Lancaster 1 vs University of Liverpool 1

Lancaster 1s      2-1        University of Liverpool 1s

Lancaster played University of Liverpool on Saturday in sunny but cold conditions.

Both teams started the match at full tempo transferring the ball around the pitch and attacking down the sidelines.

In the 15^th minute Lancaster found themselves down to 10, despite the commotion Lancaster continued to pressure the away side and earned a flurry of penalty corners. Nicola Conway was first to break the deadlock from a well worked penalty corner routine. Ali Standeven-Johns fired the ball in from the left hand side of the D for Conway to deflect over the goalkeeper.

University of Liverpool tested the Lancaster defence but Jayde Christeansen remained resolute blocking their path to goal and clearing wide. The away side earned themselves a number of penalty corners. They equalised just before half-time as a straight strike agonisingly took a deflection off Standeven-Johns stick taking the ball away from goalkeeper Leighan Bleasdale.

Into the second half it was University of Liverpool that brought the game to Lancaster earning more penalty corners. Bleasdale was alert to all danger save clearing into the space for Lancaster to regain possession.

Lancaster were patient and continued to mount the pressure earning another penalty corner. This time it was Conway to straight strike and Standeven-Johns to take the ball around the goalkeeper giving Lancaster the lead.

In the final minutes University of Liverpool threw everything at Lancaster. Bleasdale made a few point-blank saves to keep the lead. In the final seconds the ball was fired to the top of the D; as the University of Liverpool forward was about to strike at goal, Holly Hunter sprinted into action jabbing the ball out of the way, taking the full impact of the shot on her stick. A fantastic team effort to take the 3 points.

Team: Leighan Bleasdale (GK) (C), Nina Helme, Nicola Conway, Jayde Christeansen, Julie Walker, Holly Hunter, Heather Shackleton, Ella Bookless, Sarah Kettlewell, Ali Standeven-Johns, Hayley Standeven-Johns, Katie Oliver and Caitlin Ball

Goal Scorers: Nicola Conway and Ali Standeven-Johns

Players of the Match: Leighan Bleasdale and Holly Hunter

Team Sponsor: Sue Bridges Estate and Letting Agents

Match Sponsor: Royal Nails by Jayde