Womens 2s vs Oxford Hawks W1

England Hockey Conference Midlands League

Oxford Hawks 9 – 0 Harleston Magpies 2nd XI

Venue: Away at Oxford Hawks

Harleston Magpies 2nd XI travelled to Oxford Hawks in challenging wet weather, with goalkeeper Katy Davy making her National League debut. Despite determined effort, the Magpies endured a difficult afternoon, compounded by an early injury to one of their players in the second quarter, which disrupted rhythm and reduced options off the bench. The first quarter started with Magpies threatening the Opposition D well however it was Oxford who capitalized first with a sharp finish from open play. A second goal followed 10 minutes later, Hawks capitalising on space in the circle.

Magpies went into the second quarter hoping to improve on their performance, unfortunately early in the second quarter Magpies defence suffered a blow when Laura Groves sustained a nasty injury, which saw her leave the pitch for the rest of the game. As the quarter drew to a close Hawks scored two goals in quick succession, one from a clinical short corner and another field goal. 

Magpies went into the 3rd quarter determined to produce a better performance than in the first half. Hawks resumed quickly after the break and earned a short corner, converting it to make the score 5-0. Magpies continued their hard work was visible and they made it much harder for the persistent Hawks side, with Davy producing several strong saves in difficult conditions.

In the 4th quarter Hawks continued to pile on the pressure, and magpies were unable to keep the attackers out. Hawks added another 4 to the sheet. A tough afternoon for the girls and lessons to be learnt. Everyone wishes Grovesy a speedy recovery. Just one more game next week at home against Cannock in the first of the return fixtures.