A performance but no points to take home!

Loughborough Students 3-0 WBTHC

Whitley Bay enjoyed more possession and more territorial advantage but could not find the back of the net; conversely the students who were always likely to attack at pace took their chances.

An evenly matched first 15 minutes saw both teams playing at a high tempo; and the University keeper was the first in action pulling off a good save from a short corner; but after 17 minutes Loughborough scored on the counter.

Both teams were playing good hockey and the midfield battle was not for the faint hearted with Ali Gordon and Charlotte Marwood particularly prominent. Unfortunately another period of concerted pressure from Whitley Bay failed to yield a goal and Loughborough scored from nowhere just before half time; even then the Bay had time to force another short corner straight from the re-start; but the students went in with a 2-0 half time lead.

Some of Whitley Bay’s play may have lacked finesse at times so far this season, but they certainly make up for it with a battling spirit; and they piled forward in the second half looking for a goal. Their pressure started to draw a series of ever more desperate fouls from the students who were regularly reduced in numbers; but sadly the pattern of the first half was repeated with Loughborough always having the legs to break quickly and with numbers. It was therefore perhaps inevitable as the Bay committed more and more players forward that they would be caught once more; but 3-0 hardly reflected a contest between two well matched teams.