Hawkes devour Blues
HAVING COMPREHENSIVELY BEATEN Birmingham University 6-0 the previous Wednesday, the Oxford women's hockey team went into their first league match of the season full of confidence.
The Blues were up against local rivals the 'Oxford Hawkes' who were keen to bring the university down, and particularly fired up.
The match began at 11am, and a new meaning was given to the term 'water-based' pitch due to heavy rain.
The Blues began the match determined to put one past the Hawkes, and for the first 20 minutes, play was all in the visitors' half. The team were working together, but were unable to open up the Hawkes' strong defence.
A quick break from the Hawkes forwards yeilded them a short corner minutes before the half time whistle, from which they scored a fortuitous opening goal. The Blues tried to get back on level footing before the break, but to no avail.
A clearly unimpressed coach gave a stern half time talk, since the standard of play was not up to scratch.
However, the Hawkes were clearly in no hurry to relinquish their advantage and came out just as hard as before. A lucky break from their forwards soon extended their lead, leaving Oxford with everything to do.
Frustration turned to panic soon after, as the Blues resorted to the long ball game in hope of a rapid reply. This resulted in Oxford continually giving away possesion, presenting the Hawkes yet more chances to attack. The visitors' capitalised on this by adding a third goal following another quick break, making the final score 0-3.
Despite the final score-line, some excellent play by individuals, showed the team's promise. Liz Fox put on a good show, as did Tommy Kemp, and new recruit Kate Walters, who lead the attack.
After some hard training, and more time to gel as a team, the Blues will no doubt soon be back on form.
Captain Liz Fox was unable to hide her disappointment: "We looked good in patches, but overall it was a lacklustre display," she said.
"I'll be looking for a vast improvement at Reading on Saturday."
12th Oct 2000