On the most important day of the season for both the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan, Leeds Uni women’s hockey team took the opportunity to show who had the better team winning a tense varsity match. Going ahead within the first minute of the match, they couldn’t prevent Leeds Met from clawing back. Uni showed spirit in the second half taking the lead again and dominating through to full time with Met failing to capitalise on a penalty shot.
The match started perfectly for Leeds Unigoing straight into an attack down the right wing, Leeds Met unable to control the tempo of the start from Uni, the ball is crossed taking a big deflection off a Met player unable to defend the cross, falling to Claire Strickland who had managed to find some space to slot the ball in the net.
Leeds Met gradually got themselves back in the game, having more possession, but were unable to break down the solid Uni defence, led by Number 4. With Met pinning back the Uni team; Uni attempted a counter attack through number 7, who looked threatening all game, only to be thwarted by the Met defence. The ball was thumped back upfield to Number 13 of the Met team, who powered her shot beyond the Uni keeper. Leeds Uni beaten at their own game. The equaliser seemed to unnerve both sides, leaving the first half to trail off rather uneventfully with sloppy play from both teams, Leeds Met having the best opportunity, somehow being denied a goal with a goal mouth scrap; great defending from the Uni team.
The second half was far higher tempo and more exciting, the team talks clearly having an impact on both teams. Despite Met starting brightly with number 13 looking like their best threat at goal, the Uni defence stayed strong, number 4 still blocking anything that came towards her, whilst also creating opportunities up front. 112, 59 and 7 combined nicely up front as Uni got back into the game, with 112 drawing a fine save from the Met keeper. Just as Uni started looking dangerous however, Met won a controversial penalty with their number 5 having the nerve to take the penalty. She swung wildly though and missed the goal by quite a distance. Met never looked threatening from this point. Uni took full advantage, powering through the middle helped by a defender slipping, Uni’s number 32 silkily ran down the right to cross in for Sophie Watkiss to bundle the ball home. 32 and Watkiss were dangerous for the rest of the game persistently preventing the defence of clearing their lines, ending Met’s hopes of a comeback; Met even unable to make the most of a Uni player being booked and subsequently sin binned.
Full time score: 2-1to the University of Leeds, a fully deserved win for the team in green!
Author: Tom O’Sullivan