Shield repeat for Oldham

OLDHAM women’s hockey retained the Greater Manchester League Division One Knockout Shield at Manchester High School for Girls — with a little bit of help from Moss Park.

The local outfit’s place in the final relied on Park overcoming Manchester University, and they did so courtesy of a last-minute strike.

Through on goal difference, Oldham went on to beat Urmston 2-0 in the final — a scoreline which meant they went through the competition without conceding a goal.

Louise Howard opened the scoring with a fine strike from a penalty corner.

Howard also had a hand in her side’s second goal, slipping the ball to Gill Jones, who made no mistake from close range to seal victory in the final.

In the pool matches, Howard was again on target in the 1-0 win over Glossop firsts, while the clash against Moss Park ended in a goalless draw.

Karen Rowney was Oldham’s saviour in the match with Manchester University. She kept out a penalty flick to ensure another stalemate.

The final pool game saw Oldham clinch a 1-0 win over Bolton, thanks to a Karen Rowley effort.

Elsewhere, Oldham’s third team lost 3-0 at Manchester University in Division Three to slip perilously close to the relegation zone in eighth place.

Sorcha Faulkner was Oldham’s best player, but she was unable to stave off defeat.