Women’s Final
Bowdon Hightown 5* (2)
Sally Walton 3,23 (PC,PC)
Nicky O'Donnell 10 (F)
Fay Nash 30 (F)
Tina Cullen 35 (F)
Reading 5 (3)
Alex Danson 5,9,11,34 (F,F,F,PC)
Sam Quek 33 (F)
*Bowdon Hightown wins 9-8 APS
A tightly fought super sixes women’s final between Bowdon Hightown and Reading completed the women’s indoor season at Wembley Arena on Sunday. After a nail-biting, action packed 40 minutes it took 22 penalty strokes to separate the sides with Bowdon Hightown winning the national indoor title for the second time in three years; 9-8 on penalty strokes following a 5-5 draw.
As the two sides looked to suss the other out both sides were on the scoreboard inside the opening five minutes. Cheshire side Bowdon Hightown struck first in the third minute, England and Great Britain international Sally Walton converting a drag flick from a penalty corner. Two minutes later, another England and GB star, Alex Danson, scored her first of four with a neat finish after good team work in the build-up.
The game continued to ebb and flow and in the ninth minute Danson converted a second. Immediately afterwards the 2009 champions replied with skipper Nicky O’Donnell scoring with a drag flick from the top of the circle to level the scores again at 2-2. To complete a flurry of five goals in the opening 11 minutes, Danson sealed her first half hat-trick with a fine individual effort, lobbing the goalkeeper with a reverse stick shot after running past the defence.
After the lightning start, things settled slightly with Reading going in at the break 3-2 up, allowing the teams and near capacity crowd to draw breath.
Bowdon equalised early in the second half, Walton scoring a carbon copy of her first from another penalty corner to level the score at 3-3.
It was in the 29th minute when Reading’s Becky Halle was yellow carded for a tackle whilst trying to track back that Bowdon Hightown took advantage to add yet another twist to proceedings. Taking advantage of the numerical disparity, Fay Nash converted a cross to give her side a 4-3 lead. But, as soon as Reading were restored to their full compliment they equalised, this time through England and Great Britain’s Sam Quek. And a minute later, they took the lead again, when Danson scored her fourth with a drag flick from a penalty corner.
With six minutes remaining there was still time for things to change yet again and the experienced Bowdon Hightown forward Tina Cullen did just that, firing home from a ball crossed from the right. The result, a 5-5 scoreline and a penalty strokes competition to decide the 2011 super sixes Champions.
After three penalties the score was 2-2 with Danson and Cullen failing to hit the back of the goal. With that the match moved into sudden death but a quick death it was not and it took a further eight penalties on either side to separate the sides. Heartbreakingly for Reading captain Emma Thomas, her effort – the 22nd penalty in all - was saved by the young Bowdon Hightown goalkeeper Amy Tennant low to her left. The Cheshire club’s heroine was all but smothered as her excited teammates raced to congratulate her and begin the celebrations in honour a tenth national indoor title.
Bowdon Hightown will now represent England in Europe in 2012.
