Ladies’ 1s win against Witney

After a pitch swap and a second umpire finally arriving after being rescued by the opposition manager, the Ladies 1s were ready to take on their local rivals, Witney, in what was set to be a fast-paced, exciting game.

The game started with both sides having a point to prove, especially with a few familiar faces donning white shirts after playing last season in maroon. Both teams saw possession and had chances on goal, but it wasn't until a continued period of pressure from Hawks that saw them turn the ball over in Witney's defensive half and a perfect through ball from Lucy, that the home team got their name on the scoresheet with a stunning deflection from Tiny.

Still in the first quarter and quick to respond, after a lapse in concentration from Hawks, Witney equalised with a reverse strike on goal taking an unfortunate deflection off a Hawks defender.

Hawks didn't let this rattle them. After another period of slick passing and attacking play, Kim and her silky skills won Hawks a short corner, which was converted with a lethal drag flick from Megan.

Just before the half time whistle and following another impressive display of passing from the home team, the ball was floated through to Lucy who took advantage of being free at the top of the D and struck the ball into the far corner of the goal.

With the home side 3-1 up going into the second half, Hawks knew all they had to do was manage the game and limit Witney's dangerous breaks from their speedy forwards. They did exactly this, with the whole team putting in a shift to produce some excellent defensive work, and some outstanding saves from Pagey, meaning Witney couldn't getting a look in.

The defensive work didn't stop Hawks from taking advantage of multiple attacking opportunities to try and extend the scoreline, including a penalty flick which was saved by the Witney GK. Despite the many chances and a short corner awarded to Hawks in the final seconds of the game, the scoreline remained 3-1.

Deserved joint Player of the Match goes to Lucy and Tiny.

The Ladies 1's look forward to taking on Clifton 2's away this Saturday for their final match before the Christmas break.

Thanks to Clive Jones for the excellent photos and Andy Clark for the highlights video below.

Video Highlights