1s v Bedford 1’s
2-2 (Katie Richards, Sophie Higgins)
Saturday saw our ladies 1s take on top of the table Bedford 1s. Both teams started off with the intent to win, and the pace was immediately ramped up fighting for dominance. The defense showed their strength by absorbing the pressure and feeding balls to our hard-working midfield. A lovely ball fed into Daisy Fox during the 8th minute,who went round a few defenders, led to her winning a well-deserved short corner. The short corner went exactly as practiced with Katie Richards deflecting it into the net! Sadly, the lead didn’t last long with Bedford continuing putting pressure on our defense and after a bit of a confusion around the edge of the D, managing to get the ball across our goal line. The second and third quarters saw both teams upping their speed and pressure. Stortford remained calm during the final quarter, even after Bedford scored another goal. With only a few minutes to go, Stortford remained calm and kept working as planned and an amazing attack, led by Sally Powell, saw her feed the ball into the P spot where Sophie slotted it into the net.
A well-deserved result for a good fight between two strong teams
2s v Braintree 1’s
2-1 (Liz Egan-Evans, Emma Hynds)
The Ladies 2s faced top of the table Braintree, who had not lost a game yet this season and only conceded 3 goals in 8 games. The game started evenly with BS matching Braintree for pace and dominating possession.
However, it was Braintree who opened the scoring, catching the 2s on the break with a clinical counterattack. 1-0 to the visitors. BS were not to be deterred and fought back to earn themselves a penalty corner which was converted by Liz Egan Evans from the top of the D. Braintree continued to deploy an aggressive press earning them a number of turnovers high up the pitch but some great saves from player of the match and goalkeeper, Charlie Nash, meant the scoreline remained 1-1 at half time.
The second half was equally as competitive, with some timely tackles required from the BS
defence and notably a knee sliding tackle from Claire Pearce. But it was BS who capitalised
on a counterattack, with Amelia Leach finding her shot stopped on the line by, controversially, a defender’s leg. BS were awarded a penalty stroke which was cooly
converted by Emma Hynds. Final score 2-1 to the 2s.
3s v Harpenden 1’s
0-1
4s v Rickmansworth 1’s
0-1
It was a hard-fought match for the ladies 4s from start to finish, with the team putting in a determined performance despite a narrow 1–0 defeat to Rickmansworth. From the first whistle, the whole team worked tirelessly, staying organised under pressure and breaking down wave after wave of attacks. The commitment kept the game tight and competitive throughout.
Lianne pulled off an outstanding save from a penalty flick, reading it perfectly and keeping us firmly in the game. It was a huge lift for the whole team to keep battling.
Going forward, we had some really positive passages of play, moving the ball well, and creating promising opportunities. Unfortunately, despite the build-up and pressure, we just couldn’t quite find that finishing touch in front of goal.
Player of the Match goes to Lea, whose work rate was exceptional from start to finish. She chased every ball, supported both ends of the pitch, and never stopped battling. A thoroughly deserved nomination.
5s v Stevenage 2’s
1-1
Bishops Stortford worked hard from the start with great teamwork and communication, giving Stortford great possession.
Starting strong with Sophia VASEY scoring at 13 minutes into the first half.
Stortford were on top, attacking throughout the first half, with many attempts on goal, and a hit on the top bar again by VASEY.
The second half was equally competitive, the equaliser coming 30 minutes into the second half. With Stortford unable to regain the win, the final score was 1-1.
Player of the match went to VASEY, for her fantastic goal and working tirelessly through the match.
6s v Havering 2’s
3-2 (Sarah Alderson, Jemima Osmond, Mia Beverley)
6s get a long-awaited win
Hoping to reverse their fortunes, the 6s played with a new formation – 2 up front and 5 across the middle holding wide wing positions. A shaky start whilst the team got to grips with how to capitalize resulted in an early Havering break converting into a 1-0 lead after only 5 minutes. All credit to the team heads stayed up and passion to claw back remained strong. Jemima, Sarah and Hannah kept taking the chances as the play concentrated in the opposition half. Havering kept coming back working the defensive formation of Ange, Sophie, Naomi, Lis and Zara hard. Two short corners in the first half didn’t deliver and an equalising goal for Stortford came just after the whistle had blown for a foot in the D. The team went into half time a goal down.
The young midfield of Mia, Emily, Nyla, Savannah and Annie kept their energy up and took the fight to the home team. Despite early pressure on Stortford the regularly successful 16s from Ange found the top end of the pitch where Jemima picked up and crossed into the D for Sarah to slot in the back of the net to bring Stortford back into the game 1-1 only 7 minutes into the second half. Only three minutes later Stortford won a corner and called Ange to the top. A clean stop, and strong ball into the goal found Jemima for a deflection and Stortford went ahead for the first time in 6 weeks.
Havering came back with their own short corner to equalize just 4 minutes later, but the same short corner routine played for Stortford out at 17 minutes this time with Ange finding Mia for the deflection to take Stortford 3-2 up at 52 minutes. Now to hang on with some careful tactical play. In spite of 3 more Havering short corners and a green card for not being 5 meters taking Stortford down to 10 players Stortford kept calm heads marshalling the play to come away with 3 points.
PoM Zara Thompson
7s v Saffron Walden 4’s
5-2 (Emma Cox x 3, Megan Laws, Charlie Woodrow
After a bit of a sluggish start last week Stortford went out strong, capitalising on their early effort a minute in when Emma Cox belted a ball into the back of the net after a well worked short corner routine. Stortford continued to dominate forcing Saffron Walden to play very defensively and several shots on goal were thwarted until 14 minutes in when Cox found the back of the net again.
Saffron Walden snaffled a goal shortly after, but Stortford rallied, and Cox slotted another one away to finish the first half 3-1 up.
The team again went out strong with Megan Laws scoring shortly into the second half. The midfield worked tirelessly, PoM Izzy Cullinan made some excellent interceptions, and the whole team worked well to use the width, playing some lovely short passes on the slow pitch.
Charlie Woodrow made it five from another short 20 minutes into the second half, with Saffron Walden scoring again shortly after. Two further shorts for Stortford were unfortunately unsuccessful with one finding the net but disallowed on height.
Another great match for Stortford, with the team working brilliantly together across the pitch. An excellent effort with only 12 players, with everyone contributing tirelessly and giving their all.
8s v Welwyn 3’s
2-2 ( Amelia Berni , Lianne Warnell)
Last-Gasp Goal Denies Stortford Ladies 8s in Thrilling 2-2 Draw
Bishops Stortford Ladies 8s played out a breathless 2-2 draw against Welwyn 3s at a damp Beldams Lane on Saturday night, with the visitors netting a dramatic equaliser on the final strike of the game. Played under the floodlights and in a persistent drizzle, the match was high-paced and fiercely contested, with a draw proving to be a fair, if cruel, result for the home side.
The 8s started nervously but quickly found their rhythm and established a strong attacking focus down the right flank. This was spearheaded by Cecily Morgan, who was in electric form and consistently beat her defender, creating numerous early opportunities. After threatening the goal several times, Stortford broke the deadlock when Amelia struck home the first goal of the evening. Welwyn responded strongly, forcing keeper Sienna-Rose Vermaak into a number of excellent, sharp saves that kept the 8s ahead. Despite her brilliance, Welwyn managed to apply sustained pressure and found the equaliser just before the halftime whistle.
The second half continued in the same evenly-matched fashion. The deadlock was broken again by a moment of individual skill from Cecily. She made a wonderful, driving run into the D, drawing the Welwyn keeper into a challenge before expertly pushing the ball across the face of the goal for Lianne Warnell to tap in from close range. It was a brave and decisive play, which unfortunately resulted in an injury that saw Cecily unable to continue. With a 2-1 lead and only ten minutes left, the Stortford team fought tooth and nail, defending brilliantly as a unit to hold onto their advantage. However, in the very final play of the game, Welwyn launched one last attack, and the ball found its way across the line for the equalising goal.
From the sidelines, it was encouraging to see the team’s commitment to possession hockey, often playing the ball backwards to retain control and find better angles rather than forcing risky forward passes. This disciplined approach was key to their overall performance.
Player of the Match, voted for after the final whistle, was Sienna- Rose for a standout performance.
9s v St Albans 8’s
0-2
Bishops Stortford Ladies 9s delivered a truly spirited away performance this weekend against St Albans, despite the final whistle confirming a 2-0 defeat. The match started quickly, with St Albans converting a penalty corner within the first couple of minutes. Faced with an immediate deficit, the Ladies 9s showed their characteristic unwavering spirit, refusing to let their heads drop and fighting immediately to gain a foothold in the game.
Stortford successfully played themselves back into the match with some lovely interchanges, switching the play smoothly and moving the ball confidently through the lines to push forwards. However, the defense, led by the back line and goalkeeper, was kept busy throughout by the relentless St Albans pressure.
The pressure continued into the second half until St Albans finally found their second goal midway through, making it an uphill struggle. Nevertheless, the 9s never gave up. The one constant for this team is their incomparable spirit: they play hard, they play as a team, and they never quit. It truly is a pleasure to be a part of this squad. The team carries this determination forward into their next fixture.
The standout performance of the day came from Lola, who was playing her first game for the 9s. Lola was superb in goal, keeping Stortford in the contest with a string of wonderful saves and demonstrating incredible composure under fire. She was rightly awarded a very well-deserved Player of the Match.
10’s (development side) v Rickmansworth 2’s
1-1 (Jenna Flanagan)
Bishop’s Stortford Ladies 10s earned a hard-fought 1–1 draw against Rickmansworth Ladies 2. Rickmansworth struck in the first half, but after a disallowed effort just before the break, Stortford hit back in the 51st minute through a well-taken finish from Jenna Flanagan. Brilliant defensive work from Adeline Chan, Abbie Lee, and Sarah Pointon who stood firm under pressure, while strong attacking performances from Evelyn Jones, Etta Inman, Alisa White, and EJ Noble kept Rickmansworth on the back foot. A gritty, resilient display from the whole squad.
