A team of 12 travelled to Wisbech for the late pushback consisting of: Zoe Bailey (C), Vicky Benedikz, Melanie Benedikz, Jo Graham Thompson, Robyn Kennedy, Peggy-Rose Claydon, Ella Hill, Liv Wright (GK), Isla McCulloch, Murron McCulloch, Rachel Kellett and Alex Lowe.
We pressed from the off even with the lighting on the pitch resembling candle light. We attacked with a new pairing of Kennedy and M Benedikz forming the front middle of the line up with a McCulloch on each side creating the dynamic attacking formation. Lowe, Claydon and Hill making up the midfield with Kellett, Graham-Thompson and V Benedikz commanding the defence with Wright trustworthy as ever in the Goal.
We took a few minutes to figure our structure out but took control easily with excellent skills on display, looking up, attacking together, linking play all worked in our favour. Converting all those attacks into goals was where we needed to be more clinical.
McCullochs both shouted early allowing for runs to be made up the wings with superb crosses into the D which didn’t always connect.
The first goal came from some silky skills from Graham-Thompson who kept possession slipping it to V Benedikz who won a free hit – she passed it to M Benedikz who darted into space – ran towards the baseline – found M McCulloch who passed it to Bailey who slipped into the D undetected – GOAL 0-1 Newmarket.
Attacks kept coming with great linking play between Claydon and Kennedy, Hill and Kennedy, Hill and M Benedikz, Bailey and Kennedy to keep the pressure on but lacked the magic to find the net so the first half finished 0-1 Newmarket.
Second half started brightly, although Lemon of the Match Lowe tried to start without her stick, unlike Kellett who successfully squeezed her socks on before pushback.
We won a short corner within minutes of the start with I McCulloch injecting to Bailey who slipped it to M Benedikz on the right hand post – and easily finding space between the goal post, keeper and defender increased the score to 2, M Benedikz with her debut senior goal.
More attacks created more shorts but the combinations never quite came together. More attacks from linking play with Graham-Thompson making some great stops to smother the attacks and then send us back on our way to the Wisbech D.
Despite the score line we were fully in control of this game and their resulting goal was from the only short corner awarded to them. It was an unlucky foot on the line of the D, the ball was struck, runner 1 V Benedikz greeted the ball both with stick and shoulder it fell to a Wisbech player whilst the team were waiting for a whistle between the keepers legs – Goal Wisbech making the final score: 1-2 Newmarket.
Player of the Match – Liv for making some impressive saves when most of the game she had to stay switched on.
Lemon of the match – was saved from Ella Hill and Zoe Bailey by Alex Lowe who tried to start the second half without her stick – not sure how effective it would have been, but she quickly remembered.
Next game is at home against top of the table St Ives 3. Push back is 9:45am.