Hockey: Chichester can’t break Herts

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Chichester 1 West Herts 5

NOW Pensions East National Conference

CLINICAL finishing was the difference between the two sides as Chichester slipped to their second successive National League defeat.

West Herts, like Chichester, gained promotion to the National League last season so it was a battle of the new boys.

Chichester started the better of the two teams and Alex Thakore, Matt Cox and Jack Lerwill were playing the ball around the midfield nicely and starting to create chances.

Richard Blakesley and Ollie Baxter had very good opportunitites to put Chichester in the lead but were unable to convert.

Chichester were made to pay for not taking the lead when West Herts put pressure on the Chichester defence and won possession. A slick pass left a West Herts forward with an easy tap-in.

The home side continued to press and create chances but were unable to capitalise – and yet again Chichester were punished, this time by some poor marking and a neat finish, making it 2-0 to West Herts at half-time.

Chichester came out for the second half knowing they had the ability to turn the game on its head. Early chances were yet again created but Lerwill, Matt Cox and Dean Symons were all unable to convert them.

Yet again Chichester were punished as West Herts took a 3-0 lead.

Chichester pulled one back with ten minutes remaining through Ollie Robinson but West Herts soon went up the other end and scored two more.

The difference between the sides was clinical finishing: West Herts had five opportunites and scored all five; Chichester created numerous chances and scored just one.

Chichester were disappointed with the result but they can still take encouragement and move on to the next match – away to Cambridge – still sitting second in the league.

CHICHESTER: Godsmark, Henn, Brook, G Cox, Spear, Lerwill, Thakore, M Cox, Robinson, Baxter, McLaughlin, Blakesley, Ellis, Symons, Salmon, Emmett.

Bognor Town Ladies 6 Worthing 2

Bognor continued their explosive form when they entertained Worthing.

They stunned Worthing from the whistle with decisive tackling and intelligent cross-field play, resulting in two quick goals within the first ten minutes.

Charlotte Cox opened with a sweetly-struck short corner and Karen Harmer doubled the lead with a screamer from open play.

The new defensive line-up of Hunt, Agate and Arnold slotted together well and provided good protection for up-and-coming young keeper Lily Morris.

Green, Sandy and Debbie Cox smothered the attacking midfield and allowed Cooper and Charlotte Cox free rein to harry the opposition.

Charlotte Cox added the third just before half-time with a trademark reverse-stick shot from the top of the D.

Captain Cooper maintained a strong presence in midfield with Sue Perry and made tactical rolling substitutions across the frontline, bringing in the experience and extra dimensions from McKnight and Rogers.

Charlotte Cox struck twice more, once from open play and once from another short corner. The pick of the bunch was Karen Harmer’s second which came following determination and tackling from another rising young star, Nadia Muncey who had shrugged off a nasty ankle knock in the first half.

Having dispossessed a forward, she saw Cooper in space and released a pass which split the field. Cooper knocked it directly up to Harmer who pounced and finished the move with superb confidence.

Bognor conceded two goals in the second half but are gaining confidence with every match and have every intention of making their mark on the league.

The Fox Felpham’s player of the match was Emma Hunt.

BOGNOR: Morris L, Hunt E, Cooper T, Cox C, Cox D, Arnold H, Sandy D, Green V, Muncey N, Rogers J, McKnight C, Woodall S. Sub: Hlyianski A.

Horsham Ladies 0 Chi Priory Park Ladies II 3

For the second week in a row Chichester were on the road – this time to Horsham.

Chichester included a Dutch player, Karen Versteegh, and a third XI player pushing herself up the through the ranks, Merryn Young.

Horsham and Chi were well matched but Chi were better organised.

Chi passed well and spread the play to Meg Goring on the left and Demelza Peake on the right. Lindsay Hudson and Rachael Trent enabled Goring to score her first of the season in the top corner.

Horsham went close to equalising but the efforts of Claire Young in goal meant they didn’t succeed.

Hard work from Jenny Horton and Tracy Austin in midfield enabled Trent and Hudson to put more pressure on the Horsham defence.

The second goal came from excellent work in the Horsham D – it came across the circle and Hudson scored well. Young kept the away side in the game at times and was player of the match.

The third goal came from some excellent defending by Emma Bennison and captain Tina Keartland which gave Trent her first goal of the league season. This week sees Bognor visit Chichester.

CHICHESTER: Claire Young, Tina Keartland, Tracy Austin, Meg Goring, Rachael Tren, Jenny Horton , Damelza Peak, Lindsay Hudson, Emma Bennison, Karen Versteegh, Merryn Young.

Chichester Canons 0 Horsham Hotstars 4

Sussex Girls’ Development League

Canons settled well and the first half saw end-to-end play. Canons were unlucky not to go ahead with some superb goalkeeping by Batchelor ably keeping Horsham at bay.

A short corner awarded as the first-half whistle blew was converted by Horsham to put them one ahead.

Horsham upped the pace in the second half and although the Canons remained determined, they struggled to break through the Horsham midfield.

Fulcher, Rose, Kies, Gleeson and Stockman were more than a match for the Horsham defence, going close on several occasions to bringing a more even scoreline.