Five star Bedford make brilliant start

Bedford make the perfect start to life back in the Investec National Hockey League East Conference with a 5-2 victory against St Albans with five different players on the score sheet.

Pre-season has seen a few changes in the team’s structure with Rob Moulam being recruited as manager, Martin Mason-McLeod as first team coach whilst Clare Bilham has returned to the squad, Kate Hawkins has re-signed after 3 years at Nottingham Trent (although she missed the game with a hand injury in the warm up) and Zoe Burford has recently joined from Gloucester City.

After some good performances at the Plum Tournament last weekend, Bedford arrived at Oaklands College in confident spirit but, despite making a strong start, found themselves 1-0 down after a breakaway goal from Nakira Downes inside 5 minutes. Bedford responded instantly through a penalty corner deflection from Kate Costin and then the maroons started to dominate. Bedford’s press was creating turnovers with Emma Pinny and Beth Noble starting to stamp their authority on proceedings in the midfield. Bedford were sharp on the ball and kept building pressure around the circle and a combination of Charlotte Holland and Costin won the ball for Clare Bilham whose neat first touch set up an opportunity in front of goal and she slotted it home supremely well, placing the ball high into the side netting against her former club.

Bedford’s defending was strong throughout with SJ Darrington stepping up well down the right and captain Rachel Jackson marshalling and controlling the game superbly at the back. A short time before half time, Bedford got their third goal; Costin stole the ball on the right, beat her player then crossed for Zoe Burford who finished with aplomb at the back post to cap a great first team debut with a goal.

After the break, as expected, the Tangerines responded and immediately got a goal back from a penalty corner. However after that Bedford dug in deep and Leanne Sargeant in the Bedford goal made a series of vital penalty corner stops ably supported by brave defending from Jenna Maclaren and Sam Turner on the posts. In open play, the maroons were organised and also threatened with pace on the break.

Steph Holyoak and Claire Higginson rotated into the front line and continued to put the Albans defence under pressure and force errors, whilst Becca Budd and Emma Pinny in the midfield were constantly winning tackles and carrying the fight. Bedford’s skills in the circle drew fouls and penalty corner opportunities and man of the match Jackson was striking excellently with one corner tapped in by injector Turner and another fired expertly into the bottom corner for a 5-2 lead.

As the game drew to a close, Bedford’s strong team display and unity really came to the fore. Excellent tackling from Jenna Maclaren and calm passing from Bilham and Holland saw Bedford to a deserved away victory and a performance that will give the maroons heaps of confidence going into their opening home fixture next week against Chelmsford at 2-30pm (Chester Road

Photo credit - Chris Hobson