Sport
| Published date | 17 November 2023 |
| Publication title | Dumfries & Galloway Standard |
Ardrossan played the pitch well and with some good team and individual play they capitalised with a quick goal.
This unsettled the Dumfries players for a bit but they did settle and start to try and play well.
There was some good defensive passing round the back, trying to widen the pitch and the midfield and strikers worked hard to keep the ball moving.
Ardrossan consistently battled their way through and were awarded a few penalty corners, one of which they converted just as the whistle blew.
Second quarter and Dumfries went out a lot stronger and took the game to
Ardrossan.
They were very unlucky not to win some free hits near the shooting circle, but they played on and kept battling for outcomes. A quick break for Ardrossan and some good quick individual play saw a solo run result in goal number three.
A good positive half time talk by Emily and Dumfries took to the pitch for the second half.
With their backs to the sun Dumfries went for every ball and made some good passing and moving play.
They put more pressure on the Ardrossan defence and the opposition were certainly not liking this at all.
Ardrossan didn't give up and after some dubious decisions were awarded a goal from open play.
Fourth quarter and four nil down, all credit to Dumfries they kept pressurising Ardrossan.
They played some lovely balls through to the strikers who were very unlucky not to gain some corners, but it wasn't to be. A very harsh umpiring decision saw a Dumfries player sent offfor two minutes,
which was quite surprising after some of the physical challenges which had happened throughout the game.
An unlucky away day for Dumfries, with the score did not reflect the game at all. Kelburne Ladies' 3s 2-1 Dumfries Ladies' 2s Dumfries 2s travelled to the National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green with a fine balance of youth and experience to play Kelburne 3s.
Both teams enjoyed what followed - a closely contested, sporting end-to-end
match.
The home team settled first, with good hockey in 2s and 3s across and up the pitch, but Dumfries soon ran-offtheir travel-legs, both breaking-up play and building their own offensive play. Possession became fairly equal.
Then, the first quarter swung the way of Kelburne, with a well-taken goal from one of their young strikers.
Dumfries re-started the game with a pass-back, and within a short space of time, Dumfries had worked the ball up the pitch into the attacking D to set up Gladys to move the ball past the goalkeeper - restoring the equality to 1-1, and that is how the first quarter ended.
The second quarter saw both teams use the width and length of the pitch - both enjoying possession and both seeing changes come and go.
Half-time came and the score remained at 1-1.
Buoyed by a half-time team chat, Dumfries started the third quarter with renewed energy, and continued to work hard.
There were great saves from Georgia in goal, great clearancesand forward movement of the ball from the defence of Katie; Mags; Vicky and our on-loan Kelburne player, and great play and running between the midfield of Anna; Eilidh; Elen; Emily, and the forwards Effie and Gladys. Dumfries won outcomes - free hits; long corners; short corners, but they were thwarted by a strong Kelburne back-line, and an equally-committed Kelburne team who were able to convert one of their chances into a second
goal - making it 2-1 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw Dumfries continue to up their possession; and pressure on the Kelburne defence, but despite a great work rate, they just could not get that final touch over the line to earn what would have been a well-deserved draw - the game ending at 2-1 to Kelburne.
This was a very encouraging performance from the whole Dumfries 2 team, and it is great to see the team performance being made by our younger, developing players - well done Anna; Effie; Eilidh; Emily; Katie.
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