2005–2006 Match Reports

Division One Sunday April 2nd
Swindon TopCats 3 Chelmsford Cobras 4

Defensive errors cost dearly

By Richard Hindmarch
Swindon surrendered their 100% record with some woeful defending and individual indiscipline in a tight game with Chelmsford Cobras. TopCats may come to regret their naïve play as Cobras showed that a disciplined team approach to the game is better than individual endeavour alone. This was shown in the first five minutes as Cobras latched on to defensive errors to take a two nil lead and provide the impetus that the game was there for the taking.

Poor control by the TopCats forwards on the half way line at 2:11 allowed Charmaine Easton to get in behind the defence to set up Alexis Hamilton to score. If that was not bad enough TopCats ended up with all five players inside the Cobras blue line and when the puck was thrown out, Easton found herself in the clear to drive on goal before setting up Eleanor Paxman to convert a simple goal at 5:03. Cobras now began to show TopCats how it should be done by ensuring they had at least four players behind the puck on every Swindon attack. TopCats reduced the deficit when strong play by Gunnhild Paulsen behind the net resulted in Line Voss (8:13) dispatching the loose puck into the bottom corner. Swindon should have shown more discipline but they continued to attack as individuals, when with no player following in to shot rebounds, Cobras were able to easily clear the danger. Just as TopCats seemed to be taking control they decided to play suicide ping pong in their own end which resulted in Hamilton dropping the puck on to Easton who poked it forward to Paxman. The Swindon defence now stood like wooden soldiers allowing Paxman to drive through the crowd (17:23) to score in off the far post. The period closed with TopCats attacking but continuing to look fragile at the back.

The second period saw TopCats much more positive and at 29:43 Emma Hindmarch picked up a loose puck on half way to drive straight on goal, round the last defender before committing the Netminder to finish in the far corner. This had been the first time that topscorer Hindmarch had been given any space and although she was to waste a couple more chances in this period it was to Cobras credit that they did not allow her any more room in the game. This was also to apply to Lynn Taylor who having equalised the score at 34:44 with a superb run up the boards and a neat cross shot that went through the Netminder's legs was to find defenders closing her down ay all times. Ruth Leopold, who never stopped forcing the pace all game and was quite rightly awarded player of the game, was similarly finding space a premium and as a result the other forwards were needed to provide the options. Janine Townsend and Sarah-Jane Davies as usual chased down everything but were shepherded well by the Cobras defenders. Lianne Diotte and Paulsen were given a difficult time, but on the occasions they broke free were frustrated by a resolute defence.

The final period should have seen TopCats consolidating their play but it was to be an insecure performance brought on as much by Cobras closing down as the inability to clear the puck or even find a colleague with a simple pass. This was demonstrated at 43:42 when the puck was again allowed to float around inside the blue line before Marianne Wright hit a speculative shot through a crowded defence into the goal. Swindon’s defenders, who can’t be named for legal reasons, continued to treat the puck as a hot potato unable to clear it further then the blue line. In their defence (no pun intended) they were not helped by the forwards inability to get goal side of the any Chelmsford attack. Cobras on the other hand knew exactly how to cope with the leagues top scorers Hindmarch and Leopold as they made sure that they were driven back toward their own goal or had two players on them at all times. As the game came to its conclusion, TopCats were running out of ideas and becoming frustrated with each other. It was obvious that Swindon were suffering from too easy a season and this coupled with the tactics of incessant attacking found themselves easily contained by a resolute team who also took their chances when offered.

TopCats have six more games to show that they can reverse this result and play to their potential, but only if they realise that the game is built on tight defensive play then slick attacking and not the other way round. There is also the problem of TopCats taking too many poor and injudicious penalties. At the most vital time in this game TopCats were left shorthanded when trying to claw back the game, which against a very well drilled defence was never going to happen. In the after match interviews, the despondency was obvious, but in the main it came down to why Topctas were unable to convert their superior possession into a win. The consensus of opinion is to play to the game plan and not how the individual sees it. Coaches Taylor and Lehman now know how to get to grips with the girls (sorry couldn’t resist it) and sort it out.

Match Facts:
TopCats scorers: Emma Hindmarch 1+0; Lynn Taylor 1+0; Line Voss 1+0;
Cobras scorers: Eleanor Paxman 2+0; Alexis Hamilton 1+1; Marianne Wright 1+0; Charmaine Easton 0+3 :
Period Scores: 1-3; 2-0; 0-1:
Pen Mins: TopCats 12; Cobras 2
Shots on Goal: TopCats; Denise Taylor 21; Cobras; Sasha Martin 27
Player of Game; TopCats: Ruth Leopold; Cobras: Charmaine Easton