/11/2023 by Donaghadee LHC
Kerrie was on the score sheet twice on Saturday

Senior 3: Enniskillen 0-5 DLHC 1XI
With only 11 players ​able to make the journey West to newly reformed Enniskillen, Donaghadee knew that a fast start was needed and from the ​f​irst whistle they were on the front foot.

​W​ith lots of attacking down both flanks chance after chance ​was created and in the ​t​enth minute a ​great initial shot from Jess​ Moore was turned in by Kerrie​ Turtle ​at the far post to open the scoring​ in Donaghadee’s favour.

​With Paige​ Reilly playing a ​s​lightly higher, free centre back ​role, there was plenty of space ​f​or her to get forward and move the ball wide​ as Donaghadee looked to keep the pressure on the home side.

Indeed​ shortly after the ball had rattled the back board, another great team move saw​ Donagadee building from deep and working the ball so swiftly forward that Kerrie ​found herself free in the circle ​once again and ​s​he made it two from two to ​d​ouble the Dee’s lead.

Into the final minute​ of the quarter and ​a trademark Helen​ Herron race down the left fed Kerrie ​w​hose pass into the circle just evaded Jordan​ McWilliams’ outstretched stick. 2-0 at quarter end.

The pressure increased even more in Q2 and ​the Donaghadee attacks were coming from all over the pitch. The dominance allowed ​defenders Jan ​Morrow and Row​ Moore to get involved​ in the wide channels, supporting the ​r​unsof Jess and Helen, whilst Paige and Kerry​ Kennedy ​were doing a great job of controll​i​ng the midfield.

Vicky ​O’Neill dropped in beside Jodie​ Ingham in the heart of defence to cover Paige and they quickly mopped up any attempts by the home team to get forward.

Shot after shot rained in on the Enniskillen goal and​, all credit to the new S3 side, some frantic defence kept ​D​onaghadee out​.​ As the quarter drew towards its end a ​t​hird penalty corner in quick succession saw the ball slipped ​to Paige and, taking a touch to steady herself, she slammed it home for a 3-0 half-time lead.

The game turned early in the second half and for nearly ten minutes it was all about the home team attacking, however the ​Dee defenders worked really hard ​t​o limit Enniskillen ​to only a single shot​ – wide​ – whilst ​Dee keeper Nicola​ Pattonkicked clear a cross for her only touch​ of the game!

In amongst th​o​se forays​, a quick counter attack ​from Donaghadee down the right saw Jess ​drive the ball into the circle, Jordan ha​v​ing ​h​er shot saved ​b​efore Kerry fired home the rebound for 4-0, albeit slightly against the run of play!

D​o​nagahdee used the extra goal as a platform to finally g​et hold of the ball and return to their earlier dominance​. Kerry and Helen terrorised the defence and a superb run in from the left saw Helen beat the keeper only to see the ball come back off the post!

​I​nto the final quarter and ​there was more of the same​; Enniskillen struggled to get out of their half and attack after attack​ from the girls in red, involving nearly the entire Dee team.

​With 8 minutes remaining ​K​erry once again reacted quickest to a save by the ​Enniskillen keeper and crashed it home for a ​top 5-0 win​ on the road.

A superb team performance with everyone contributing to the result.​ The 1XI have a week off before they head to Ballynahinch on 9th December in the penultimate fixture before Christmas.

Junior 9A: Instonians 5-0 DLHC 2XI
By a strange coincidence, the 2XI were also involved in a 5-0 game this weekend away at Instonians, but unfortunately it was the Dee girls who were on the wrong end of this particular scoreline. Faced with a free-flowing Inst team that sat unbeaten at the top of the league and who had scored nearly 40 goals in their 8 league games before this match, it was never going to be an easy task, especially without a number of regular 2nds players. In fact, the Dee did well to get 11 players out on the pitch, with ex-player Lisa Alexander donning the red and green for the first time in years, and doing a brilliant job, for which we are very grateful.

It took a while for the Dee to get used to the soggy pitch, with the muddy conditions making passing and clearing the ball difficult at first, but the defence weathered the early attacks well. With a few minutes of the quarter remaining, an Inst forward drove through the circle and although a series of super saves from keeper Faith McMillen kept her out, she managed to squeeze a pass to a teammate and despite Claire Horne’s stout defence on the goal line, the ball was fired high into the net to make it 1-0.

Following some wise words and a tweak in positional personnel at the first break, the Dee settled a little better in Q2, with the ever-willing runners of Emily Morris and Molly McKee finding some joy down the left but they were unable to really trouble the keeper.

Caroline Davison was her usual all-action self in midfield, aided by Johneena Brown and Lauren Niblock, who continue to improve every week, and between them they tackled, harassed and harried the opposition to slow the play and snuff out attacks. They were powerless to prevent the second goal, however, which was a super strike from a penalty corner, and the Dee went in 2-0 down at half-time.

The second half was virtually one-way traffic, as Inst were able to rotate their squad and bring on fresh legs, whereas Donaghadee had no such luxury, and the players were under the cosh for much of the rest of the game. They certainly had plenty of practice at defending penalty corners, as Inst were awarded 1,249 of them (approximately!) or at least that’s what it felt like.

Floss Patton got her customary whack racing out to defend time after time, but was ably supported by Zoe Turtle, and huge credit goes to the defensive penalty corner team as they defended brilliantly under huge pressure for long periods of the third quarter. But just as they thought they had held out for a rare goalless quarter, Inst pounced on a loose ball and scored in the final minute to make it 3-0.

It was more of the same in the final quarter, with another huge number of PCs defended brilliantly and an occasional foray into the attacking half, one of which resulted in a couple of corners of their own for Donaghadee, but with no joy.

Having scored early in Q4 to make it 4-0, it would have been perfect symmetry if that had been the final score, with one goal in each quarter, but yet another PC was awarded just as the final whistle went.

Faced with the entire Inst team on the edge of the circle in a scene reminiscent of Zulu at Rorkes Drift (old-school reference – look it up!), the Dee defence very nearly held out but the sheer weight of numbers was overwhelming and resulted in a fifth and final goal for the home side.

Thanks to Instonians for providing both umpires for the game, and the 2nds will be looking to bounce back next Saturday with a home game against Saintfield, pushback 1pm at Bangor Grammar where all support will be very welcome.

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REPORT | 18 Nov 2023: DLHC 1XI 1-1 and DLHC 2XI 3-0 Castle

Posted on 20/11/2023 by Donaghadee LHC
Kerry on the scoresheet again!

Senior League 3
Saturday saw another match against a top of the table team for the 1XI of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club and another top performance from the Dee players. Right from the start it was an entertaining end to end match, with both teams showing full commitment to the cause, with the visitors having a slight edge as both teams did their best to assert their superiority.

Some great defending at both ends kept circles to a low level, with Jodie Ingham and Kathryn Cunningham commanding the Donaghadee circle and keep Dee keeper Nicola Patton out of the action. In fact the first shot on target only arrived after the 13th minute and unfortunately a scramble in front of goal resulted in the lead for the visitors.

Donaghadee were quick to rally with the midfield area seeing much more of the ball as they looked to counter. One moved started with Captain Jan Morrow in the right back position finding a ball inside to Kerry Kennedy. A quick pass off to Carolyn Scott – dropping deep to provide the link from back to front – saw the next ball back out to the wing just evading the outstretched stick of Jordan McWilliams as she looked to take the pass at full pace.

The quality of hockey from both teams was top notch, and with more belief from Donaghadee, they started to threaten the visitors’ circle more often: twice getting shots in, with one from Kerrie Turtle being very well saved by their keeper. Half time and still 1-0 to the visitors.

It seems that the third quarter is either very poor or very good and Saturday was definitely the latter. Donaghadee dominated possession and attacking play, with Row Moore and Helen Hooks driving forward at every opportunity in support of the forwards on the left, and Jess Moore causing all sorts of trouble with her penetrating runs to the byline on the right, but despite 3 shots (all off target) and a couple of penalty corners – one well saved – they just couldn’t get the goal that their play deserved.

Into the final quarter and more of the same, although with the visitors dropping deeper and deeper into defence and keeping most of the attempts outside the circle, it too a moment of brilliance from Kerry as the match approached the hour mark. A run into the right side of the circle and a ball smashed high into the net gave the keeper no hope, but plenty of joy to the Dee supporters on the sideline!

The defending from both sides was frantic yet efficient with Coach Willie McAdam being particularly pleased that his side stopped the visitors from getting any shots at all in the second half!

Final whistle and a 1-1 draw for Donaghadee against the Senior 3 leaders, and another excellent team performance, which the team will look to build on away to Enniskillen on Saturday, pass back at Fivemiletown 2.30pm.

Katie scores the first goal for the 2s against Castle

Junior League 9A: DLHC 2XI 3-0 Castle
The Second XI were delighted to be back at home for the first time in three weeks, and their enthusiasm showed from the start, dominating the first quarter with their attacking play. The pace of Molly McKee on the left wing caused problems for the Castle defence from the off, and the Dee were unlucky not to take an early lead when one of her superb runs took her to the baseline and a ferocious cross just evaded the outstretched sticks of both Emily Morris and Abbie Brown who were forward in support. 

A series of long corners gave Vicky O’Neill frequent opportunities to attack, and both Floss Patton and Lisa Higgins were enjoying the freedom to push up from defence and put a number of passes into the circle, but for all their efforts, the Dee could not get the ball in the net.

The second quarter told a different story.  A tactical change saw Castle leaving their forwards high and forcing Donaghadee to defend much deeper. Having only reached the Dee’s 23 once in the whole of the first quarter, they were there four times in the first four minutes! The defence held firm, however, and by half-time Castle still hadn’t managed a shot from open play. 

As the Dee team settled back into their rhythm, a great tackle by this week’s Star Player Caroline Davison turned the ball over in midfield and she set Molly away on another great run down the left.  Having done all the hard work once more, Molly fired the ball across the front of the goal and sister Katie McKee was at the back post for a tap in, giving Donaghadee a well-deserved lead at half-time.

Quarter 3 was largely played out in the middle of the pitch, with some strong work in both attack and defence from the midfield Dee trio of Laura Hamilton, Lauren Niblock and Johneena Brown. Unable to add to the score line, the Dee found themselves under increasing pressure from a series of Castle penalty corners and it took two great saves, including one impressive dive, from keeper Nicola Patton to keep the score at 1-0 going into the final quarter.  Unfortunately one of the PCs was also saved by a painful blow to Floss’ ankle, which ended her game.

Into the final quarter, and DOnaghadee settled the nerves with a great team goal to double the lead less than 2 minutes in. It started at the back, when Claire Horne capped off an imperious defensive performance by intercepting a long ball and feeding Abbie on her right; the ball was worked forward until yet again Molly was on the ball, and while her shot was cleared by the keeper, Erin Hamilton drove into the circle from right midfield and smashed it home.  

This seemed to settle the game and Donaghadee finished strongly with wave after wave of attacks. With five minutes left, a well-worked Dee penalty corner move saw Molly get her hat-trick of assists as she fed Katie for the third goal. Still the Dee pushed forward, and twice Molly broke through and tried to set her twin up for her hat-trick goal, but it just wouldn’t come off. 

Final score 3-0, a great team performance and a well-deserved win which set up the girls nicely for their post-match beverages in Grace Neills.  Thanks go to Mike Smith for umpiring both matches and to club sponsor Stanley Woods and Co Accountants for their continued support.  The Seconds are away to Instonians at Shaw’s Bridge next Saturday, push-back at 2.30pm.

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REPORT | 4 November 2023: DLHC 1XI 1-3 Castle and Ballynahinch 1-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 06/11/2023 by Donaghadee LHC
The 1XI side who were in action against Castle on Saturday

Senior 3: DLHC 1XI 1-3 Castle
It was a top-three clash on Saturday, with third-placed Donaghadee sitting just one point behind Castle in the league table before pass back. Castle were boasting an impressive 40 goals for, and only one against going into this game and while Donaghadee have been tucking the goals away righty themselves so far this season, coach Willie McAdam was under no illusion as to the task ahead.

Donaghadee were able to line up with a fairly attack-minded starting 11, with Jess Moore and Laura Jackson providing plenty of pace on the flanks as the team looked to begin brightly. Castle were equal to the pace, and both teams traded non-threatening plays as they felt each other out in the early stages. With Jordan McWilliams and Helen Herron working hard in midfield to nullify any early attacks, neither side was able to make any serious inroads on goal, despite the ferocious pace!

An early penalty corner earned by Castle in the first quarter was well pushed away by Dee keeper Nicola Patton, with central defender Jodie Ingham mopping up the immediate danger to clear the ball well wide. Kathryn Cunningham also played her part in the centre of defence, carrying the ball well beyond the circle in a couple of important interventions as the first quarter wore on. 

Having weathered the initial storm from the visitors, it was in fact Donaghadee who took the lead early in the second quarter when Carolyn Scott smashed home from a penalty corner, much to the delight of the large contingent of Dee supporters on the sideline. 

With Donaghadee pressing – and creating another two good chances from open play – Castle took advantage of a penalty corner of their own to draw level as the half was heading to its conclusion to leave the score 1-1 at the break, and no real inkling of which way the match was going to swing.

Following a nasty clout to the hand, Jess was replaced by Row Moore, as Donaghadee began to find themselves under increading pressure at the back. With much of the play occurring in Donaghadee’s half, captain Jan Morrow rallied the troops as they looked to close the visitors out. Castle won a succession of penalty corners with one, despite forcing a great save from Nicola, being put away at the third attempt to give Castle a 2-1 lead.

Donaghadee countered quickly, with Paige Reilly acting as the pivot between defence and attack, with Donaghadee earning another penalty corner – this time unfortunately too close to the keeper who swept the shot gladly aside. 

With Donaghadee pressing in search of the equaliser, Castle consolidated their attack with another string of penalty corners, one of which deflected up off a stick to hit a very well-positioned Rachel McClatchey on the goal line. Such is the life of a hockey defender that not only do you suffer the misfortune of having to style out getting hit on the upper body, but you also give away a penalty stroke for good measure!

Despite Nicola getting within a hair’s breadth of saving the resulting shot, the ball was sufficiently well placed into the side netting that it just evaded her outstretched stick to give Castle a 3-1 victory in a game that was much closer than the final score line suggests.

Carolyn was voted Star Player for her tenacity up front, and she thanked Mike Smyth for umpiring. A week off for the team to recover and rest before back in action at home on Saturday 18th November.

Carolyn scores against Castle

Junior League 9A
The 2nd XI travelled to Ballynahinch on Saturday with the two teams sitting side by side in the league table, with only 2 points separating them. Having started the day with a full team plus a sub, it came as a bit of a shock to find that the Dee actually only had 10 players available when they turned up, putting them on the back foot from the first whistle. 

Hastily rearranging the team formation, Captain Floss Patton and her defensive partners of Claire Horne and Laura Hamilton had a difficult opening quarter as the home team started brightly, forcing keeper Faith McMillen into some early saves, but she could do nothing about the opening goal which snuck past her outstretched leg from a penalty corner.  

Although 1-0 down and one player down, the Dee girls began to settle into the game in Q2, using the free space to switch the ball from left to right in an attempt to stretch the opposition and draw them out of position. 

With Lisa Higgins playing an unfamiliar role sweeping in front of the defensive line, she was able to feed her wide midfielders, Erin Hamilton and Johneena Brown, who were fighting hard to progress the ball upfield and support their forwards. There were some glimmers of hope for Donaghadee, including a penalty corner which came close to an equaliser following a great strike by Molly McKee, but the keeper was up to the task, and the score remained the same at halftime.  

Whilst it was never easy going in the final two quarters, with the Hinch girls threatening the Dee goal on a number of occasions, the determination and team spirit shown was superb. Time and again Molly and her forward partner, Emily Morris, picked up the ball deep in their own half when helping out the defence and carried it the length of the pitch to relieve the pressure and create chances at the other end. 

The longer the game went on, the greater the territory and possession enjoyed by Donaghadee, with Lauren Niblock keeping the pressure on and the ball in the Hinch half with some great tackles and blocks which prevented them clearing the ball. In spite of a run of PCs and long corners in the final quarter, the equaliser just wouldn’t come for the Dee, and the game finished 1-0 but each and every girl was proud of their performance and effort on the day, and we learnt a few important things:

  • Faith’s pads and kickers squeak like an umpire’s whistle, which was great for confusing the opposition while we played on!
  • Molly and Emily ran for miles and miles and miles – I suspect their fitbits gave up counting their steps after a while!
  • Feed Lauren half time sweets, and she becomes a cross between the duracell bunny and manic cheerleader – in a good way!
  • Claire’s growing confidence proved she can make it over the 23 metre line without getting a nosebleed;
  • And finally, the team was capable of producing a great show of strength in adversity.

With a well deserved week off, the seconds are next in action at home to Castle on Saturday 18th November. Well done to Lisa Higgins for being awarded the star of the match this week and thank you to those who supported from the sidelines. 

The 2XI team which took on Ballynahinch

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REPORT | 28 October 2023: Derg Valley 1-3 DLHC 1XI and DLHC 2XI 0-0 South Antrim

Posted on 30/10/2023 by Donaghadee LHC
The DLHC 1XI side which defeated Derg Valley 3-1 on Saturday

Senior League 3: Derg Valley 1-3 DLHC 1XI
It’s not often the trip West is made from rain into bright sunshine, but the 1XI of Donaghadee LHC left behind the biblical conditions in Bangor and travelled the 100-odd miles into beautiful autumnal sunshine in the latest round of Senior 3 last Saturday.

With Derg Valley coming off a couple of good victories and Donaghadee missing a couple of regulars, the Dee girls were well aware that there was everything to play for in the Tyrone sunshine.

It was a scrappy first quarter with lots of end to end play, but with little danger created by either side, the sum of the shooting amounted to a single, off-target shot apiece.

With the scoreline sitting stubbornly at 0-0, Donaghadee began to pick up the pace and started to make the ball do the work, creating more threatening chances as they looked to take the lead. Attacking down both flanks and pressing the Derg Valley defenders, Donaghadee finally forced a mistake from the home side and on 23rd minute reward came as Jordan McWilliams fired home, scoring her first Donaghadee goal.

Derg Valley replied with some strong wing work of their own as they looked to reply with a goal of their own but some great work by the Dee defenders kept the home side out wide and well clear of the goal.

Quarter 3 and Donaghadee were beginning to dominate proceedings as wave after wave of red attacks stormed the Derg goal with Dee using the wide channels to keep Derg pinned back and Donaghadee on the front foot.

A cross from wide right was met by Carolyn Scott in the circle and the resulting shot was deflected somewhat fortuitously past the Derg keeper and over the line by a defender to double Donaghadee’s lead.

Jordan was revelling in the attacking midfield role and in the 46th minute she added her second and Donaghadee’s third to give the Dee a welcome cushion, especially when, in the final couple of minutes Derg pushed forward in numbers and broke through to score a well-deserved consolation goal. The game finished 3-1 to Donaghadee, with Jordan picking up not only her first two goals for the Dee but also a Star Player performance too – not a bad afternoon’s work!

Many thanks to Derg for the after-match soup, sandwiches and hospitality which Donaghadee looks forward to returning in the new year. 

The Firsts are back at home on Saturday when they welcome league leaders Castle to BGS, pass back 2.30pm.

Junior League 9A
On Saturday the weather was possibly the most testing aspect for the Seconds as they stepped out against South Antrim 6s at home. The conditions were less than ideal with the rain was coming from all directions creating at times, a heavily waterlogged pitch.

Donagahdee began the game on the front foot, showing their determination to control the flow of the match despite the adverse weather and starting with only 10 players on the pitch. 

With early advances from Katie McKee and Caroline Davison, the South Antrim defence and keeper were put under immediate pressure. As the rain got heavier the pitch got slower, making it ever more challenging to move the ball from defence into midfield quickly. 

South Antrim managed to make a few advances as the game progressed however midfielder Zoe Turtle was there to thwart any attack through the centre with Erin Hamilton helping to the right and Lauren Niblock to the left. Despite hassling the opposition’s defence, Donagahdee did not manage to find the back of South Antrim’s net, meaning the half drew to a close at 0-0.

During the half time break the rainfall intensified, with puddles forming in the middle of the pitch. After a short delay to wait for the rain to abate and the pitch to drain even slightly, both teams agreed to play on and continue the game. After all, everyone was already drenched!

As the second half got underway, both teams continued to battle the elements. Thanks to Natalie Jamieson’s strong hits from the back and Molly McKee’s speed on the wing Donaghadee’s attack continued to be strong and culminating in Donaghadee winning a penalty corner but despite best Dee efforts, the South Antrim keeper cleared well to end the penultimate quarter 0-0.

Going into the final quarter, the Donaghadee defenders found themselves under pressure with Laura Hamilton, Clare Horne and Floss Patton fighting off the South Antrim attacks. After a penalty corner was awarded to the visitors, keeper Faith McMillan made a wonder save by putting the striker under pressure and clearing the ball with an almighty kick to the side. 

With both teams having had chances in awful conditions, it finished up all square at 0-0, with everyone delighted to get off the pitch to get home and dried!

Massive thank you to Mike Smyth who umpired the game on Saturday and a big thank you to the Donaghadee supporters who braved the weather on the side lines. Congratulations to Erin for being this week’s Star Player. 

The Seconds are away to Ballynahinch on Saturday 4th November, pass-back at 1pm at St Colman’s.

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REPORT | 21 October 2023: Cookstown 0-3 DLHC 1XI and Newry 1-3 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 23/10/2023 by Donaghadee LHC

Senior League 3: Cookstown 0-3 DLHC 1XI
It was a mid-table clash in fine autumnal sunshine in mid-Ulster last weekend when the 1XI of Donaghadee Ladies Hockey Club played Cookstown in an early pass back. In a fast and open start, both teams enjoyed good spells of attacking and counterattacking as they sussed each other out. 

It didn’t take long before Dee top scorer Kerry Kennedy opened the scoring, firing home from the top right of the circle following a mazy run from midfield. With no defender able to make a block, the in-form midfielder made no mistake to make it 1-0 to Donaghadee.

There followed some excellent work by central defenders Paige Reilly and Jodie Ingham to keep the home side at bay; despite Cookstown engineering nine visits to their attacking quarter, they only managed a couple of shots, none of which overly troubled Dee keeper Nicola Patton.

The second quarter proceeded in much the same fashion, with Catherine Armstrong making a number of probing runs down the right flank and Kerrie Turtle threatening with several crosses from the left, but the Cookstown keeper made several excellent saves to keep the score t 1-0 going in to the half time break.

After the restart it was one way traffic: wave after wave of Donaghadee attacks, with the Dee’s midfield of Laura Jackson and Vicky O’Neill hassling and harrying to provide a good platform going forward, but some frantic last ditch defending from the home side and diving saves from the Cookstown No 1 kept Donaghadee at bay. 

Then a trademark burst forward from midfield from Helen Herron created a scramble in front of goal resulting in a Cookstown foot blocking the ball from crossing the goal line and a stroke awarded.

No better woman for the job, so up stepped Kerry and she fired home bottom left beyond the outstretched foot of the Cookstown keeper to make it 2-0 to Donaghadee. Not long after she looked to have secured her hat trick as she lifted the ball high towards the top corner but a superb stick save by the keeper turned it away!

Cookstown managed a couple of counter attacks which were well defended, with Row Moore putting in good tackles to clear and set up Donaghadee going forward again.

Backs Jan Mprrow and Faith McMillan were both able to push forward down the flanks to support the attack as Donaghadee looked to stretch the game and use the whole width of the field.

The pace of the game started to tell a bit in the final quarter as the tempo dropped a little, but with gaps opening up, Donaghadee struck again, with Catherine providing a cute little pass for Carolyn Scott to run on to at the top right of the circle, with the forward unleashing an unstoppable shot across the keeper and into the bottom left of the net to seal Donaghadee’s 3-0 victory.

Kerry Kennedy was awarded this week’s Star Player for her miles in midfield and two great goals, and she thanked Cookstown for the match played in good spirit and to the home side for providing a second umpire on the day.

The Firsts are on their travels again this week as they rack up the miles to Castlederg, pass back there is at 1pm on Saturday.

Senior 3 after the games of 21st October 2023
The 2XI side which beat Newry 3-1

Junior 9A: Newry 1-3 DLHC 2XI
The 2nd XI were off on their travels again this week, with a late trip to Newry on Friday evening. Thankfully Storm Babet had moved on before push-back, although playing conditions were tough enough to start the match, and the Dee took a little while to adjust to the sluggish pitch.

Much of the first quarter was played out in midfield as the teams sounded each other out, with strong showings from the midfield trio of Emily Morris, Caroline Davison and Erin Hamilton, but no real chances were created at either end. With a single Dee shot coming from open play and another from a penalty corner, both of which were wide of the goals, it was goalless at the first break.  

The team found their feet and their passing early on in Q2, and began to mount attack after attack, with the deadlock broken by a contender for goal of the season! Working in tandem with Alex Mawhinney to close down the midfield, Katie McKee dispossessed a Newry player just inside her own half and released Molly McKee down the left.

Molly’s driving run took her past several defenders to the baseline, where she had the composure to pull the ball back across the goal for Katie to fire it home. Time after time the defenders were turned by the pace of the attack, and only some superb saves kept the score at 1-0 at halftime.

Hoping to build on the momentum being created, the third quarter was a frustrating one, as despite 7 visits to the home circle, the Dee could not get a single shot on target. The game was virtually one-way traffic at that stage, with the Dee central defence of Claire Horne and Natalie Jamieson able to push higher up the pitch and snuff out any attacks before they really started. 

The scoreline remained stubbornly at 1-0 starting the final quarter, when finally it all came together for the Dee. With Jordan McWilliams pulling the strings behind the front two, Lisa Higgins pushing upfield to work with Emily and Molly on the left, and Abbie Brown doing the same with Erin and Katie on the right, the Dee girls finally found their killer instinct. 

From 8 circle visits, the Dee put together 8 shots, with 6 on target. Twice more Molly – this week’s Star Player – took on the defence and won, scoring two super goals with her speed and persistence.  Emily also got the ball in the net but saw the goal chalked off as the ball had crossed the baseline before being crossed to her.  

As the Dee pushed forward in search of more goals, Newry had an occasional foray in attack, but Abbie frustrated the Newry captain with “stick tight” defending. As the final whistle was about to blow, the home team finally made it into the Dee circle and got a forceful shot away – straight into Captain Floss Patton’s ankle with a horrible thwack!

The resulting penalty corner saw a great shot from a straight strike evade the outstretched leg of keeper Faith McMillen, and a late consolation goal to spoil the clean sheet, but overall it was a well deserved 3-1 win for Donaghadee. Huge thanks to Deborah Gilmour for umpiring when she could have been drinking wine on a Friday evening!

The Seconds are looking forward to being back in home action next Saturday, when they take on South Antrim, pass back at BGS 1pm

Well done to Molly (2) and Katie for their goals against Newry

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REPORT | Saturday 14th October 2023: Dromore 4-0 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 16/10/2023 by Donaghadee LHC
Lisa and Row were voted joint Star Players against Dromore on Saturday

Junior 9A: Dromore 4-0 DLHC 2XI
With no match for the 1XI of Donaghadee LHC this weekend, the 2s were the only team in action on Saturday. They were faced with the daunting prospect of an away match to league leaders Dromore, who were not only unbeaten so far this season but were yet to concede a goal.

And it was easy to see why:  they were quickly on the attack from the first whistle, and opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a precision shot, after a swift build-up drew the Dee defenders out of position.

Donaghadee gave themselves a mental shake and regrouped; a quick counter-attack saw Katie McKee released down the right hand wing and provide sister Molly with the Dee’s first opportunity on goal, but her shot slid just wide of the left post.

Although both teams kept up the pace, with shots and penalty corners at both ends, the home team were more fluent in attack. In the final minute of the quarter, a Dromore corner drew a good save from Faith McMillen in the Dee goal, but her team-mates couldn’t clear cleanly and Dromore forced a second goal from the resulting scramble.

Quarter two was Donaghadee’s best, with the midfield linking well with the forward line who threatened on a number of occasions, although the only clear cut chance saw another shot from Molly saved by the keeper. In defence, there was still plenty of work for the back four, but they were able to restrict the home side to only one shot on target, and it remained 2-0 at half-time.

Quarters 3 and 4 followed a similar pattern, with waves of home attacks putting the Dee under considerable pressure. Faced with a number of penalty corners, captain Floss Patton was quickly out to close down each time, but once again Dromore reacted quickly to a rebound from one of the PCs, and lifted the ball high into the net to make it 3-0. 

Still the Dee kept pressing, with some great runs down the left wing from Molly, but the penalty corner she won was saved by the Dromore keeper, who a few minutes later did the same to a shot from Katie. Encouraged by this flurry of attacking play, the Dee defence and midfield pressed forward, but it was ultimately to their cost as another swift counter-attack got through the defence and scored Dromore’s fourth of the afternoon at the end of Q3. 

The fourth quarter started with Coach Willie’s exhortations to “win this quarter” ringing in the team’s ears, and whilst they couldn’t quite do that, they did at least draw it 0-0, which was no mean feat considering the pressure they came under. 4-0 the final score, with Dromore showing why they are top of the league and still to concede. 

There were some bright spots in the day for the Dee girls, in particular goalie Faith’s spectacular circus somersaults! Row Moore and Lisa Higgins were voted joint star players by their team-mates this week. Many thanks to Nicola Patton for kindly umpiring once again, but please could you leave that rain cloud at home next time? The Seconds are away again this week, as they travel to Newry on Friday night.

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REPORT | 7 October 2023: DLHC 1XI 0-1 Owls and Owls 2-1 DLHC 2XI

Posted on 09/10/2023 by Donaghadee LHC

Intermediate Cup Round 1: DLHC 1XI 0-1 Owls 1XI
 It was a heroic defensive performance by Donaghadee Ladies’ 1XI when they took on Senior 2 side, Owls 1XI in the first round of the Intermediate Cup on Saturday. Despite having a couple of early chances Donaghadee needed to – and did – put in an almighty defensive shift to keep the higher-ranked team at bay.

Despite a seemingly incessant onslaught from the young Owls side, Donaghadee worked unbelievably hard to keep them out. Indeed it was only thanks to a well-worked penalty corner 4 minutes from the end which broke the deadlock, with that single goal ensuring Owls’ safe passage through to Round 2.

With congratulations to Paige for her Star Player defensive performance, thanks to Mike Smyth for umpiring and a shout out to Burgess Performance Training for sponsoring the match ball.

Junior Cup Round 2: Owls 2XI 2-1 DLHC 2XI
On an uncharacteristically warm October day at Mallusk the 2XI of Donaghadee LHC prepared to face Owls for the second week in a row, having beaten them the previous week in the league at BGS. This weekend was for Round 1 of the Junior Cup.

The 2s set off for their journey to Owls with 12 players and Zoe Turtle gamely volunteering to umpire the match, or so went the plan… On arrival at the opponents’ ground, due to a late illness withdrawal, Donaghadee found themselves with only 10 players. Thankfully a kind gesture from Owls to provide a last minute umpire, Zoe was able to step on to the pitch in her usual playing role, bringing the team back up to 11 players and ready to begin.

The first half proved difficult for the Dee, with the humid weather conditions and a strong Owls attack. Defenders Laura Hamilton, Claire Horne, Vicky O’Neill and Floss Patton held off any real danger to keep Faith McMillan safe in goals – for a good portion of the opening exchanges. 

With Owls earning themselves a run of penalty corners, Donaghadee were beginning to feel the pressure. However, midfielders Johneena Brown and Lauren Niblock were really getting stuck in to help the defenders. 

At the other end, a few quick breaks up the wing from Katie McKee supported by Emily Morris meant the Owls keeper suddenly needed to be on her toes. After both short and long corners in the attacking 25 the ball finally made its way over the opposition goal line. With both Emily and Katie on hand to make sure the ball went in, neither was quite sure who got the final touch, so both players found themselves celebrating equally!

The second half proved difficult with legs beginning to tire in the energy-sapping heat, but Donaghadee managed to keep the Owls attackers at bay despite numerous short corners and on target shots from the home side. 

Caroline Davison found herself dropping back to assist the defenders on numerous occasions but unfortunately for the Dee, Owls managed to slip a goal in to make the score 1-1 at the end of quarter 3. Despite Donaghadee’s best efforts in the final period, they were unable find another goal to secure the win. As the final whistle blew, there was a unanimous grumble as both teams realised the fate ahead: run ins.

Both teams took five minutes to gather themselves before keeper Faith, Katie, Vicky, Emily, Caroline and Zoe stepped up against the Owls keeper. Well done to all those who stepped up, but it just wasn’t to be on the day, with Owls taking the victory to see them through to the next round.

Well done to Katie our Star Player and massive thank you to Owls for their hospitality and providing an umpire. The 1s have no game this weekend whilst the 2s are away to Dromore at 12.45pm, and all support welcome!

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