With two games in hand, Christchurch needed a win to regain top spot in the league. The necessary points were bagged in emphatic style but where some teams may have crumbled and sulked under the onslaught, IES carried themselves impeccably and fought for a full 70 minutes. Respect.

The goals, in the scorers own words:

1&2, Amy: Both left post, crossed from Lesley on the right.

3, Trudy: Pass from Megan, first strike partially saved by the goalie but a quick follow up pushed it over the line.

4, Trudy- at this point, the scorer lost interest and wandered off.

5, Kate S: Pass from Amy on the left across the D, Kate S hit it home hard with a first time shot.

-Half time-

6, Trudy (in the words of Megan): crossed from the left by Megan.

7, Trudy: ditto

8, Kate S: Played in by Trudy, first time strike.

9, Lizzy: Placed into the right hand corner.

10, Megan: Hit and hope.

11, Lucy: (in the words of Lizzy) a smashing strike from a smashing captain.

MOTM: Amy

Trudy- full of running, commitment personified

Lizzy- top hold-up play, wonderful cross to Trudy for the opening goal

Megan- teased and tormented the Lowestoft defence

Kate S- 70 minutes of hard work, skills beyond her comparatively limited experience

Lesley- the complete player, covered every blade of…er, astro

Melissa- tough-tackling that belies her slight stature

Katy- tenacious, powerfully energetic

Kate L- outstanding goal-saving tackle

Lucy- safe at the back, cracking short corner strike for the second goal

Marion- solid defending, always ready to push up and support the attack

Sam- invaluable communication, infinite hockey wisdom

Success through teamwork and industry.

MOTM: Lesley 

Christchurch, you mostly sucked today.

MOTM: Kate L

After an enforced week off thanks to a snow covered pitch, Christchurch were back into action with a trip to Sudbury. The first half was goalless, but not for lack of chances. Megan had the ball in the net but it had hit her feet in the build up, Lesley’s shot took a wicked deflection off Trudy’s stick to crash against the crossbar, and the Sudbury keeper made a number of excellent saves.

The half time talk identified Sudbury’s strengths and focussed on ways to counter them, with immediate impact. A ball from Marion was worked forward, Megan crossed and while the resulting shot was saved, Trudy reacted superbly to knock home the rebound and give Christchurch a deserved lead. Before long, the visitors made it 2-0 when Trudy took a shot that looked on target, but which Kate S got her stick onto before the ball settled in the net. Goal poaching? Perhaps, but the touch may have been necessary to wrong-foot the Sudbury keeper. Christchurch were now looking comfortable and had a great chance to extend their lead when Lizzy made a beautifully weighted, incisive pass through the centre of the pitch for Katy to run onto, leaving the defence in her wake as she went into the D. A wonderful move which wasn’t rewarded with the goal it deserved. A third goal did arrive, from that rarest of beasts, a well-worked short corner. The ball was slipped to Lesley who hit it firm and true down the centre of the goal, beating the keeper with its sheer ferocity and perhaps a little movement. When she repeated the feat soon after, Christchurch were left perplexed as to why it was then disallowed in what looked like a harsh decision- yes it was high, but only after her sweep had deflected up off the goalie’s pads.