Arran Ladies 8
Western Wildcats IV 0
Women’s West District 4th division
Last Saturday saw Arran ladies host Western Wildcats IV at the Ormidale astroturf.
This was a first trip to Arran for most of the Western Wildcats players who were from their development team.
A delayed ferry pushed back the start time by more than an hour but this did not dampen the upbeat attitude brought by members of the away team who said the pitch was the most scenic they had ever played at as they marvelled at the most incredible backdrop of Goatfell.
A 15-strong Arran took charge from the off with a wonderfully placed ball from Helen, seeing Loraine on the score sheet with the first goal of the game.
There was no holding Arran ladies back in the first quarter with a plethora of goals, one coming from a new short corner routine. Captain Lynda Fenton sent the ball to Lorraine at the top of the ‘D’. A well-practiced defensive routine from Western Wildcats saw the ball cleared twice by the keeper, but Jenna Cook regained possession, firing the ball back towards goal which saw Julia and Lorraine try for goal again, only to be denied by the Wildcats defenders. However, a wonderfully positioned Lynda on the left hand post hit the backboard to seal the goal.
Arran made good use of excellent positioning from Julia Kulis and Mia Walker to drive through the mid field for forward Lorraine Hewie, who rattled the back board twice by the end of the first quarter.
Any breaks in play from the Wildcats were easily dealt with by the experienced defensive line-up of Cat Galbraith, Anne Watts, Helen Thomson and Dawn Lyle.
Changes in the second quarter saw Delyth Mair Jones back on the pitch following an injury and in a change of formation for Arran, Del broke away from the visitors within seconds and scored.
A targeted free hit from Lynda was picked up by Lorraine who scored her fourth goal of the game.
Del chalked up another goal in the second quarter, giving Lorraine “Hurricane” Hewie the challenge she’s been waiting for – top goal scorer of the season.
This quarter saw Pauline Reid taking up the role of centre defence, working hard with Helen Thomson’s power hit to clear any breakthroughs to an eagerly awaiting midfield. Arran broke away again to see Jenna Cook denied a place on the score sheet, after her goal was disallowed following a call from the umpire for an infringement before the shot.
The third quarter saw Karen McGrath slip into left back, with brilliant channelling of the ball to the line for Lorraine and Kaitlyn pushing up the pitch once again, resulting in one more goal for Del which was the only one of the quarter.
A skillful Wildcats dug deep in the fourth quarter attacking on goal, despite the 8-0 scoreline. Marie Craig came on to provide fresh legs in midfield. A wonderful switch in play from the defence saw Mia sprint down the wing towards goal with Kaitlyn and Jenna but the shot was deflected.
Two short corners in a matter of minutes for Wildcats saw fast reactions from Cat, Dawn, Helen and Karen denying any goal before the final whistle.
Wildcats nominated Captain Lynda Fenton player of the game for her solid midfield performance and Arran players identified Cat Galbraith as their dame of the game for her grit, determination and hard hits.
Arran Ladies thanked Paul Hewie for umpiring the game and Cameron Logan for recording the match by drone for the team to use for team training.
Arran Ladies will host Uddingston IV tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm at the Ormidale astroturf. Come along and cheer on the home side.
The Arran Ladies team prior to the match. 01_B45hockey01_23_Arran_Ladies
Western Wildcats VI. 01_B45hockey02_23_Western_Wildcats
Delyth Mair Jones powers through the defenders to score her second goal for Arran. 01_B45hockey03_23_Delyth_score
Goalkeeper Suzi Haddow deftly defends a goal with a swift kick. 01_B45hockey04_23_Suzi_Haddow
Lorraine “Hurricane” Hewie leaves the opposition reeling as she blasts the ball into the net at close quarters. 01_B45hockey05_23_Lorraine_Hewie
Captain Lynda Fenton’s solid performance in midfield earned her the player of the game award from the Western Wildcats. 01_B45hockey06_23_Lynda_Fenton