Hockey: Timperley Ladies 5 - 0 Rochdale Ladies

Rochdale travelled to play Timperley 4ths on a soggy Saturday afternoon (5 February).

Despite a slightly hectic start Rochdale dove in sticks first to show that they meant business. Ransome quickly made herself at home in the midfield, intercepting a number of Timperley passes to either drive the play down the field or to hand it off to either Newton or Pickering on the wings to find a way towards Timperley's defence.

Unfortunately Timperley were able to interrupt each of their efforts and kept switching play around the back to try and break through into Rochdale's defence. Despite Timperley's efforts to crowd Hodcroft out whenever she made a run towards their D, she eventually managed to shake them to get a pass to Pickering, who then ran it into the D before handing it off. Burrell was able to collect it but the keeper saved her shot. Yates scrambled for the rebound, catching it just before it went off the sideline, and - with a defender on her back trapping her there - she passed it back to Collinson who drove it back into the centre only to pass it back to Yates who now had a free pass to Newton in the D. Newton took her shot as soon as she got the ball, only for it to sail just wide of the post.

Rochdale's defence had their work cut out for them when a number of short corners were awarded in Timperley's favour, with Collinson in particular managing to take the brunt of their efforts. With Hoyle and Palmer guarding the posts it left Collinson and Owen free to run and clear the ball from the top of the D, and Partington made a couple of excellent saves to stop a couple of shots that got through.

Most of Timperley's goals came from bunching together to force the ball through only to break away and create an overload in previously empty areas of the pitch, it was clearly a tactic that worked well for them.

A free hit from Owen found Burrell down the pitch, who pivoted to drive the ball towards the goal, passing it off to Hodcroft when she was cut off by the opposition. Hodcroft's attempt to get into the D was seen off by a Timperley defender knocking it out of play, resulting in a long corner. McDonald passed square to Ransome who had just run back to open up the play. Ransome passed up to Newton who ran into the D to try and get a shot off, but her hit to post was intercepted and cleared before a Rochdale player could get to it.

A Timperley attack was channelled out well by Collinson, but they were able to evade her by passing to another player who had run to the top of the D. Owen was ready to stop them with an efficient swipe for the ball and sent it back up the midfield. Before a Rochdale player could grab it, Timperley stole it back, and yet again tried to get into the D despite the Rochdale players marking them.

Finally a runner managed to break through and received the ball in the D, but Hoyle dropped her stick to block any attempt on goal, before clearing it out to the side. A sideline free hit gave Rochdale the opportunity to switch play, with Palmer hitting it to Collinson who in turn smashed it for Yates to run onto on the left wing. Yates darted down her wing before crossing the ball into the D.

In their efforts to get a goal Rochdale were awarded a short corner, and they decided to change their usual play by bringing Collinson up to take it. She pelted it towards the goal only for the keeper to save it and kick it out of her D. Disheartened after a whistle sounded at the same time the umpire made the short corner gesture, only to allow a Timperley goal after Rochdale stopped in preparation for the short corner, Rochdale somehow managed to find the motivation to keep going.

As Hodcroft and Pickering passed the ball between them down the right wing to evade their opposition, ending with Pickering crossing the ball into the D, where Parton was waiting near the baseline to collect it. Parton got her stick to it to keep it in play, but as she turned to find a shot or pass a Timperley defender tackled her for it, only for Parton to jab back for it, holding the defender there as they both hustled for the ball before it finally went out of play.

Final score was 0-5, with no Rochdale goal scorers.

Player of the match was Arabella Yates.

Captain Becky Knowles said: “A good battle, well done ladies.”

Rochdale's team:
Keeper; Sam Partington.
Defence; Dionne Collinson, Claire Hoyle, Gill Owen & Hannah Palmer.
Midfield: Gemma Hodcroft, Sarah Ransome, Roisin Pickering & Arabella Yates.
Forwards; Katie Burrell & Becca Newton.
Substitutes: Paula McDonald & Daisy Parton