Newry Hockey Notes 23rd February 2015

Newry 2’s 3-0 North Down 2’s

Newry hosted North Down on Saturday knowing that only three points would do against the bottom of the league side.  The hosts started well with some good quick passing which was causing North Down all sorts of trouble at the back, however it was in the final third that Newry faltered and were unable to make their dominance pay.  North Down slowly started to get into the game and created a few chances of their own, but again suffered the same issues as Newry with poor finishing when it countered.  Keith McWilliams opened the scoring for Newry with a low shot from a short corner to ease the pressure, and he soon doubled his tally with another shot from the edge of the circle beating the North Down keeper.

The visitors were the better of the two teams in the second half, however a combination of poor finishing and great goalkeeping from Sam Henry kept them at bay.  A counter attack lead to Newry’s third when Roger Clarke latched onto a through ball and from a tight angle he managed to squeeze his shot between the keeper and his near post.  North pressed forward to find a way back into the game in vain and Newry ran out comfortable winners in the end.

Team: S. Henry, D. Hogg, P. English, D. Barlow, J. Gregg, K. MCWilliams, R. Clarke, D. Andrews, D. Pollock, S. McCafferty, A. Foster, J. Greer, C. Henning, N. McGuffin. 

Newry Olympic Ladies 1’s 3 Cooke Ladies 1’s 0

On Saturday 21st February, Newry Olympic Hockey Ladies 1st XI travelled to Shawsbridge to play Cooke XI Ladies. From the whistle, Newry were on the attack having won pass back and drove the ball up into the circle putting Cooke under immense pressure from the start.  Right wing Anna Bingham won the first corner for Newry but Cooke were quick to deflect the shot. Cooke battled back but due to the strong play across the midfield by Nicola Shiels and Lynne Ervine, the ball was sent straight back up to left wing Kathryn Baird who passed the ball into the circle to Debbie Barry on the right wing.  Newry kept the Cooke goalie on her toes with strong shots on goal from the forward line and around the twenty-five minute point Debbie Barry flicked the ball up into the Cooke goal. At half time Newry held the one nil lead.

During the second half Cooke tried to keep possession of the ball driving down the right side but due to Newry’s strong defence and clearing of the ball by Laura Simpson, Diane Mc Minn and Gayle Davison there was no change in the score.  Ten minutes into the game left back Alison Gamble pushed forward down the left hand side with some beautiful one twos with left mid Lynne Ervine who set up the second goal for Captain, Laverne Inns who found the back of the net through the middle of the Cooke keeper.  Newry kept possession for most of the second half and five minutes before the final whistle Debbie Barry scored the third and final goal for the match. 

Final score Newry Olympics 3 Cooke 0.  

NOHC ladies are at home next week in their Senior 4 League match against Parkview.