The Juggernaut Rolls On

This week Beavers A discovered the joys of winning at a canter. After last week’s hard-fought match, Wilmslow proved to be an easier task. Wilmslow are going through a transition period with a large intake of junior players new to hockey which bodes well for their future but presents problems for them at present, with many of their newcomers playing in this match.

That said, victories only come, particularly by large margins, if a team plays properly and with discipline, making the easy passes, running only when necessary, letting the ball do the work. Beavers A stuck to the task admirably.

Defensively Chester is beginning to spread the ball wide. Lukas Pold and Jonny Riley played the ball round the back of the defence for the first time this week showing the benefit of switching play from one side to the other. With only one or two Wilmslow players in the Chester half, Beavers A defence also comprising Matthew Randles, Ruby Whysall and Ffion Chilton pushed up the field supporting the midfield and cutting down the gap between defence and midfield to enable pressure to be maintained when Wilmslow cleared the ball.

In midfield the energy of the Chester performance was maintained for the full game, led from the base of the diamond by Chester’s new captain, Emily Hunt, ably supported by Ella Thombs, Tom Lindberg, Lauren Scoltock and Elliot Hall.

Up front there was great link up play from Abi Jeavons, Marcus Badiru and Charlie Cook, whose goal of the game, a roofed shot in the second quarter, won him the Man of the Match award from the opposition.

At the end of the second quarter and leading 6-0 Chester were reminded that against Triton goals had been leaked as players became over-confident and failed to pass. That message was heeded as Chester remained strong, against a Wilmslow team that began to make incursions into the Chester D. Finn O’Dell in goal still had little to do, but what was needed was done effectively.

In the final quarter, Wilmslow asked Chester if they could mix things up a little to take a bit of pressure off and so Defence played in Attack and Attack in Defence, with the manager making random substitutions to unsettle the Chester team. Unfortunately for Wilmslow such is the growing understanding between this group of players that a further two goals were scored, with Chester’s sterling left back and part time centre forward, Ffion Chilton netting her first goal for Beavers A.

Once again thanks to the parents who ferried their team out to Wilmslow and supported from the sidelines. The Beavers A juggernaut rolls on.