Hockey: Rochdale Ladies 0 - 0 Stockport Bramhall Ladies

Photo: Rachel Jackson

Player of the match was Gemma Hodcroft

This weekend Rochdale hosted Stockport Bramhall Ladies 3s. After a run of waterlogged matches, it was a pleasant surprise for Rochdale to be playing in the dry.

Stockport had the first push-back, and they made a strong start attacking Rochdale's defence, but were quickly seen off by a far more co-ordinated effort from Rochdale than in previous weeks. Rochdale had rediscovered their confidence and groove and even the occasional fumbled pass didn't deter them, but simply spurred them to knuckle down and hinder Stockport's progress until they had the opportunity to steal the ball back.

Collinson, McDonald, Pickering and Yates controlled the centre ground by using lots of short sharp passes to avoid the Stockport players, providing Rochdale room to get the ball to Hodcroft or Knowles in the D. They were just as frequently thwarted by Stockport's keeper, who blocked any on-target shots and her defenders were too well organised to make a post deflection shot easy.

Hodcroft had multiple goal attempts that were seen off, and almost an assist when she passed it to Collinson on the P-spot from the baseline who cracked it at the goal only for the keeper to save it. Another attempt saw Yates nearly get a goal from the post, but the keeper was in her way and able to kick it away.

Though each team was awarded a short corner in the first half, neither was able to capitalise from it due to the skill of the defenders and keepers.

In the second half Rochdale changed tactics with their short corners, and Owen pushed up as receiver. It almost paid off numerous times, nearly scoring a straight goal one time, and on others passing it off to Hodcroft or Burrell near the post in an attempt to get around the keeper, only for the keeper to dive in front of the ball each time.

On one occasion Yates was able to get the ball back off the keeper and to Hodcroft for another shot, only for a defender to deflect it away. Most of the action from then on took place in Stockport's half, allowing Rochdale to push deep to give themselves as many chances as possible. With Brammer coming up to back up McDonald for long corners and allowing them to switch play across the back in attempts to circumvent their opponent's defence.

Once such attempt saw McDonald pass square to Brammer, who pelted it towards Collinson at the top of the D who was then able to pass it to Burrell in the centre of the D. Burrell turned to shoot, but yet again Rochdale saw their goal hopes dashed by a great save from the Stockport keeper. The biggest danger Rochdale faced were the couple of short corners awarded to Stockport in quick succession, but a fantastic save from Partington saw off the first, with the second initially cleared by Mongan, and the subsequent long corner cleared by Owen.

A couple of other runs were made on their goal, but the team tracked back well to cover and for the most part the ball was intercepted well before it got back to Rochdale's D.

A free hit from the sideline from McDonald went down the line to Pickering, who held the ball in the corner before feinting around a defender and passing it to Hodcroft on the back-line, who in turn crossed it to Newton. Newton hit it towards the goal, the keeper blocked it and a Stockport defender claimed it to pass out of the D. Parton tackled the midfielder who had picked it up, digging her heels in until she was able to steal the ball and pass it to Hodcroft for another run on the goal. This time in their attempts to avoid the keeper, it sailed just wide of the post.

By the final whistle all of Rochdale's forwards, most of the midfielders and even a couple of defenders had had at least one shot on goal, only to be denied by Stockport's keeper and her excellent saves. Final score was 0-0, with no goal scorers.

Player of the match was Gemma Hodcroft.

Rochdale's team for this week:
Keeper; Sam Partington.
Defence; Kate Brammer, Nikki Mongan, Gill Owen & Hannah Palmer.
Midfield; Dionne Collinson, Paula McDonald, Roisin Pickering & Arabella Yates.
Forwards; Gemma Hodcroft & Becky Knowles.
Subsitutes; Katie Burrell, Becca Newton & Daisy Parton.