LADIES MENDIP HOCKEY SECONDS 4 SHEPTON MALLET 3
Mendip took the spoils in a very competitive mid-table encounter at Chew Valley on Saturday.
The home side started brightly, and put Shepton under pressure early on, before the visitors opened the scoring on the counter-attack.
Mendip Captain, Jackie Browning, led by example to put her team back on terms, firing home an unstoppable shot from the top of the D. Connie Glover then put Mendip ahead with a clever finish from an acute angle.
Good passing and interplay throughout the side ensured that Mendip continued to look strong into the half-time break.
The second half saw Mendip pull further ahead, with Glover showing great persistence to put away the rebound following Sally Stanford’s penalty corner strike. Shepton replied with a shot from a strong solo run down the right, to make the score 3-2 mid-way through the half.
Following more end-to-end action, the ball struck a Shepton foot on the goal line and the umpires had no choice but to award a penalty stroke.
Defender, Kate Penn, stepped up and put her flick away with consummate ease to regain the two-goal cushion.
Some excellent defensive play, and occasional acrobatics from Mendip keeper, Carrie Tiley, ensured that Mendip retained their lead into the last minute, when Shepton converted a penalty corner to score the game’s final goal.
This Saturday, Mendip hope to secure three more important league points as they travel to Gillingham. Match starts at 10.30 a.m.