COWHC Ladies 1s vs Cheam Ladies 1s - 06th Oct 2018

You know it’s going to be a good day when you arrive for a match and find a personalised parking space waiting for you. Building on our first league point from last week, we were keen to put a stop to Cheam’s run of form in the league so far. We hung on for the first 10 minutes as Cheam threw everything at us, and then decided we would show them how it was done. We played across the whole pitch, using the width beautifully to easily outsmart the opposition. Everyone found space, balls went from stick to stick and the game of hockey became a beautiful thing. This led to pressure on the Cheam goal and Lizzy set up an opening for Alex to convert. (Two goals in two weeks. Just checking everyone has spotted that.) Cheam piled on the pressure, threw numbers up front and showed that hockey can be a physical sport, but Lisa P and Santy were having none of it, rescuing numerous shots off the line to keep our noses ahead. As the rain lashed down, Cheam irritatingly converted one of their chances to take the score to 1-1 but the Mighty COWs fought tirelessly to maintain the scoreline and secure another precious league point.

Things we were very good at: the mysterious press, Emer politely asking the umpire if barging was allowed, Santy stopping mid-air goals crossing the line, finding space all over the pitch, Lisa P flinging herself everywhere, midfielders not becoming involved in play when we were less than 5m from a free hit.

Things that might need a bit more practice: short corners

Thanks to Chris for umpiring, and Forsh, Georgie, Adam and Joe for coming to support.

The team was: Lisa P, LBell, Lena, Santy, Lydia, Poppy, Alex, Nicky, Lizzy, Dicko, Tani, Hannah and Emer.

PoM votes were 0.5 Emer, 1 for Lizzy, 6.5 for Lisa P and 7 for the awesomely brave Santy.

I will leave you with the knowledge that next Thursday, 11 October, is International Day of the Girl 2018. Here is a quote from Marie Curie, whose achievements include the discovery of two elements, polonium and radium. She is the only woman to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences, and later founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw, which remain major centres of medical research today. Marie Curie said: “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.”