Blair flair seals Oldham victory

PICTURE PARADE: Oldham Ladies Hockey Club firsts of Emma Burns (back row, left), Fran Lees, Amanda Smith, Chidi Onuoha, Amy Broadbent, Karen Rowley, Rebecca Blair. Fran Barlow (front, left), Daisy May Ward, Louise Howard, Sarah Simpson, Lisa Staniland, Yvonne Jackson, Jordanna Rawlinson.

HOCKEY: 

BUOYED by their first win of the season, Oldham Ladies Hockey Club had hopes of following up against Manchester Moss Park — and didn’t disappoint, taking a 2-0 win.

A goal each in half, from Amanda Smith and Rebecca Blair, clinched the spoils in this North Hockey Women’s League Division Two South-West clash. Moss, promoted as champions, applied early pressure with several short corners, but the Oldham defence and ’keeper Sarah Simpson stood firm.

Their determination paid off as Smith, all alone in the ‘D’, put the home side in front after good work from Lisa Staniland and Louise Howard.

Moss responded with an effort which struck the crossbar on the Newman College pitch. Oldham were forced on to the back foot but, with centre-back paring, skipper Fran Lees and Daisy May Ward imperious, they held out. With Blair’s pace on the right wing, Oldham were content to play counter-attacking hockey.

Moss went close again, striking a post from a short-corner routine, before Simpson pulled off a great stop with her stick. Oldham then hit Moss with a sucker punch: Ward sprayed a cross-field ball all of 60 yards to Oldham’s star player Blair. Running into lots of space, she coolly slipped the ball under the advancing Moss ’keeper.

Oldham played out the game with a packed midfield and one up front.