Fylde coast hockey review: Fylde continue winning run in National Conference; Lytham Ladies' five-goal spree; Rossall are rampant

Fylde Ladies recorded their fourth successive win in Conference North, a 1-0 victory over Pendle Forest at Mill Farm.

Pendle had won their previous meeting on their home pitch by the same score and Fylde knew they needed to be at the top of their game.

Fylde keeper Ana Pueche Navarro was called into action early on but Fylde settled into their first home fixture of the year.

Some tactical tweaks were rewarded with the only goal in the 25th minute, when Lucy Whalley fed the ball to Sophia Crawshay and she coolly rounded the keeper before slotting into an empty goal.

Some fine link-up play down the channels created a number of opportunities but Fylde could not add to their lead.

Fylde were denied by goal-line clearances in the second half as both sides had a flurry of chances.

The home side were helped by Pendle being reduced to nine players in the final quarter and this win lifts Fylde to fifth in the league. Vicky Rukin was the player of the match.

Coach Tom Little said: “It is important that we are more clinical in front of goal and use our defensive organisation as a base to attack from. It is pleasing to see the team embrace every game as a new challenge, showing a willingness to learn, adapt and improve.”

Fylde Men continued their unbeaten season in West division three with a 1-0 victory away to Eirias in Wales.

They brought impressive defender Ben Mortimer into the side for his first appearance of the season.

Fylde had an early chance when Jordan Payne did all the hard work but shot wide.

Josh Boyne and Sam Bury also had opportunities but the first half ended goalless.

Eirias continued to frustrate Fylde in the second half, seemingly breaking down every opportunity the away side created.

Eventually, though, Fylde got the breakthrough, when a new penalty corner routine was converted by Boyne, helped by a deflection off a defender’s stick which caused the ball to loop over the goalkeeper.

The heavy tackles continued to fly in and when things boiled over a player from both sides was dismissed, including Fylde’s Chris Banks.

A series of top saves from Nick Rainbow preserved Fylde’s lead and earned him the man of the match award, though he was grateful for a disallowed Eirias goal late on.

The win keeps leaders Fylde four points clear of Timperley 2 with a game in hand.

Fylde 2 gave a disappointing performance and lost 2-0 at home to promotion rivals Keswick 2 in North West two north.

Having scored at least five goals in each of their last four games, Fylde struggled to create chances.

Keswick capitalised on long spells of possession with a goal in each half and replace Fylde in second place.

Fylde slip to fourth and now face a must-win game away to the Leyland and Chorley first team, who are now third.

Fylde 3 always faced a tough test in their bottom v top clash at home to West Derby 2 in North West three north.

The leaders opened the scoring within five minutes but Fylde defended manfully for the rest of the half.

Fylde man of the match Jack Williams was denied by a diving save and West Derby grabbed their second from a short corner before half-time.

Two quick goals after the restart ended Fylde’s hopes, though they continued to battle. West Derby grabbed another two goals, including a screamer of a shot from the top of the D, to finish 6-0 victors.

Fylde Ladies 2 lost 2-0 away to the second-placed Garstang senior side in West two.

Fylde defended well in the first half and had chances, though the second half saw Garstang take theirs well.

Kate Barker was the outstanding Fylde player, making some fine saves, though her team are fighting to stay in the division.

Fylde 3 lost 4-0 at home to the University of Liverpool first team, runaway leaders of West three north.

The hosts restricted the Merseyside students to one goal in the first half and can be pleased with their efforts against a side who usually score more than four. Adele Pilddington, Louise Eastham, Hannah Callagher and goalkeeper Sarah Hart were the star performers.

Fylde 4 kept their Lancashire Central division one promotion hopes alive with a 3-1 win over Preston 2 at UCLan.

The visitors dominated the first half as Laura Knowles’ opening goal was swiftly followed by two from Ashleigh Mills. Preston came back strongly in the second half, excellent saves from Izzy Slater keeping Fylde in front.

Charlotte Thomson and Olivia Merrick both drove play forward, while player of the match was Ariana Milligan for her controlled defending. The win lifts Fylde to fourth, while Preston remain in the bottom two.

Fylde 5 beat Clitheroe and Blackburn Northern 4 by the same score, their fifth successive win in Lancashire Central division two.

In a match switched to Kirkham Grammar School, player of the match Summer Holroyd opened the scoring from a well-executed penalty corner routine, finishing at the near post after taking the corner herself.

Katherine Wholey scored with a bullet strike from another penalty corner and Lottie Pickup completed the scoring in style, smashing the ball high into the net. The win keeps Fylde in third place in their inaugural season.

Lytham St Annes Ladies knew that teamwork was all-important in a tough North division one match against City of York at AKS.

They pressed from the start, swarming the ball and closing down players, and after a series of near misses Emily Adams opened the scoring.

LSA continued to drive forward and doubled their lead when Grace Webster slipped the ball across the top of the D for Beth Dowbiggin to fire home.

York continued to battle but player of the match Emily Peacock was outstanding in goal, helped by a goal-line clearance from Adams, to protect the 2-0 lead until half-time.

LSA had to defend strongly after the restart before Georgina Read slipped a pass for Gilly Shields to score the third effortlessly. The hosts weren’t finished and more pressure brought the fourth from Read.

LSA were confused by a yellow card for Hazel Cockerill but were determined keep York at bay.

Adams’ second completed the 5-0 win which leaves fifth-placed LSA just a point behind York.

Lytham St Annes 3 recorded a fifth successive win in Lancashire Central division two, 3-1 away to their Lancaster and Morecambe counterparts.

LSA started the game defensively, with player of the match Rachel Gibbs defending the short corners superbly. Frankie Thomas made some strong runs up the right, though the first half ended goalless.

Knowing a victory was vital to their promotion hopes, LSA started the second half strongly and took the lead when Alicia Iredale’s short corner was converted by Thomas.

LSA then defended bravely but couldn’t deny Lancaster a disputed equaliser.

The visitors went all out for victory in the final 10 minutes, Olivia Hesketh beating the defence and shooting through the keeper’s pads to restore the lead.

Thomas sealed a battling victory with her second two minutes from the end as LSA replaced their hosts in fourth place.

Lytham St Annes’ two senior men’s teams both lost 3-2.

The first team gave a good account of themselves only to be edged out away to fourth-placed West Derby in West division two of the North HockeyLeague.

LSA 2 were knocked off top spot in North West four north north when they lost their derby against the Garstang first team by the same score at AKS.

Garstang scored from their first attack but Lytham soon equalised through Mike Gannon from a short corner.

Player of the match Gannon then gave them the lead with a shot into the far corner of the goal.

However Garstang were level by half-time and got on top in the second half.

Joe Craig saved a penalty stroke but Garstang were not to be denied a winner.

LSA slip to second place, a point behind Kendal 2 with three to play.

Rossall Hockey Club followed their outstanding victory over (then) league leaders Lancaster Nomads with a home victory over Windermere Ladies last weekend.

Still on a high from their Lancashire Central premier division upset, Rossall took the lead after only two minutes.

A long corner by Alex Holden reached Alice Young, whose pass into the D was expertly deflected over the keeper by Gemma Prestwich.

The lead was doubled when Windermere were dispossessed by Samantha Wilde on the halfway line.

The move was continued by midfielder Tracey Housley and Emma Gilfoyle, whose pass into the D from the right wing drew the keeper out of position and Prestwich was on hand to score here second.

Prestwich again linked up with Gilfoyle to complete her hat-trick as Rossall kept the pressure on.

And when Housley tackled a Windermere defender and played the ball across the D to Chelsea Atkinson, she selflessly set up Gemma to score her fourth before half-time.

Rossall didn’t have it all their own way in the second half as Windermere upped the tempo and grabbed a goal back.

Push as Rossall did, they couldn’t break down a more organised defence and add to their first half tally. Even so, Rossall were worthy 4-1 winners.