Both teams came into the match needing a win to improve their seasons’ fortunes. Birmingham Hockey Womens 3s were 3rd in the Midlands 1A, in a jostling position between Loughborough 3rds and today opponents Birmingham Womens 4s.
Drizzily rain persisted during the match. The 3s started with strong control moving the ball calmly from side to side in triangular formations. However 10 minutes into the match it was the 4’s that struck first. After receiving a short corner, the 4’s attempted a direct shot at goal but this was deflected in by the ball hitting the upper part of a 3’s hockey stick, leading the goal keeper powerless to save it. There was a huge woop from the 4’s with this.
The 4’s continued with the pressure for another 10 minutes, causing the 3’s some problems. However, the 3’s started to fight back in the last 15 minutes, pressing in the 4’s red zone. This would eventually pay off, after a series of short corner opportunities missed, the 3’s struck back to level the score on the stroke of half time.
There was no advance in the scoring in the second half but the 3’s will rue the amount of opportunities that they had. For large passages of the second half, they were able to pick off short passes or out muscle the 4’s. However, when they came into the red zone, the 3’s lacked the composure to get a clean shot away. The 4’s had little chances to strike back, although it did look in fleeting moments they could construct a goal.
The match ended with the score of 1-1. The 3’s will consider this to be a loss given the possession, territory and opportunities at goal and the 4’s will consider this a valuable point to stay above Warwick in the table.
