Hampstead & Westminster ladies finish season with flourish
Hampstead & Westminster's Jasmine Clark. Picture: MARK CLEWS - Credit: Archant
Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club’s Ladies bounced back from last week’s loss to finish their season with a fine 3-1 win over Sevenoaks at Maida Vale.
Hampstead & Westminster's Sam French in action against Holcombe. Picture: MARK CLEWS - Credit: Archant
The first half saw Hampstead play some of their best hockey of the season, applying a lot of pressure on the Sevenoaks’ defence and winning several penalty corners.
Annabel Driver put the first one away with a neat deflection after 16 minutes before Hayley Turner doubled the lead on 27 minutes with a cool finish after starting the penalty corner by injecting the ball from the base line.
Hampstead didn’t let up on Sevenoaks and two minutes later Jasmine Clark made it 3-0 at half-time.
Despite a team talk focused on keeping their heads cool Hampstead lost a bit of structure in the second half although it didn’t help that 22 minutes of the half were spent with 10 players after three yellow cards and a green.
Hampstead & Westminster's Johnny Codling in action against Holcombe. Picture: MARK CLEWS - Credit: Archant
Sevenoaks got several penalty corners but a strong defensive team led by goal keeper Rochelle Gianfrancesco kept all of them out bar one, with Sevenoaks finally netting a consolation goal two minutes from time.
It means Hampstead finish the season in third, one place behind Sevenoaks. But after two very good performances gainst the top two in the final two games of the year, Hampstead will go into next season confident of pushing for a promotion place.
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They will do that though without Cressida Grant and Helen Cathcart, who are both retiring after a combined 14 seasons with the club.
The men also recovered from a loss last weekend by drawing 3-3 with second-placed Holcombe.
Both sides have already qualified for the end of season play-offs at Lee Valley next month, where a chance to qualify for Europe is at stake.
Holcombe had a great start and were 2-0 ahead after 20 minutes courtesy of goals from Ian Harvey and Gareth Andrew.
However, Hampstead rallied and by half-time they were level thanks to goals from Jonny Codling and Sam French.
Holcombe regained the lead thanks to a scrappy Sam Ward goal but they were indebted to GB gooalkeeper George Pinner to keep their lead.
The equaliser finally arrived in the 64th minute with a long Toby Roche pass was deflected in by a diving Peter Makin.
