Ladies 1's pleased with a win in a well fought game

Havering Ladies travelled to Tunbridge Wells hoping to build on last week's win. With several forced changes to the team they knew it was going to be tough but the team pulled together and worked really hard from the start. The Havering defence of Chris Noller, making her return to the first team, Steph Prowse and Bethan Isherwood were quick to organise themselves effectively and Alison Isherwood, making her debut after a last minute call up, marked closely to help prevent attacks down the right. Havering took charge early in the game and were rewarded with several penalty corners. On their second one, Sue Harwood pushed out for Noller to stop and roll to Emma Isherwood who waited to commit the oncoming defender and then slipped the ball to Alex Semon who fired a great shot into the far corner to put Havering ahead. Havering continued to work hard, Emily Martin, despite an injured thumb, after receiving a whack on it, continually tracked back to win the ball and go immediately on the attack. She made some strong runs into the attacking circle and was unlucky not to get a shot away. Wells did start to put some attacks together but with the defence holding firm found it hard to get a strike in. Havering keeper Sophie McCoy was again on superb form, determined to keep a clean sheet. Harwood and Lauren Earle began to link well in midfield and were getting passes through to Katie Griggs, Emily Gilkes-Tarsey and Semon to put pressure on the host's defence. However Havering could not add to their total in the second half. Wells tried to rally at the start of the second half as Havering kept giving possession away but McCoy was again able to deny them. Earle, Harwood and Martin were strong in midfield and Bethan Isherwood made some driving runs from defence to win a few penalty corners but shots were saved. Wells' best chance came when they had a penalty corner and both Prowse and Noller were sent back to the halfway line for early breaking of the defensive line, leaving just McCoy, Harwood and Bethan Isherwood to defend it. They cleared it away superbly and Havering began to attack again. They won their own penalty corner soon after, and in a virtual repeat of their earlier goal, scored a second, this time Gilkes-Tarsey deflecting Semon's shot in. With just 5 minutes to go Wells could not fight back and Havering were pleased to win a well battled game.