Ladies 1s lose out to Sutton Coldfield

Hockey
by Mike Haymonds

Investec EHL Premier
Slough 2 Sutton Coldfield 4

SLOUGH Ladies crashed to defeat against bottom club Sutton Coldfield after conceding three goals in the opening quarter.
The visitors went two up inside four minutes as the reorganised Slough defence was all at sea and, although Slough pulled the two goals back, Sutton immediately regained the lead and always looked the more likely winners.
The absence of Emer Harte and Harriet Cunningham led coach Royce Waters to play a three-person back-line and an extra player up front but the tactic backfired as the visitors took advantage of Slough’s disarray. Waters said: “It was disappointing as we created enough chances but we failed to take them and costly errors at the back proved crucial.”
Sarah Mills struck twice in the opening four minutes but, after two unsuccessful penalty corners, Slough skipper Natalie Bell cut the deficit with a shot from the top of the D. Louise Bevan equalised in the 17th minute but, within a minute, Sutton regained the lead through Helen Morris as the Slough defence was slow to spot the danger.
The visitors’ keeper Becky Batsford made a diving stick save at Slough’s second corner before Kate Filochowski kept out Sutton’s second set piece.

After the interval the Slough keeper then denied Jane Sixsmith in a one-on-one situation before Hannah Bowe struck a post at the second of three successive Slough corners. However, Sixsmith scored a fourth for Sutton in the 48th minute before Slough staged a late rally. Lauren Penny was off target and Bowe was thwarted by the keeper and then fired wide at Slough’s sixth and seventh corners.

Kate McGonigle got back to clear a goal-bound shot by Celia Butler off the line and a fierce strike by Alex Scott brought out a flying glove save by Batsford.

SLOUGH: Filochowski;, McGonigle, Coulson, Bowe, Scott, Bell, Bevan, Penny, Ball, White, Bryant, Ilkei.

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Slough Ladies, sponsored by The Hub Entertainment, face their toughest challenge so far this season when Leicester come to Upton Court Road tomorrow (Saturday) for a 2 pm start.
League champions for the past two seasons, Leicester lost their opening two games in the absence of their seven Olympic squad members.
But, since their return, they have won the last two and have climbed to sixth place, two above Slough.
Slough have not beaten the Midlanders for two seasons, losing two and drawing two of their last four league meetings.
Slough will be boosted by the return of Emer Harte and Harriet Cunningham who missed Saturday’s defeat by Sutton Coldfield.

ENDS