Ben Rhydding Hockey Club had two girls’ teams playing in the Yorkshire Youth U-12 Hockey League tournament at Pocklington. The previous efforts of the girls meant that having gained promotion in the last tournament, the B team found themselves in the same pool as the A team, so a crunch match was guaranteed. The A team played with their usual skill in a very competitive league, but experienced the usual difficulty in breaking down their opposition’s defences in the short ten minute games. Ben Rhydding’s defence with Mollie Mallinson in goal and Abigail Spencer, Georgina McCutcheon and Rebecca Mountain were rock solid throughout. They provided a good platform for the attacking play of their teammates Sarah Pope (one goal), Verity Taylor-Littler, Isabel Austin and Grace Malir (one goal). Ben Rhydding A team thus played five, won one, drew three and lost one. The B team were hard pressed playing in this league but stuck to their task brilliantly. Their play developed continually throughout their series of games culminating in a superb performance against Driffield in their last game when the girls really troubled their opponents. Throughout Aimee Palmer, Amelia Fowler and Francesca Fearnley defended with tenacity. Phoebe Harrison, Phoebe Smith and Imogen Wellman-Brown produced some quality play through the midfield and debutants Nadia Fewlass-Jones and Alice Edwards (one goal) made excellent starts in Ben Rhydding colours.

In the crucial A team versus B team clash, the A team pressed hard against the resolute defending of the B team initially without success. Meanwhile the B team kept responding with breakaway attacks that repeatedly threaten to produce a goal. Well into the second-half, Grace Malir took advantage of a scoring opportunity for the only goal that separated the teams in a 1-0 victory for the A team. The positive thing for all players both in this game and throughout the entire morning was the real quality of everyone’s play and their development as a squad.