Match drawn - Leicester 0 v Canterbury 0
At the start of play, both teams were tied in 3rd place in the EHL, with both teams having many players unavailable through England / GB commitments; in a microcosm of the wider situation, it was a case of Leicester's young front line vs. Canterbury's young backline.
The opening exchanges were contested strongly, but fairly, with both teams having periods of good possession. Leicester were able to make more ground in territorial terms with their possession, though Canterbury's defence was resolute - there were few clear cut opportunities for either team. Becky Duggan in the Canterbury goal marshalled her defensive lines very well. The score was tied at nil nil at half time.
The second half saw Leicester come out with all guns blazing, looking for a home win. This was the pattern for much of the half, Canterbury soaking up wave after wave of Leicester attack. Occasionally, the Canterbury Ladies were able to break out - Clair Brown making a good run into the Leicester circle. In the Canterbury goal, Becky Duggan continued her good form, making every save that was needed, and organising the defence very effectively, to nullify the Leicester possession advantage.
At times, there was some desperate defending, Tash Brennan taking some big hits, but ultimately, this effort was rewarded with a hard fought draw in the end. Whilst Leicester had more possession and more of the territory, Canterbury's defence was more than equal to the challenge; Jenna Wiles, Lucy Stewart, Alice Brown & Georgie Kemsley all fought very hard, with skipper Jen Milne sitting just in front of them; the umpires & technical delegate agreed that a draw was a fair result. Whilst Canterbury were up against it for much of the game, the players were all very composed, and thus, there was little if any panic in the team. The odd break and strong running from the forwards also meant that there was a feeling that we may even nick it!
For me, the player of the match for us was Becky Duggan for a number of good solid saves and her excellent organisation. Tash Brennan deserves credit for her bravery and courage in playing on after being hit (hard). We aimed to keep a clean sheet at the start of the day and were well satisfied that we were able to do just that.
Martin J. Southam, Assistant Manager & Mental Coach of the Canterbury Ladies