Leicester Hockey Club

A new look Leicester side turned in a solid first performance of the season in defeating Canterbury 2-0. New signings Maddy Hinch and Laura Unsworth from Loughborough University and Emma Clarke, an Irish international, all made good contributions with goal keeper Hinch especially making her mark early in the second half with three good saves in quick succession.
The match was won in the first half by Leicester, the opener coming rather strangely when Hannah Smith made her way into the circle and her cross struck a defender's stick to deflect into goal. Although Smith was clearly well inside the circle when she struck the ball and a goal was the only decision, umpire Sarah Bush decided a discussion with her partner umpire was needed. While Canterbury played dumb and Leicester set up for the restart at half way Bush's anxieties were soothed and Leicester went one up. The second came from a lightning break featuring Lauren Turner and centre half Gemma Darrington somehow ended up on the end of a cross to send a superb deflection past the keeper.
Former player Beckie Herbert, returned after a year in Dutch hockey, looked very speedy and Leicester coped without four absent top line players in Abi Harper, Kerry Williams (out injured) Chloe Rogers (holiday) and Crista Cullen, returning from a year of travelling and South African hockey. When all are fit and available coach Chris Mayer has the tough task of choosing from a pool of 20 top class players.
Canterbury coach Ian Jennings has a tougher job. On Saturday he brought just 13 players up from Kent, two of whom were just 16 years of age.
Mayer will be hoping that his side can get back to the dizzy heights of three consecutive League titles which ended in 2007 and a return to top line European competition. Chief rivals will again be champions  Bowdon who started with a 3-0 win, Olton, runners up, who also won 2-0 and newcomers Reading who beat Slough to get off the mark. Reading have recruited several GB stars including Leicester legend, Helen Richardson on her return from den Bosch. With most of the England girls needing to be close to hockey HQ at Bisham many have opted for Southern clubs so it is fantastic that Leicester's stars have stayed loyal to the club.
This weekend Leicester travel to Poynton for a game they ought to win but the Cheshire side always puts up a good fight, indeed surprisingly beating Leicester in the corresponding fixture last season. It would be quite a shock were they to repeat that against Leicester's current squad!
Squad: C. Schultz, M. Hinch, L.Unsworth, S. Cockayne, G. Darrington, J. Bimson, L. Turner, V. Hawkins, A. Panter, H. Smith, E. Clarke, L. Brown, K. Long, B. Herbert, L. Barrett and H. MacLeod