And the goals. They kept on coming…

With the weather back to where it started (grey, drizzly, a bit of a chill in the air) and the world order descending into chaos this week, the Ladies 4s could have been forgiven for taking a duvet day and letting the other side take this for once. What with being (what’s that did you say?), League CHAMPIONS and all. What with having (say what?) still four matches of the season left to play? But role modelling the kind of professionalism that the rest of the Club had come to expect from this team, the gals dutifully made their way deep into the Oxfordshire Countryside to meet Wallingford on their home turf.

The team assembled in the (rather nice) changing rooms to await instructions from Captain Ali. She busily got to work sketching out her vision of boxes and squares, with a triangle or two drawn in the middle for good measure. The ladies knew the drill: 4 at the back, 4 across the middle and two legends at the front. Except in a bit of a curve ball, this week Charlotte Clarke would be playing “drop forward”, doing some “distributing”, and trying to “eliminate” Isla Hallett. As the team took a collective sharp intake of breath, Captain Ali sought to clarify – not literally take out Isla (good, we love her) but her counterpart on the other side. Fine. The team could work with that.

Next it was time to practice a bit of passing, hitting at goalie Jasmine Hillyard and then a somewhat lack luster mini game between the Youngers and Olders before the whistle to start was blown. Was there may be a bit of “can’t quite be bothered, job-done-i-tus” creeping into camp? Wallingford had completed their team huddle and war cry (which sounded a bit Pirates of the Caribbean) as Henley, in typical nonchalant fashion, were trying to get their act together. Kat Green, as disciplinarian-in-chief, continued to keep it real by reminding the team (authoritatively, but with love in true parent/teacher style) to pull their socks up, make more effort and go full Taylor Swift (tour done, next creative mountain already halfway climbed) because the opposition was clearly up for the fight. And with that, Henley were straight into first push back.

From the beginning, Henley pressed hard. Charlotte Clarke passed to Tilly Alderton, who ran straight up the right wing to find forward Amy Hill. But Wallingford were ready with a well-constructed defence, repelling the ball from their D. Leading from the front, as has been her modus operandi all season, Captain Ali took charge to win a short corner within the first minute. Although the team were unable to convert, a second short corner was immediately awarded and Captain Ali struck the ball clean and sharp at the top of the D to find the back of the net and open the scoring for Henley.

Wallingford responded with passion. Pushing the ball into Henley’s half, defender Evie Quinn stepped up to make mincemeat of the opposing mid-fielder. Tackling the ball away with expert precision, she drove up the left wing and crossed to Captain Ali. For the next 5 minutes the ball ping ponged up and down the pitch, ricocheting from one end to the other like a rally straight out of Marty Supreme. Time and time again, Nicky Watts blocked the ball, whilst Jess Stevens and Isla Hallett worked the ball free from the opposition sticks to send it back up the pitch to Tilly and Bea Watts. The back line clearly decided they were done being background NPCs and marched straight into main character mode. They had clearly taken note of their spiritual leader Kat-at-the-Back’s earlier pep talk and they were delivering in plentiful supply. Heroic tackles by Evie, robust clearances by Kat, industrial-strength stubbornness from Nicky and some lovely transfers round the round the back between Captain Ali, Isla and Jess to open up new channels of play, showcased the depth and breadth of this team. At several points, Wallingford came dangerously close to the Henley goal mouth, but goalie Jasmine Hillyard, eager to keep her clean sheet, was ready to repel any serious attempt.

Meanwhile, the midfield and forwards were working just as hard. Some lovely linking play between Bea and Charlotte Moore down the right wing opened up several opportunities for the pair to take shots on goal, but neither were able to convert. Charlotte Clarke, however, picking up a ball from Captain Ali in the middle of the pitch, stormed towards the D and taking a swing from the top of the circle, powered it through the air and a number of defenders like a back-of- the-net-seeking ballistic missile, to double Henley’s lead. From that point, the remaining moments of the first half were concentrated in Wallingford’s third with numerous long and short corners being awarded to Henley. As the umpire blew the half time whistle, the Henley defenders ran up to assist their front line colleagues with a final short corner. With the ring of Henley steel circling the Wallingford D (and the obligatory unseemly scrap in front of goal) it was Emilia Ziegler who ultimately delivered for her team mates and sent the ball behind the keeper to make it 3-0 to Henley.

In the interval-time team talk, Captain Ali laid out her wisdom. She sagely observed, for the benefit of any of her team who were unsure, that this was a game of hockey and not lacrosse. She should have realised by now that this was not a bunch who could pick up on subtle cues so put it more bluntly. “Girls – sticks on the ground in the D and not in the air”. After all, with half the team somewhere north of over 18, it’s not as if reaction times were as fast as the teens responding to Snapchat notifications.

With this key instruction fresh in their minds, the team returned to the pitch with renewed focus. Jess and Tilly worked the ball from push back straight towards Wallingford’s D and as Tilly drove the ball along the back line she crossed to Emilia standing on the sweet P spot. Katherine Alderton was perfectly positioned on left post to guide in any strays, but Emilia had no need of assistance today. With her stick firmly on the ground she pushed the ball across the line to make it 4-0 to Henley within the 60 seconds mark. By the second minute, Henley were at it again. Tilly, squarely in play maker mode, zig-zagged past the opposition and along the back line, crossed diagonally into the circle and found Amy in the centre, who, cool as a cucumber, and with her stick most definitely down, pushed the ball past the keeper to add another goal to Henley’s score line. It’s almost as if Captain Ali knew what she was talking about!

The opposition had been caught on the hop. How had they conceded another two goals so early into the second half? Fighting back, they tried to push the ball towards Henley’s third but were met with effective resistance by both Evie and Nicky on both sides of defence. Wallingford were able to capitalise on a couple of breaks to make it dangerously close to Henley’s goal, but their forwards were no match for no-stress Jess or gonna-deny-ya Isla. As one of the opposition players attempted to strike, goalie Jasmine stepped forward to confidently deflect, and send the ball safely out of Henley’s third. Before long, Emilia and Bea had worked the ball back up towards the shooting circle to win Henley another short corner. This time it was Nicola Nott’s time to shine. Proving there are many strings to her bow, she expertly positioned herself to the left of the goal mouth as the inevitable scramble between attackers and defenders began. Spotting a fleeting vulnerability in the defensive wall, she scooped up the ball and Quickola-Nicola from last week transformed into slick-flick-Nic as she lifted the ball high above the other players’ heads and into the back of the net to make it 6-0 to Henley.

In the remaining 10 minutes, Kat decided to ditch the back line and make her way up to the front line to support the attacking team. Which was fair enough. With a 6-0 scoreline, they should be having a word with themselves. In and out she weaved with the ball, bulldozing along the back line and upwards into the D. A couple of strikes towards goal were deflected, but each were picked up on the rebound and in a game of last (wo)man standing between Kat and the Keeper, there was only ever going to be one winner. And it wasn’t the goalie. The ball bounced over the line and towards the back of the net, with neither team really quite believing it, to make it 7-0 to Henley. A last ditch attempt by Wallingford saw them work the ball back into the Henley third and win a short corner just as the final whistle sounded. But it was a case of too little too late and as all of the Wallingford players ran up to try and force the ball into goal, Isla stepped forward to dispatch it far away from the danger zone. Game over.

The players retired to the oak panelled clubhouse (hands down the nicest of all clubhouses visited this season) to enjoy a lovely cheese sandwich and yummy chocolate biscuit with the friendly Wallingford side, who, despite the score line, had put up a great fight and were gracious in defeat.

Congratulations to Emilia Ziegler who was voted Player of the Match for her tremendous efforts in attacking play, but also to key defence players Nicky Watts and goalie Jasmine Hillyard who came a well-deserved joint second.

With only 3 more matches to play this season, there’s not many more opportunities for the fans to get their fill. Happily the next game is at home (4:30pm push back, Saturday 14th March) so it would be lovely to see as many there as possible! #teamworkmakesthedreamwork!