Hockey: Stockport Bramhall Ladies 4 - 0 Rochdale Ladies

Kie Leech (pictured) was named joint player of the match with Dionne Collinson

This weekend Rochdale were away to play Stockport Bramhall Ladies 2nds on Saturday 4 February.

If anything they started the match a bit timidly, perhaps because many of them knew they had a second match to play this weekend. But soon they were giving it both barrels, with Hodcroft, Knowles and Pickering especially intercepting and hassling for the ball. Stockport gave Rochdale's defence a lot of work to do, but they were ready, marking and covering players to minimise any opportunities for Stockport.

Partington was on particularly fine form closing down the angles to block and clear many of the balls. At one point she kicked away a Stockport shot, only for Stockport to reclaim the ball and cross it so that a different striker could have a shot at the other side of goal, and Partington dived across the goal and swept the ball away with her stick.

Despite Stockport's strong form, Rochdale were able to cause trouble for their defence. After a great bit of weaving and evading, Hodcroft managed to work her way into the D and weighted her pass nicely to Yates, who was well placed to get her stick on the ball, but unfortunately sent it just wide of post. Over the course of the substitutions Collinson rotated into defence, and along with Leech they caused an inconvenience for Stockport at the top line of defence.

Rochdale were tireless in their efforts to close down and intercept Stockport, and drive the ball up the pitch. With the whole team tracking up and down the pitch, Rochdale's defence stood strong. Hoyle made several cracking stops in the D to bring Stockport up short, and Owen was on top of how players were running in to block them out.

Several of the midfield got stuck in to ease the pressure on the defence, with Black hassling on the left and McDonald and Pickering helping mark out the top of their D. Partington ran off her line several times to disrupt, block and kick away attacks on her goal. She also made a tap of her boot look casual as she nudged a strike just wide and off the backline. In fact it was a testament to the strength of Rochdale's defence that all four of Stockport's goals came from short corners.

As they settled into the game, Rochdale grew in confidence, and there was some fantastic efforts in the midfield with Hodcroft, McDonald, Pickering and Yates giving their opponents no peace with the ball. This strong play made a good basis for the opportunities that Rochdale managed to make for themselves. Including an excellent lifted cross through the D from Burrell high on the right wing, that unfortunately none of her teammates could get a stick to, and some one-two work between Knowles and Yates that was passed up to where Burrell was well placed for a shot on goal, unfortunately landing slightly wide of the net.

Final score was 0-4, with no Rochdale goal scorers.

Player of the match was awarded jointly yo Dionne Collinson and Kie Leech.

Captain Collinson said: "Ladies, we may have lost 4-0 but we had some great play and stopped many of the attacks from Stockport.”

Rochdale's team:
Keeper; Sam Partington.
Defence; Claire Hoyle, Kieran Leech, Gill Owen & Hannah Palmer.
Midfield; Gemma Hodcroft, Paula McDonald, Roisin Pickering & Arabella Yates.
Forwards; Dionne Collinson & Becky Knowles.
Substitutes: Lily Black, Katie Burrell & Julie Peters.