Fylde coast hockey review: Lytham St Annes Men on the up but Fylde Ladies suffer rare defeat

Despite being without some regulars, Lytham pressed well and took the lead when Keith Stone’s shot on the turn flew into the net.

Liverpool were getting inside Lytham’s D too often and forced some penalty corners.

Adam Dixon made a series of fine saves but could not prevent Liverpool equalising by half-time.

Lytham soaked up more pressure before Stone’s superb pass sent Toby McPhee through one-on-one to restore the lead.

McPhee had further chances but Lytham had to defend resolutely to protect their lead.

Victory was sealed when Will Dowbiggin took on the defence and squared the ball for Ash Jennison to take a touch before firing home the third.

Victory saw Lytham climb above their visitors and Lymm with two games to play.

Dixon and Stone shared the player of the match award.

LSA 2 ended their season in North West four north north with a 5-1 win away to Preston 6.

With captain Ashley Jennison on first-team duty, Lytham found the divisioin’s bottom club in determined mood and it took an excellent first senior goal by Connor Burnett, from Tom Atkinson’s fine pass, to break the deadlock.

Mike Gannon doubled the lead from Joe Yates’ pass and it was 3-0 by half-time as Tom Lees scrambled the ball home after a surging run.

Preston pulled one back before Tom Atkinson fired an unstoppable reverse stick shot into the roof of the net. He completed the scoring with his second from a short corner. LSA dominated for long periods and should have scored more but they can look back on an excellent season.

They stand second in the table, behind Kendal 2 on goal difference, and that is where they will remain unless Kendal lose their final game at Garstang by a massive margin.

LSA Ladies’ 3 stretched their winning run to seven with a 2-1 success way to Southport 2, who went into the game top of Lancashire Central division two.

LSA were without key players but Becky Evans soon began to play excellent passes and they took the lead when Ces Thomas fired home from Jess Mason’s short corner.

And it got better for the visitors when Ruby Hodgkinson made it 2-0 at half-time.

Playing against the wind in the second half, LSA had to defend well as Keziah Edgar and Izzy Callings made fine clearances.

Southport pulled one back after successive penalty corners but LSA stood firm, with Evans outstanding playing out from the back.

Lytham St Annes Ladies lost 3-1 away to Wilmslow, who are now just one point behind fifth-placed Lytham with two matches to play in North Division One.

LSA play their final home game against second-bottom Stokesley on Saturday.

LSA Ladies 2 had to be patient to seal a 1-0 win over Windermere at AKS in the Lancashire Central premier division.

The home side came to terms with a sandy pitch in the goalless first half, in which Lucy Knowles worked tirelessly and Anna Tankard was struck in the face by the ball.

Their battling performance was rewarded when Ella Martin teed up Lara Pilling to fire into the goal, with player of the match Knowles making sure the ball crossed the line.

The win keeps second-placed LSA two points clear of Southport and five behind Pendle Forest 2 with two to play.

In-form Fylde Ladies were full of confidence for Wakefield’s visit to Mill Farm in Conference North but were beaten 4-0.

The visitors made a brighter start and took a fifth-minute lead they held until half-time.

Wakefield’s defence and keeper nullified the Fylde attacks and they scored their second in the third quarter.

Fylde attacked in waves in the final quarter but couldn’t make a breakthrough, and Wakefield scored twice more to wrap up Fylde’s first defeat since November and move within a point of the fifth-placed Coasters.

Lucy Partington was Fylde’s player of the match and coach Tom Little said: “ We dominated possession and created a number of chances but just couldn’t find a way past the defensive unit.”

Fylde Men looked to regroup after their first loss of the season as they welcomed third-placed Timperley to Mill Farm in West three.

Fylde started brightly and Jamie Oakes gave them the lead with a shot under the keeper after two minutes.

Josh Boyne and Oakes went close but Timperley forced a series of short corners, one of which resulted in an own goal making it 1-1 at half-time.

Fylde were caught napping at the start of the second half and fell behind but then took the game to Timperley, though injuries prevented them from making substitutions.

Fine defending and some acrobatic saves from Nick Rainbow kept Fylde in it until Boyne slipped Jepson through to score a powerful equaliser on 61 minutes.

Both sides took a point which leaves leaders Fylde three points clear of City of Manchester with two to play.

Fylde 2 won 5-1 away to bottom club Formby 4, who were no pushovers in North West Two North.

Fylde started brightly but couldn’t make their possession count until Luca Sempers ran through from halfway to open the scoring.

Formby equalised with a fine solo goal but Fylde had regained the lead by half-time from a free hit, Peter Latimer teeing up Ryan Nicholls to strike a beautiful reverse shot.

After Fylde’s shaky start to the second half, Alex Horrocks and Alan Simpson regained control in the middle and Phil Hope pounced on a rebound to make it 3-1.

Captain Simon Allen grabbed a goal after switching from defence to attack, then Hope scored his second with an assist from Allen.

Fylde are third with two to play and probably need something away to runaway leaders Didsbury Northern 4 if they are to challenge Leyland and Chorley for second place.

Leyland and Chorley’s Second team beat a Fylde 3 side looking low on confidence and morale 6-0 in North West Three North.

The hosts scored three in each half, though Jake Merrick was outstanding for Fylde as he switched from right wing to centre midfield.

Jay Mayne’s chip and captain Ollie Holmes’ drag-flick were both saved by the Leyland keeper.

Fylde Ladies 2 played on successive days against the Lymm first team, who won both matches to overtake Fylde in Two West.

They won Saturday’s Mill Farm match 2-1 with a last-minute goal, after Fylde had led for most of the game, then won the home rematch 3-0.

Fylde 3 lost 2-1 away to Lancaster and Morecambe’s first team in West Three North.

After the hosts scored both their goals early, Fylde applied themselves well to their uphill task and Rhuksana Mahmood reduced the arrears from a penalty corner. However, their hopes of a point were dashed when Mahmood had a goal disallowed.

Olivia Merrick scored twice as Fylde Ladies 4 beat Leyland and Chorley 2 3-2 at Buckshaw Village.

Beth Ridsdale also scored as third-placed Fylde remain level with Clitheroe and Blackburn Northern 2 in the race for runners-up spot with two to play in the Lancashire Central premier division.

In division two, third-placed Fylde 5 suffered a soaking at Mill Farm but were 3-1 winners over Longridge 3.

Player of the match Hennie Thompson scored two fine goals and Lucy Bridge finished a flowing move.