Winning finish to the season for Danby HC
Danby Hockey Club Ladies ended their league season with an excellent 4-1 win at Durham Uni 6s.
With what is always a tough game Danby knew they’d have to work hard to get a result.
The game started at a high pace but Danby were working the ball well to travel up the pitch and it wasn’t long before Alice Hogarth beat the keeper giving them an early lead.
Durham continued to press Danby’s defence but Christine Tarrant and Pippa Middlemas remained strong and were clearing the ball wide.
Danby centre-halves Kathryn Hogarth and player of the match Nikki Graham dominated the game and were feeding the ball forward to allow the visiting forwards chances on goal.
A quick Durham break saw them equalise just before half-time.
In the second half some fabulous link-up play from Chloe Orrell and Sarah Thompson saw Thompson give Danby the lead with an exceptional effort.
Grace Brown and Lilly Harland worked well together to play around the Durham players to create space for Erin Hodgson to fire home Danby’s third of the game.
Durham continued to press the Danby defence but Rosie Hogarth remained calm and dealt with the threats and sending the ball forward, in the final few minutes Erin Hodgson ran at the Durham goal and with a powerful strike from the edge of the D she sealed a 4-1 win from a superb team performance from Danby.
The Danby 2s ended their season with a 2-1 win at Northallerton 3s.
Danby defenders – and players of the match – Ellie Jackson-Fishpool and Ellie Maud kept Northallerton attacks from reaching the keeper with excellent skill and timing on display.
Chloe Thompson and Chloe Walker teamed up well in the centre to drive the ball up the pitch but the visitors couldn’t capitalise.
An unfortunate foot in the D led to Northallerton getting a penalty flick which they scored. With Danby’s centre-forward Emily Dowson getting a green card with 2 minutes off and 1-0 down at half-time - things weren’t looking up.
A positive half-time team-talk from vice-captain Isobel Brown gave Danby 2s just the boost they needed to get back into the game in the second half.
A number of penetrating runs from Saffron Verrill down the left led to Dowson getting Danby’s leveller.
Keeper Catherine Adamson continued to keep out all Northallerton efforts and in the final minute Dowson made a determined run down the centre, crossing the ball to a perfectly positioned Katie Snaith to smash home the winner.