This is Bath -- Team Bath Buccaneers under-16 girls narrowly missed out on a top-four finish at the EH National Finals in Wakefield over the weekend. In the first match against Old Loughtonians, Team Bath started quickly dominating the early exchanges. Towards the end of the first half, however, the Bath team began to be wasteful in possession and Old Loughtonians were able to mount a period of sustained pressure, ultimately taking a deserved lead. Team Bath started the second half with much greater energy and a nest passing move between Susie Barnes and Holly Jackson enabled Ellie Lyne to fire home a deserved equaliser. And things quickly got even better for the Bath girls as another sharp passing exchange provided gave Jackson the opportunity to take the lead. Old Loughtonians came back strongly but were held at bay until the last five minutes when, having been reduced to ten players, Team bath found themselves defending deeper and deeper. Inevitably the pressure told and Old Loughtonians were able to equalise for a hard-fought, extremely entertaining, draw. The second match with Banbury started with the Team Bath girls very much in the ascendancy. Despite winning a series of penalty corners and a number of clear cut chances, however, the team failed to convert any of these opportunities. To compound their woes, a defensive lapse gave one of the Banbury forwards the freedom of Wakefield and Team Bath inexplicably found themselves turning round a goal down at half-time. The girls started the second half with a renewed determination and were immediately rewarded with a penalty corner from which Susie Barnes lashed home an equaliser. Within five minutes the team were ahead, Ellie Lyne's clever deflection hitting a Banbury foot on the way into goal and Olivia Allin emphatically converting the resulting penalty stroke. Victory seemed assured when another neat penalty corner exchange resulted in Holly Jackson's pass being swept home by Barnes to extend the Team Bath lead. However, Banbury rallied late and only a smart save from Nicole New, and good defensive work from Eliza Matthews, Connie Redman and Ellie Taylor, ensured the two-goal cushion was maintained. In front of a partisan crowd, Team Bath took on hosts and eventual champions Wakefield in their final match. The girls made a strong start, pressing hard and forcing mistakes from their opponents in an effort to win a place in the final, fashioning several chances without ever quite creating a clear cut opportunity. As ever against very strong opposition, one mistake proved costly and Wakefield took advantage to win a penalty stroke and go to the break with a one-goal lead. Having got their noses in front, Wakefield began to expose the fatigue in the Team Bath ranks and despite some hard work down the left flank by Gabi Chapman and Katie Braithwaite won a series of penalty corners from which they extended their lead to four goals. Overall, Team Bath finished third in their group, only missing out on goal difference on the play-off for third place.
Reported by This is 5 days ago.
This is Bath -- Team Bath Buccaneers under-16 girls narrowly missed out on a top-four finish at the EH National Finals in Wakefield over the weekend. In the first match against Old Loughtonians, Team Bath started quickly dominating the early exchanges. Towards the end of the first half, however, the Bath team began to be wasteful in possession and Old Loughtonians were able to mount a period of sustained pressure, ultimately taking a deserved lead. Team Bath started the second half with much greater energy and a nest passing move between Susie Barnes and Holly Jackson enabled Ellie Lyne to fire home a deserved equaliser. And things quickly got even better for the Bath girls as another sharp passing exchange provided gave Jackson the opportunity to take the lead. Old Loughtonians came back strongly but were held at bay until the last five minutes when, having been reduced to ten players, Team bath found themselves defending deeper and deeper. Inevitably the pressure told and Old Loughtonians were able to equalise for a hard-fought, extremely entertaining, draw. The second match with Banbury started with the Team Bath girls very much in the ascendancy. Despite winning a series of penalty corners and a number of clear cut chances, however, the team failed to convert any of these opportunities. To compound their woes, a defensive lapse gave one of the Banbury forwards the freedom of Wakefield and Team Bath inexplicably found themselves turning round a goal down at half-time. The girls started the second half with a renewed determination and were immediately rewarded with a penalty corner from which Susie Barnes lashed home an equaliser. Within five minutes the team were ahead, Ellie Lyne's clever deflection hitting a Banbury foot on the way into goal and Olivia Allin emphatically converting the resulting penalty stroke. Victory seemed assured when another neat penalty corner exchange resulted in Holly Jackson's pass being swept home by Barnes to extend the Team Bath lead. However, Banbury rallied late and only a smart save from Nicole New, and good defensive work from Eliza Matthews, Connie Redman and Ellie Taylor, ensured the two-goal cushion was maintained. In front of a partisan crowd, Team Bath took on hosts and eventual champions Wakefield in their final match. The girls made a strong start, pressing hard and forcing mistakes from their opponents in an effort to win a place in the final, fashioning several chances without ever quite creating a clear cut opportunity. As ever against very strong opposition, one mistake proved costly and Wakefield took advantage to win a penalty stroke and go to the break with a one-goal lead. Having got their noses in front, Wakefield began to expose the fatigue in the Team Bath ranks and despite some hard work down the left flank by Gabi Chapman and Katie Braithwaite won a series of penalty corners from which they extended their lead to four goals. Overall, Team Bath finished third in their group, only missing out on goal difference on the play-off for third place.
Reported by This is 5 days ago.