MK Ladies 1sts vs. Wycombe 1sts - 7th January 2017

The Milton Keynes Ladies 1st team began 2017 with a bang when they faced Wycombe 1st team on Saturday. Playing the game two weeks prior to the date originally allocated for the fixture due to Wycombe’s indoor commitments, MK went into the game determined to start 2017 as they meant to go on. Following a good warm up, MK took the game straight to Wycombe, Karmel Bracken driving the ball deep into the Wycombe half right from the starting whistle. Throughout the first fifteen minutes of the game, both teams tried to assert their mark on the game, with both teams playing some promising hockey in the middle of the pitch but no goal scored at either end. Wycombe broke the deadlock first after 17 minutes gone and with their first real scoring opportunity. Disappointed by conceding, MK went in search for an equaliser. Laura Browne, Lindsay Kettleborough and Alice Vigor worked tirelessly in midfield, making some driving runs with the ball to alleviate pressure in defence and create attacking opportunities. Wycombe pounced on a defensive error with just five minutes remaining in the first half to score from the narrowest of angles and to make the score 2-1 but in the final minute of the half Thea Jackson fired home a half-volley to cut the deficit to one going into half time.

Returning to the pitch after a team talk from coach, Dave Fenton, the team knew they had to score at least two goals if they were to break the tradition of frustrating draws against Wycombe. Having begun to play some of the penetrating and persistent hockey that the team knew they were capable of in the closing stages of the first half, the team went on to play some more of the same in the second. During the thirty five minutes that followed, the defence of Lisa Kavanagh, Beth James, Sophie Wombwell and Maxine McMenamin along with goal keeper L-J Millers denied Wycombe of any further goals whilst the MK attack went on a goal-scoring rampage, putting four goals past the increasingly despairing Wycombe keeper. Thea Jackson fired home her second of the game from a penalty corner after fourteen minutes and then MK took the lead less than ten minutes later when Sophie Reynolds scored from the award of a penalty stroke. With the score finely poised at 3-2, MK knew that one slip up could leave the game as a draw, however, two goals from, player of the match; Karmel Bracken within the next six minutes of the game sealed the victory for the home side. The three points see MK move above Wycombe into 4th position in the league. Next week the team travel to 9th placed Eastcote looking to continue their winning and fine goal scoring form.