Fylde coast hockey: Fylde Ladies hold high-flying Sutton, Lytham St Annes teams beaten, Rossall win with help of freak goal

The visitors boasted two of the league’s top three scorers, with 34 goals between them, so this was always going to be a tough challenge for Fylde.

Fylde were buoyed by recent results but spent most of the first quarter in their own half as Ana Pueche Navarro made a string of confident saves.

Fylde began to assert themselves as Elizabeth Aitcheson and Sophia Crawhsay went close to breaking the deadlock but it remained 0-0 at half-time.

Fifteen-year-old Hattie Madden gave Fylde the lead with her first National League goal, finishing a brilliant counter-attack by EAitcheson and Crawshay.

Fylde soon doubled their lead when Crawshay scored from a penalty corner, but the visitors were always a threat and piled on pressure in the closing quarter.

And despite Fylde’s valiant defensive efforts, Sutton Coldfield pulled one back with a penalty stroke after an hour and equalised from a penalty corner.

Jayne Wilson and Crawshay were players of the match for fifth-placed Fylde, who visit Timperley, in third, on Saturday. Coach Tom Little said: “The team were understandably deflated but that indicates how far they have come and the standards they are setting.”

Fylde Men retained their four-point lead at the top of West Division Three with a 6-0 home win over fourth-placed Prescot.

After a scrappy opening 10 minutes, Fylde took full control with three quick goals.

Jordan Payne converted from a penalty corner, then turned provider for James Oakes to finish a fine team move.

Man of the match Aaron Sadler grabbed the third, driving into the D before firing home on his reverse stick.

Captain Simon Major shot under the keeper from another penalty corner and Fylde made it five by half-time, when Payne deflected home a Josh Boyne flick.

A series of cards for dangerous tackles meant Prescot played most of the second half under-strength, and it remained that way after one player’s second yellow card became a red.

The only goal of the half saw Payne complete his hat-trick midway through.

Ian Swaine’s tame penalty stroke denied his side a seventh, though Fyhlde remain unbeaten going into this weekend’s double-header.

Fylde 2 bounced back from their defeat by Keswick with a vital 4-3 victory at Leyland and Chorley in the battle for the second promotion spot in North West Two North.

Fylde were forced into late changes and made the worst of starts, conceding from a short corner. They began to assert themselves and equalised when Phil Hope dispossessed a defender and beat the keeper one-on-one.

Fylde took the lead two minutes later after a storming run down the right and cross by Andy Mortimer. Luca Sempers’ shot was saved only for Alex Horrocks to fire home the rebound from the top of the D.

Leyland scored on the break to make it 2-2 at half-time, then they took the lead from one of a series of short corners, despite several saves by Danny Taylor.

Fylde fought back and Sempers was denied a solo goal by the crossbar before Alan Simpson tapped in the equaliser after good passing by Rob Dingle and Ryan Nicholls.

They then went in search of a winner, and after several short corners Sempers scored with a trademark drag-flick from the top of the D.

Fylde defended a final short corner for a win which lifts them two points clear in second place, though Leyland and Keswick both have a game in hand.

Fylde 3’s attacking approach against Bolton 2 didn’t pay off at Mill Farm, where they conceded twice in the first 10 minutes on their way to a 4-1 defeat in North West Three North.

Fylde conceded a third but continued to attack and pulled one back when Tom Wilson fired home on the rebound.

Bolton scored the only goal of the second half, though Fylde man of the match Martin Stringfellow made many fine tackles and clearances.

It was mission impossible for nine-man Fylde 4 away to league leaders Kendal 2 in the pouring rain, though they battled on in the 15-0 defeat.

Fylde Ladies 2 emerged with a 1-1 draw away to West Two’s bottom club Clitheroe and Blackburn Northern.

Dawn Child’s goal from a nicely-worked short corner gave Fylde a half-time lead but Clitheroe pressed and deserved their equaliser. Fylde are well placed to stay up despite having only 12 players throughout the season.

Hannah Callagher scored a hat-trick for Fylde 3 in the 4-4 home draw with Preston’s first team in West Three North. Megan Coar also scored but slack defending deniedFylde victory.

Fylde 5 consolidated third place in Lancashire Central Division Two with a 4-1 win away to Longridge 3.

Two more goals from the versatile Katherine Wholley, plus one each from Katie Thompson and player of the match Beth Ridsdale sealed a deserved win. The teams meet again at Mill Farm in a fortnight.

The men’s and ladies’ senior sides from Lytham St Annes Hockey Club both lost on Saturday.

LSA Ladies dominated the first 20 minutes at Morpeth but couldn’t capitalise and ultimately lost 2-0.

Circle entries were plentiful and great opportunities were created but it proved a frustrating day.

Morpeth had chances too but good defending ensured the first half ended goalless.

LSA returned to the pitch full of determination but fell behind after three minutes.

Lytham questioned the goal, claiming it followed a stick tackle on a defender, but they responded positively.

Even so, Morpeth added a second goal from a shot corner in the 45th minute.

Lytham didn’t let their heads drop but still couldn’t convert their chances, despite going on all-out attack in the final 10 minutes.

Several players received player of the match votes in a real team effort but the award went to Aimy Barrow.

This result opens a four-point gap between the sides in North Division One as Morpeth remain third and LSE fifth.

The drive home was particularly unpleasant in horrendous conditions, so the team are all the more grateful to those who travelled to support them. Saturday’s match is at home to unbeaten leaders Harrogate.

Lytham St Annes Men lost 3-1 away to third-placed Crewe Vagrants in West Division Two.

Lytham were without substitutes in the high winds but didn’t hold back, and it could have been different had not an early penalty flick been saved by the Crewe keeper’s feet.

The hosts shook off the Lytham defence to open the scoring, and although the visitors’ tightened up at the back they conceded a second before half-time from a deflected penalty corner.

Having created chances against the headwind, Lytham didn’t feel out of it and were hopeful of turning their near misses into goals.

Will Dowbiggin’s effort was saved from a penalty corner but he made no mistake as the next one quickly followed, scoring from a drag-flick.

LSA pressed for an equaliser but Crewe sealed victory with their third goal, from another penalty corner. The tireless Aaron Copeland was Lytham’s player of the match.

Like the ladies, LSA are at home to the league leaders on Saturday, Brooklands MU 3.

The only other LSA team in action were the Men’s Seconds, whose title hopes were dented in North West Four North North when they were held 3-3 by Keswick 3 at Ansdell Arena.

Lytham pressed from the start but conceded the opening goal against the run of play, though they were 2-1 up by half-time.

The hosts were hopeful of closing out victory with the wind in their favour in the second half, though they had to settle for a Gannon goal from a mishit shot as the Cumbrians forced a draw.

It meant Kendal 2 were able to move three points clear of second-placed LSA with a massive goal-difference advantage after scoring 15 against Fylde 4.

Rossall Ladies Hockey Club recorded their third successive win, 3-1 away to Longridge 2, and were helped by a bizarre goal.

This rearranged fixture was the weekend’s only game in the premier division of the Lancashire Central Hockey League.

Rossall continued their habit of taking an early lead, in-form striker Gemma Prestwich scoring for a second week running by deflecting home an excellent through-ball by Shona Henderson.

With the wind behind Rossall, Tracey Housley’s ball into the D resulted in Prestwich squaring the ball for Henderson to make it 2-0.

Longridge responded but Alice Young and Sam Evans defended well and it remained 2-0 at half-time.

The second-bottom hosts had the wind in their favour in the second half and pulled one back from their first attack.

Goalkeeper Sandra Wood and her defenders were called into action but Rossall sealed victory in very unusual circumstances.

Sam Wilde passed to Housley, who powered towards the bye-line and saw her cross-cum-shot go in off the goalkeeper’s mask bag. After some discussion, the umpires awarded the goal.

Evans and Daniella Parziale pushed forward to great effect up the left for Rossall, while Alex Holden tirelessly supported the defence and attack.