Chess Valley: 1
Harpenden: 6
21.10.06

The away fixture to Chess Valley unveiled the awaited new Harpenden Hockey Club kit supplied by Kick Off Sport and Ski.

With the team looking smart and confidence high, the game got off to a start. However a rare uncharacteristic mistake from Quinn seconds into the game saw Chess Valley obtain their first short corner of the match. The corner was defended well and Gardner got a block, but the deflection fell kindly to Valley’s strike force and without further ado the ball was slipped past the keeper and Harps were then chasing a 0-1 lead.

Harpenden were out of sorts and wayward passes and forced balls did nothing to help their cause. Harpenden battled on and finally, thanks to the teams work rate, came closer to scoring after winning some short corners through which the equaliser eventually came.

Within 2 minutes of the equaliser from Smith, Harps were up by another goal through an unlikely source! Usually a stalwart defender, Borman had joined an attack to put herself in a good position on the back post. A fantastic ball was whizzed across the D to find Borman who slotted the ball home in style!

After a few sharp words by the Captain at half time, Harpenden flew out of the traps a different animal; the shape was better, the passing fluent, grit and determination was put into every tackle and Harps were shortly to become a goal machine!

The constant pressure brought goal 3, delivered via a short corner this time, with Lincoln putting her first half miss behind her and finishing in trade mark fashion.

Shortly after, goal 4 was created through some excellent team work; a good shot was well saved by the keeper and Smith pounced to put home a relatively easy poachers goal!

Goal 5 came through Smith once more as she completed her hat trick with her best goal of the afternoon, pounding an undercut into the top right hand corner of the goal, leaving the keeper with no chance and everyone else watching agog.

The afternoon was rounded off with goal number 6 from Lincoln as she plied her trade mark trickery, fooling the keeper with a little lift and then a well placed shot!

A break in league fixtures next week see’s Harp’s travel away to Bedford on 4th November 2006.

Team: Emily Meade (GK), Claire Gardner, Caroline Connell, Sue Dear, Karen Slough, Vicky Borman, Georgia Naden, Vicky Quinn, Jac Smith (C), Louisa England, Karen Lincoln & Julia Bradley.