Smash And Grab

If ever a game demonstrated that you should never give up then this was it. It had been a close, well-contested, match between the teams top and bottom of the table in which both sides had spells on top but it looked like two second quarter goals had decided the match in favour of Clifton Robinsons. Little did we know that the fortunes of the two sides would be transformed by two very late Fareham goals which secured an unlikely point from a 2-2 draw and resulted in a change of leadership at the top of the table.

The visitors showed one change from the previous game with Lydia Jackson missing and Sian Edwards back in midfield.

The flow of the match was constant with no clock stoppages, other than at the end of the quarters. The opening quarter was quite a cagey affair with both sides having good spells. Clifton came the closest to scoring when a pass was intercepted in the 3rd minute, leading to a quick cross from the left and a shot which Sophia Barclay saved before the whistle blew for a Clifton foot in the build up.

Tara Lemon snuffed out the danger late in the quarter with a tackle and clearance after a dangerous run into the ‘D’. In between these chances Fareham had a good spell of their own, with some good passing turning defence into attack, without creating a clear chance.

The home side began the 2nd quarter strongly, earning three penalty corners in quick succession. They took the lead from the last of these in the 19th minute. KATHERINE LAVERS was on hand to score with a near post deflection from a shot from the left side after the initial move broke down.

Two minutes later the score was 2-0. Clifton played the ball right to left across the top of the ‘D’ and CHARLIE MILSOM finished with a fierce reverse shot low and wide to the keeper’s right.

The two goals had transformed what had been an even contest but Fareham recovered well and had their first chance in the 25th minute from their first penalty corner. Alicia Caillard’s shot looped up and wide off the stick of Poppy Roddis.

The away side had the majority of the possession for the remainder of the quarter but the closest to another goal was a Clifton shot from five yards out, late in the half, which was wide of the right hand post.

The 3rd quarter followed a similar pattern to the first with some good passing play but both sides found it hard to break down the opposing defences. As the quarter drew to an end it was Fareham who looked the more likely to score next as they took control. A dangerous run by Gracie Coleman set up an opportunity for Georgia Collins to win a PC in the 50th minute but nothing came from the corner.

In the final minute, a long pass down the right enabled Georgia to force another penalty corner which was taken after the whistle blew to end the period. Katie Paxman played the ball into Alicia Caillard in front of goal but her lifted shot from close range was wide of the left post. It was the best chance yet and it would have been a perfect time to reduce the deficit before the final period.

Clifton responded well at the start of the 4th quarter. They created the majority of chances as they looked to stretch the lead to three goals. A quick turn and shot in front of goal was saved by Sophia Barclay’s outstretched foot and cleared in the 54th minute and Sophia was on hand again two minutes later to dive and clear the ball after a cross from the right fell to a Clifton player in the middle of the area.

Fareham had their keeper to thank again in the 59th minute. A long clearance found a Clifton player who beat the last defender in a challenge and bore down on goal. Sophia came out to meet her and forced her wide. Before she could set herself up for a shot the forward was denied by Sophia’s desperate dive to knock the ball away to safety. A penalty corner was awarded but it was far more preferable than a third goal. The danger was not over though and a shot from the resulting corner flashed across the goal, passing inches wide of the far post.

Sophia was called into action once more, with five minutes remaining, after a quickly taken free hit caused danger in the area but she kicked the ball away twice to remove the threat.

Up to this point the visitors had not seen too much of the ball in the final period but, with time running out, they finally took control. A wonderful passing sequence involving almost the whole team began deep in defence and after several changes of direction set up a penalty corner when Gracie Coleman was fouled just outside the ‘D’ in the 68th minute.

The penalty corner worked like a dream as Aimee Timms directed the ball from the top of the ‘D’ to POPPY RODDIS who finished confidently from near the left hand post. It had been a long time coming but it was well deserved and offered a glimmer of hope.

Immediately from the restart Fareham swarmed forward, dispossessing a Clifton defender, and won another penalty corner after a foul on Sarah Atkinson.

From now on things get a little hazy (not helped by the video cutting out at this stage) as we entered the final minute. I am not sure if the ball went out of the circle at some point after the corner and was played back in or whether it remained there throughout. All I can remember is GRACIE COLEMAN, surrounded by defenders, calmly threading the ball through a gap and past the keeper into the goal to complete the most improbable of comebacks and tie the score at 2-2. The final whistle blew a few seconds later with half the team celebrating wildly and the rest of us in shock, trying to figure out what had just happened. The match official recorded the equalizer as a field goal but it might have been a penalty corner. It doesn’t really matter.

We haven’t had much good fortune this season but finally things fell our way. Had the game ended three minutes earlier then no one could have argued that Clifton deserved their lead although it was a close contest throughout between teams at opposite ends of the league table and Fareham deserved something for their hard work and determination.

The result had an impact on the top of the table as the two points dropped by the home side has enabled Bristol Firebrands to regain first place. Meanwhile, the point dramatically gained by Fareham leaves us now eleven points from safety with four matches remaining after Oxford Hawks’ defeat. We would need to win all our remaining games, and have Oxford lose all theirs, to avoid relegation. Whilst this is unlikely to happen, we have once again shown we can compete with the best. The best way of approaching the remaining games is to play the best we can as a team, determined to finish as strongly as possible and give ourselves some good things to remember from our first season at this level.

Next Saturday we have a short away trip to Basingstoke (14.00), knowing that a win will move us above our Hampshire rivals in the table.