ICSM Girls Promoted with game in hand!
This team doesn't deserve any stick judging by their performance
Having checked the league table a million times (no exaggeration!), we all knew this was the big one, the one to win. ICSM Ladies 1st XI was undoubtedly two points clear with a game in hand. A win on this surprisingly sunny March morning would lead us into the final match of the season, against second place Barts 1’s, inevitable champions! No pressure…
Despite missing two key players, there was a quiet confidence amongst the team. This may have been due the addition of a strong second team player boosting our squad, Fiona Field, or the birthday luck Elke Wynberg brings each year. Maybe even the fact that we were entering the match with a string of wins, cumulating in a thrashing of our self-proclaimed league rivals, Vet’s 1’s, the team who had previously hospitalised our star defender, Harriet Davidson! The first whistle went and action stations were go, we started with the same pace and excellence we have demonstrated throughout the season; beautiful, accurate passing, dynamic movement off the ball and teamwork second to none.
However the confidence we maintained throughout the warm-up and first ten minutes, was quickly dashed when we realised this was something we were going to have to fight for. GKT 2’s, our competent opposition, were not going to make this easy for us.
We sustained our finesse despite continuous pressure from the opposition and our first goal came from a break from top forward Charlotte Lees. Faced with a one on one against the already proved, excellent keeper, Lees kept her cool and the ball sailed over the keepers dive into the top of the net. Our second goal came from a well-earned short corner; a set piece led captain, Rosie Belcher, to drive another past the Kings Medics defence.
Two goals up, the half was coming to an end, but the action wasn’t over yet. GKT had kept the pressure high throughout the half and finally made a successful break leaving the ICSM defence in tatters as they knocked one past our goalie in a two-on-one, gutted! Going into half time with the score of 2-1 our goalmouth half time chat was agitated. We had had a good half with plenty of opportunities but had only put two away; even the umpire agreed we should have been at least 4-1 up! With thirty-five minutes left of the game to clinch the league we vowed to go out and put an end to them, we wanted this.
The second half saw an unsatisfying twenty minutes for both teams with fruitless attacks at both ends, definitely more at ours, but I would say that! With frustrations running high we really needed another goal to secure the game. Play picked up and the pizazz we had demonstrated all season finally resurfaced, proving we were deserved league winners. Some excellent insight from centre mid-fielder Charlotte Read gave captain Rosie another chance to slot a goal away from the top of the D. With the score now comfortably 3-1, this gave us the “shot in the arm” we needed to finish the game with the majestic play we knew we were capable of.
On the final whistle, we all attempted, and I most definitely failed, to control our excitement for a polite ‘three cheers’ and hand-shake, before the whooping, cheering and ecstatic skipping began! The umpires were only paid on the agreement they would take a celebratory photo, “Thanks Roger”. See inset, “It’s not two chins, it’s a neck!” C. Read.
It may not have been the prettiest hockey we have played all season but the final score, definitely reflected all the hard work each and every member of the team has put in this season. Thanks guys!! A special mention needed for our wonderful and dynamic forwards, Lees, Nat, Claudia and final year Alison who have given us the boost we needed to reach our potential this season! And thank you to the twos captain, Becky, who has never turned me down when I have been stuck! What a confidence boost for varsity! Bring it on… Lucky for who? Us I hope.
