Fylde coast hockey review: Blackpool, Lytham and Rossall

Blackpool Hockey Club men’s team continued their miserable season as they were thumped 11-1 by North West One leaders Knutsford in a top v bottom clash at Stanley Park.

A Dave Morgan goal from a penalty corner was their only consolation in a match which demonstrated the current gulf between the sides.

Blackpool 2 are also rooted to the bottom in North West four north after a 3-0 defeat away to their Liverpool University counterparts.

Even so, this was an encouraging performance in Blackpool’s third successive away fixture.

They fell behind inside five minutes but kept their composure and started to soak up the pressure, with Will Turnbull settling in for only his second game of the season and Jamie McKinnon making some vital saves.

Keiffer Earnshaw impressed with his pace up front after injury as Blackpool began to apply pressure of their own. Liverpool added a second goal when a speculative hit into the D looped up for their striker to fire home.

Blackpool continued to battle in the second half and forced several penalty corners but could not pull one back, despite strong solo runs into the D from Will Pickles, Jack Williams and others. The University team scored a late third to complete the scoring.

Lytham Ladies’ hockey team consolidated their top-four place in North Division Two with a 2-0 win away to Carlisle.

The visitors started strongly but some near misses kept their hosts in the game.

With Vicki Rees defending well and linking up with the midfield, it was Lytham who broke the deadlock with Emily Adams’ strike into the left corner.

Lytham upped their game in a very physical second half and their pressure was rewarded when Georgia Perkins’ shot was stopped on the line by a Carlisle foot, Becca Walker (right) firing the penalty into the top left of the goal.

Lytham controlled the rest of the game, their defence never giving Carlisle a look-in, and they only received one card.

They end 2017 at home to Clitheroe and Blackburn on Saturday.

After a frantic week searching for available players, an understrength Lytham Men’s team were beaten 10-3 away to North Two West’s second-placed club Windermere.

The hosts started strongly but Lytham soaked up the pressure well and created chances of their own.

Even so, Windermere broke the deadlock and quickly doubled their lead. Lytham got back in the game when Shawcross scored twice from corners to level the scores.

Lytham picked up three cards in the final 10 minutes of the half, which ended with Windermere 4-2 ahead.

Windermere’s confidence grew in the second half along with their score, though Mike Gannon did deceive the keeper to score a late third goal for Lytham,

The Lytham side hope to get back on track in Saturday’s final game of the year at home to Lancaster and Morecambe.

Lytham Ladies 3 were beaten 11-0 at home by their Lancaster counterparts in Lancashire Central division two.

A strong run by Jess McIntyre provided an encouraging start but Lytham soon had Nikki Richmond sent off and Lancaster proceeded to dominate.

Rosie Stone made some superb saves and Lytham defended a series of short corners but they could not keep Lancaster at bay.

Sally Stone and Olivia Hesketh both received yellow cards but Lytham only conceded once while two players down thanks to more fine saves from Rosie Stone, who stopped a penalty flick but was unlucky to see the ball roll over the line.

The scoreline didn’t do justice to the spirit shown by this Lytham side.

Back in action after the previous weekend’s frozen pitch, Rossall Ladies welcomed a Lytham St Annes 2 side who had leapfrogged them to go top of Lancashire Central division one.

Rossall were in control from the outset and Debbie Slater opened the scoring in the first five minutes.

Debbie beat several defenders as she jinked into the D from a long corner and slotted past the advancing keeper. Hard as they tried, Rossall could not add to their one goal in the first half.

The second half started much as the first had ended, with Rossall on the attack. A short corner from Jill Wilson to Slater was ferociously dispatched to make it 2-0.

Slater then turned provider as she drew the defender before sliding the ball for Sam Evans to make no mistake.

Minutes later, a crossfield ball from Samantha Wilde found Deb Hillier and her first-time ball was controlled by Gemma Prestwich, who drew the keeper before Lucia Stefani slotted the fourth off the right post.

Slater completed her deserved hat-trick as Rossall jump back up to second.

Blackpool Ladies could muster only 10 players for their visit to Clitheroe and Blackburn 3 but a gritty performance earned them a 3-3 draw in their Lancashire Central division two clash.

Mid-table Blackpool tried to keep two forwards high up the pitch despite being a player down.

The tactic didn’t prove successful in the early stages as Clitheroe had most of the chances and opened the scoring.

This didn’t faze the Blackpool team, who showed great determination and equalised through one of their youngest players, Marcy Jeffery

Blackpool kept up the attack and were 2-1 up by half-time thanks to a goal by Jill Bradburn.

Blackpool were more confident in the second half and didn’t panic as they maintained their attack.

They were rewarded with a Georgia Cherry strike to put them 3-1 ahead.

However, Blackpool Ladies couldn’t keep the momentum going and it wasn’t long before the home side scored twice to put the game back in the balance at 3-3.

Georgia Cherry made some great runs up the right wing for Blackpool, delivering some fine crosses for her sister Macy Cherry.

Vicky Hives and Beckie Vale were also strong in the centre and Emily Wymer starred in defence as Blackpool returned home with a well deserved share of the spoils.