EH Slazenger Womens Premier Division
Saturday ,February 7th 2009
Report and photographs from John Coxon.
Leicester 3- Poynton 0
The snowy weather again disrupted some of the EH Premiership action this weekend with Trojans (such a good first half of the season but slipping now down the league) unable to get through the snow for their game with struggling Canterbury at Polo Farm. Leicester travelled up to a sunny Bellevue, Manchester in their customised luxury mini-coach to take on Poynton Ladies. They would have been keen to avenge their home defeat when Poynton had come from behind for a win.
Unlucky Leicester and England star, Kerry Williams sat out the game with a recurring ankle injury that has dogged her season. Crista Cullen was also absent being in Kenya for a year off with her family. Prolific Poynton striker Kath Linaker was on the touchline but didn't play. Poynton's spirited Captain, Sinead McCarthy did take to the field despite being very evidently heavily under the weather with a flu virus. England Internationals Chloe Rogers and Jen Bimson were again on form. Aldwyth Pearson was delegate for the game and International Umpires Sarah Bush and Janice Tasho got the game under way with neither side gaining any real advantage in the first twenty minutes and it looked like it was going to be a very close game. Poynton are a match for this team when they at the top of their game but today they seemed to lack that sustained edge.
In the end there were two rather soft goals with Lucy Brown scoring first for Leicester on 27 minutes in open play and then , second half , Katie Long with another on 41 minutes again in open play . Five minutes later Hannah Smith lobbed a ball out of reach of the Poynton goalie Michelle Thomas in open play and it was all over. Poynton had two purple spells, once in the first half and once in the second but ran out of time. Coach Chris Mayer was happy with the Leicester win but thought his team's performance was under par, putting it down to lack of pitch practice as the weather had hampered training for his team on home turf due to frost.
Elsewhere Bowdon didn't play struggling Chelmsford and remain top of the Division six points clear of nearest rivals, Olton and West Warwick and Ipswich went down to Olton 5-2 and remain second from bottom with only one win thus far. Leicester are now third in the table, one above Slough who didn't get to play Clifton because of snow so remain equal fourth with the West country team. Poynton are two points clear of Trojans and are 7th in the table. Next week Poynton have a must win game against Trojans. Bowdon have Chelmsford in a re-arranged match, postponed through the weather on the Saturday 14th 
February and have Ipswich on the 15th. Slough take on Canterbury and Olton have Clifton.
