Erskine-Stewarts-Melville v Inverleith, Scottish Hockey Women’s Plate Final, 14th April 2012
The first of several finals to be held on the day, the Women’s Plate was contested between Erskine-Stewarts-Melville and Inverleith on the water-based pitch at Edinburgh University’s Peffermill facility.
In a closely contested match, Inverleith started the better and for the first 10 minutes or so looked as if they would be the team to come away with the trophy. Erskine-Stewarts-Melville, however, defended well and managed to keep Inverleith at bay until they found their feet and initiated a series of their own attacks, coming close to goal on a couple of occasions.
It wasn’t until five minutes to go in the first half that Inverleith managed to hit the back of the net. A pass from out wide found Sarah Campbell with the ball in the ‘D’, and with just the keeper to beat, she slammed it into the goal for the lead. Less than a minute later, ESM took the game upfield to the Inverleith women and sustained pressure on the defence gave Tutu Osifodunrin the chance to equalise, which she took to draw the teams level at one goal apiece. Two minutes later, Osifodunrin got a hold of the ball 40-odd metres out, and with a superb solo effort, drove into the goal area and slipped the ball past the keeper for her and ESM’s second. The game had then just restarted when the half-time hooter went with the score 2-1 to ESM.
The second half started fairly evenly, with both sides having chances but not converting until 12 minutes in when an Inverleith attack the ESM area ended with another Campbell goal, this one being a reverse stick sweep which left the ESM keeper sprawling. The rest of the half was fairly close, end-to-end affair, with Inverleith, possibly, having the better chances, but then having to endure an ESM onslaught in the final minutes, which resulted in a series of long- and penalty-corners, none of which they managed to convert.
With the hooter sounding for full-time and the final score at 2-2, the match then proceeded to penalty strokes, each team having up to five before ‘sudden death’ ‘strokes ensued. Two unfortunate misses from the ESM girls then left Inverleith, with four of their ‘strokes scored, not requiring their fifth attempt for the match win, which they duly clinched 6-4.
Overall, a highly entertaining and evenly matched game, with neither team dominating for any significant period, but, as in any competition, one team has to come out on top, and the Inverleith team held their nerve better in the shoot-out and ran out worthy winners of the Arthur McKay Scottish Plate.
Photo and Report – John Preece
Web – http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography
