Hockey: Chichester sides play out exciting clashes with Horsham, Eastleigh and Wimborne

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Chichester Ladies II 2 Horsham IV 3

Sussex Ladies Div 1

In their first game of the new year Chichester, whose form going into the break was pretty good, looked like they hadn’t played together for a long time.

Chi took a while to settle but their passing and movement started to emerge. Horsham were quicker to the loose ball and picked Chi off at every opportunity. Horsham were awarded a penalty corner and despite Char O’Callaghan’s great attempt to save it, it went in.

Chichester pressed further up the pitch, putting Horsham under pressure in their own half, and Juste Balkyte scored.

In the second half Chi knew they had to do better to cut out the visitors’ midfield but Horsham got their second when the ball was lost by Chi as they attacked.

Horsham added a third but Chi did not give up, everyone giving their all, and Tracy Austin burst into the Horsham D and hit the loose ball hard into the goal to give them hope – but time ran out.

Chichester: Char O’Callaghan, Tracy Austin, Jackie Baxter, Amy Chaplin, Kate Woods, Sarah Jessop, Kath Mundy, Alex Hurd, Juste Balkyte, Lindsay Hauxwell, Gabby Crisp, Lois Rice.

Eastleigh 3 Chichester Ladies IV 4

Chichester started well and on seven minutes Mandy Clark scored a cracker for Chichester, created by some great passing between her, Sarah Pack and Heidi Johnson down the right.

Chichester went down to ten players as Sarah Whittington went off injured. Eastleigh hit back to equalise from a short corner.

Play was very even for the rest of the first half with some great defending by Hayley Johnson, Debs Cox and Elaine Cruttenden and goals from Pack and a second from Clark making it 3-3 at the break.

Chichester started the second half with 11 players but were soon back down to ten. However Chichester were full of confidence and fighting spirit.

The winning goal was scored by Caroline Homer, slipping it past the keeper into the bottom corner following great passing down the right.

This was a good spirited game and a great team effort by Chichester.

Chi Ladies IV: Johnson Heidi, Johnson Hayley, Cox, Batchelor, Whittington, Howarth, Clark, Pack, Ashton, Homer, Cruttenden.

Players of the match were Clark and Johnson Heidi

* Last week Chi Ladies fours beat Haslemere fours 8-1 thanks to five goals by Mandy Clark and one apiece from Kelly Lillywhite, Heidi Johnson and Caroline Homer. Player of the match was goalkeeper Rihanna Batchelor.

Chichester Friars 3 Wimborne Wayfarers 3

Hampshire Area Div 4

Friars gave away a two-goal lead, then came back to earn a point.

Both teams created chances in the opening quarter of an hour but the Friars took the lead on 17 minutes when Martin Hughes fired in from a short corner.

On 32 minutes a mis-hit shot from Chris Pacey deceived the Wimborne keeper to double the lead.

Wimborne changed their tactics from the start of the second half, pressing hard to deny Friars time on the ball and they began to take control.

Some strong defending, a number of good saves from Torrance in goal and a fair bit of luck, ensured Wimborne were unable to covert chances at first but they got on the scoresheet after 50 minutes.

Ten minutes later the score was levelled and Wimborne added a third a few minutes later.

But the Friars dug in and began to create chances. With five minutes left, Richard Sabin. playing his first game for 11 years, drove into the D and fired a screaming shot into the far corner to bring the scores level.

Other results mean the Friars are still third in the league.

Friars: Rob Torrance, Andy Osborne, Trevor Andrews, Martin Hughes, Steve Mercer, Dave Walters, Tracy Boyce, Adrian Strange, Gareth Wharton, Richard Sabin, Mark Green, Chris Pacey, Alex Langhein.