TAILOR MADE FOR THE 4THS
With various matches still to be played thanks to so many postponements this season it was the 4ths turn to play catch-up when the side visited Charnwood Sileby in Leicestershire Premier. There were several absentees from the regular side so there were opportunities for two youngsters from the 5ths, Charlotte Hickman and Freya Tailor. With no subs available, the 4ths viewed the powerful sun with some trepidation but anxieties began to ease as the 4ths took a grip on the game. A slight reshuffle midway through the half saw antique player coach Gaynor Nash move sedately upfield to partner Tailor with a first goal for Leicester soon following. A break from Leicester saw Nash on the attack and her pass put Tailor one on one against the keeper. 13 year old Tailor kept her cool and Leicester went one up. Before half time the ever dangerous Abbie MacArthur was fouled and Nash set off towards the D where her cross was touched in by Tailor for her second.
2-0 up at half-time and that was soon 3-0 when a break by Tailor saw lively Jess Honarmand, also 13, fire home. Before long Tailor made it 4-0, latching onto a rebound for her hat-trick. Charlotte Willis powered a goal from a short corner and another short corner was squeezed in by Jo Wyeth before the home side scored a consolation. Nash made it 7-1 from the penalty spot and then Tailor scored her fourth and best, shooting home from a narrow angle to make the score 8-1. The side showed more spirit than of late against a team buoyed by its Plate Final win the previous weekend.
Up at Cannock the 3rd team was in Midlands Tournament action following the win on penalty strokes in the Leicestershire Cup. Up against county champions from other Midlands counties, including club first teams, the side proved competitive throughout. A 0-0 draw in the first game should have yielded more and was followed by two frustrating 2-0 losses in which Leicester had made and spurned several chances. The side can be really proud of the double achievement this year of promotion to Midlands Conference and the Leicestershire Cup win.
An impressive 8 Leicester stars were selected for GB matches against China. A hip injury kept Rebecca Herbert out of the fray but Crista Cullen, Chloe Rogers, Kerry Williams, Hannah MacLeod, Katie Long, Gemma Darrington and Laura Unsworth all saw action either on Wednesday or Friday. Crista Cullen received an award on achieving her 50th GB cap and at just 25 there is plenty of time for many more. The Chinese, silver medallists in Beijing, edged both games 2-1 and 3-1 (Cullen was GB's scorer in the first game) but GB could and should have scored several more.
This Sunday, Leicester will face the winner of Canterbury v University of Birmingham at Leicester Grammar School in what is effectively the Championship play off semi final. Should they win they will face the winners of Reading v Slough for the title and number 1 seeding in the European Hockey League. That final takes place at Cannock on May 1st. Come on Leicester!