Hockey: Rochdale Ladies 0 - 4 Bowdon Ladies

Players of the match Claire Hoyle and Samantha Partington

Rochdale hosted Bowdon 5ths on Sunday 28 January, in a fixture rearranged a couple of times due to adverse weather, and it was their second match of the weekend.

Bowdon started as the stronger team, pushing high and utilising any gap they could and positioning themselves to block out as many Rochdale passes as they could to regain their advantage. But even so Rochdale dug in to keep themselves in the game; one example being a shot Bowdon took that Partington saved with her glove only for the ball to hit the crossbar and fall back down still in play. Bowdon dived in to try and push it over the line, but Partington rushed over as well and saved the second attempt before kicking the ball out of her D.

Despite Bowdon pulling ahead in terms of goals, Rochdale were still able to create chances with bursts of brilliant play as they fought through their fatigue and bruises.

Collinson and Moon converged onto a free ball, only for Collinson to nip ahead as Moon tapped the ball just over a Bowdon player's stick for Collinson to run onto. She ran into space to pass to Pickering in the centre, who forwarded it up the line to Burrell. Unfortunately an opposition player got just enough of a stick to it to deflect it and despite her best efforts Burrell was unable to catch the ball before it went off the back line.

Turning their opposition's tactics on them, Burrell was able to intercept a Bowdon free hit at the top of their D, and after a quick v-drag to evade the defender she cracked the ball across the D into the space that had opened up on the left, but no one was able to get their stick to it to get the ball under control to take a strike.

During a Bowdon break, Hoyle held down the fort by blocking out the attacker with her trademark flat stick, shadowing the player as they ran from right to left, before they side stepped back the way they came for a shot on goal. Partington saved it and sent the ball skimming safely off the backline after the far post.

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

Players of the match were Claire Hoyle and Samantha Partington. 

Captain Collinson said: “A tough weekend but fought to the end. Well in”

Rochdale's team:
Keeper; Sam Partington.
Defence; Dionne Collinson, Claire Hoyle, Becky Knowles, & Hannah Palmer.
Midfield; Claire Hockaday, Paula McDonald, Roisin Pickering & Arabella Yates.
Forwards; Lily Black & Katie Burrell.
Substitutes: Becki Moon.