Ladies 1s off to a flying start!

Petersfield welcome the start of the season at home against a new team in the league, Hamble 2’s. The new season brings changes to the table for the local club as the Hampshire league merges with the Dorset league.
Petersfield got off to a quick start setting the pace for the game and working well together to play around the opposition. It wasn’t long before their teamwork connected them into the D and the attacks at goal began. A prosperous first half saw the home side score seven goals with no attacks against them breaking their 25-yard line. Karen Llewelyn, strong at right back picked off any balls coming down the wing. Lola Day showed her class up front, sinking four goals and securing her first hat-trick of the season. Jo Bardoe and Anna O’Kelly, the up-front duo, poised themselves around the front of the goal working together to slip the ball around the keeper and hit the backboard of the goal. A short corner, awarded because the ball hit defenders foot in the D, was injected by Skye Bardoe to Fizz Easton. Easton took a straight strike from the top of the D smashing the ball in the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
The second half didn’t see the intensity diminish from Petersfield. Again, Hamble struggled to mount successful attacks against the home side who were defending from the front. An attacking run from Imogen Bell around the right wing picked out Jo Bardoe who secured a further goal. As the pressure continued in the D a saved shot from the keeper deflected out to the top of the circle and was picked up by Easton under pressure. A tap on the foot of the defender allowed Petersfield another short corner. Skye Bardoe injected to Delyth Beaton who played it back into the circle for a deflection from Anji Hedges. 9-0 Petersfield. Fantastic mid-field play by the home team managed to control the pace and angle of attacks making it difficult for Hamble to keep hold of the ball. As the game drew closer to the end Petersfield began to sit back and Hamble managed to break a few attacks into their half. A runaway forward and a last ditch tackle in the D caused a fowl and awarded a short corner to the away team. A well defended run out from Violet Eames stopped the strike but the ball was still in play in the circle. Josie Briggs defended the second shot and swept the ball out of the D. A waiting attacker ran the ball in and slipped it in front of the keeper to their forward. A first-time deflection just beat the home team keeper, who was yet to have touched the ball, and Hamble secured their first goal of the match 65 minutes into the game.
Not to finish on a low note, Petersfield upped the ante and took the game back to Hamble. An attack down the left slipped the ball Hedges on the base line who deflected it top D for Easton. Easton ran it right and a shot from 1m in the D beat the keeper on the left as it bounced onto the backboard.
Petersfield opened the season with a 10-1 victory and, for now, sit top of the league. Next week sees them take on Aldershot and Farnham 3s at Home.