PUBLISHED 02 February 2023
It was another great morning of hockey for AKS as our teams faced Wakefield High for the first time this season.
In preparation for the upcoming NW finals the U14 team faced the challenge of playing Wakefield U15 and they certainly rose to the challenge playing some superb hockey and winning 5 -0. We started on the front foot and Rosie L’s first time shot which flew just past the post in the 5th minute set the tempo of the half. Great team play led to our first goal minutes later when Amelia H found Lucy W perfectly positioned on the left post and she made no mistake in finding the net to put us in the lead. Rosie L again shot just wide minutes late after a great passing move which saw Sophia M switch play superbly in midfield , Ellie S drive down the right and find Charlotte L on the wing who used her pace to run the Wakefield defence before crossing to find Rosie in the circle. Our pressure on the right was soon rewarded before the break when Charlotte L scored with a superb strike after another driving run to make it 2 - 0 at half time.
The second half saw us continue to grow in confidence and play superb team hockey with everyone contributing to the team performance. Great work in midfield by Amelia H saw her influence grow and she laid a deft reverse stick pass to Rosie L in the circle and Rosie made it third time lucky as her delicate reverse shot found the net to make it 3-0. Our fourth goal was the best of the game and highlighted our superb passing performance as it started at the back with a hit out. Emilie B started the move and then slick inter-passing involving Ellie S, Hannah A and Amelia H worked the ball into the attacking third where Charlotte L drove into the circle and leashed an unstoppable shot into the goal to make it 4 -0.
Our final goal was another excellent one as Ellie S scored a superb deflected corner goal from Lilly G perfect pass. The last 5 minutes saw Wakefield start to enjoy some possession and put our defenders under pressure but close marking, determined tackling and a fantastic save from GK Sophie S kept the ball out to maintain our clean sheet. Overall a superb team performance with everyone contributing to a display of great passing hockey.
The U12 A team continued their winning ways and emulated the U13 with a dominant performance to win 6 – 1. A hat-trick of goals from Camilla W was followed by further goals from Connie F , Lauren M and Elsie T who was making her A team debut and her excellent performance saw her awarded the player of the match accolade.
The B team had a tough challenge as they faced a mix of Year 7 & 8 players. The girls played well together and were unfortunate to go behind when they mistakenly stooped playing when they heard a whistle from the other pitch and Wakefield took advantage to put the ball in the net. Undeterred the team battled on and came close to getting on the score sheet with some good attacks. It was however Wakefield that found the net before the end with a well taken corner to make final score 0 – 2. Natalie H & Ava D were the players of the match.
The U13 A team also had an impressive win dominating the play to come out 6 – 1 winners which was ideal confidence booster for their next venture the Lancashire U13 Tournament. Anna V led the scoring with 4 goals while Camilla C added a brace. The team are starting to work together and it was a great team performance with players showing adaptability in playing different roles and sticking to their role. Player of the match was Olivia D.