Whitchurch Men’s 2nds 3

Bangor University Men’s 1sts 4

Whitchurch Men’s second XI were edged out in a seven-goal thriller at SJT on Saturday by a Bangor University side that maintained a 100 per cent start.

Whitchurch opened the scoring with a neat passing move involving Joe Coburn and Luke Beddow, that sent Alex Leigh free on the right side of the dee and his cross shot was knocked in by Wyn Morris at the back post.

As Bangor committed players forward, Whitchurch struck on the counter-attack and doubled their lead as Euan Morris fired in his second from a narrow angle.

Bangor were a little shell-shocked but dug in and increased the intensity, putting more pressure on the Whitchurch backline, but eventually the away side pulled a goal back, as Whitchurch appealed for a foot as the goalscorer picked up the ball in the dee.

Whitchurch’s passing through midfield was good and the home side were also unlucky when a shot came back off the post but fell to a Bangor stick.

Bangor managed to find an equalising goal, taking advantage of a bit of confusion in the Whitchurch defence as substitutions were being called.

Bangor took the lead midway through the half. Once again Whitchurch were distracted by what they thought was a foot in the build-up and failed to deal with a pass into the dee which was cleverly deflected in.

But Euan Morris’s hat-trick brought Whitchurch back into the game to level the scores at 3-3 and both sides pushed on for victory.

But with the game heading towards its conclusion it was Bangor that snatched the next goal.

Good play down their left saw a diagonal ball played into the dee and a mishit shot crept over the line to give the away side a decisive lead. Whitchurch responded well and drove forward in search of another equaliser, but despite having a short corner on the final whistle, they couldn’t quite grab the draw that they deserved.

The seconds’ next game is a re-arranged fixture at home to Winnington Park fourths, at 11am, on Sunday at SJT.

Chester University Men’s 1sts 1

Whitchurch Men’s 1sts 6

Whitchurch travelled to Chester University to face a team of 10-men, with missing players of their own, to pick up a super win on the road.

Whitchurch took the lead soon after as they exploited the space left at the Chester back from the high press. A quick move up field started by Tom Forster found Jon Chappell in the opposition dee, who drew the keeper off his line to slip the ball to his younger brother Rob Chappell, who slapped the ball into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-0 to the away team.

A second was added when captain Dale Seymour found Chris Ruscoe to slot the ball home under the Chester keeper making it 2-0 but Chester’s high press and quick ball movement eventually paid off just before half-time when a shot on goal found a Whitchurch foot on the line and a penalty flick was awarded and converted.

However, on the stroke of half-time Jack Barnes’s pinpoint pass across field found Ben Kimberley at the top of the opposition dee, whose powerful shot restored Whitchurch’s two-goal lead at half-time.

Nick Cooper added a fourth when he rounded the Chester keeper and smashed the ball low and hard into the bottom left corner.

Whitchurch always had fresh legs on the pitch and this began to take its toll on a home team reduced to nine players due to injury, Whitchurch took advantage and made it 5-1 when Jon Chappell pounced on a loose ball from a short corner routine and blasted it into the Chester goal.

The icing on the cake came in the last 10 minutes as Seymour’s neat pass set up young Will Gilbert running into the dee one-on-one with the Chester keeper, thumped home the ball to pick up his first senior first team goal and Whitchurch’s, maintaining Whitchurch’s push to be league champions with two matches left to go.

Next week, Whitchurch welcome Chester fifth’s for their final home match of the 2019/2020 season, with only a single point required to confirm their position as league winners.

Whitchurch Ladies 1sts 7

Neston Ladies 3rds 2

Ladies firsts entertained Neston thirds at home this week and what a mix of weather they had, including snow.

Straight away Whitchurch put plenty of pressure on Neston, using the width of Kezzie Hutching and Hebe Dixon. Forwards Izzy Huxley and Ellie Windsor battled in the dee and won a short corner allowing Emma Harper to use her powerful shot to slot the first past the keeper.

With the snow coming down so thick the game was stopped until it was safe to play again.

With some fast play up the pitch from captain Catherine Winter-Gresty and Millie Edwards, Anna Latham stormed from nowhere onto the back post to score their second. Neston got on the score sheet from a powerful strike off a short corner.

Sarah Field received a ball in the dee from Edwards and scored a third for Whitchurch, before Neston scored a second.

Field returned the assist to Millie Edwards for a fourth, before Molly Fry and Nina Hodges set up Field for another two great goals.

With only minutes to go Sarah Field managed to get a seventh for Whitchurch from open play.

Whitchurch currently sit third in the league with the top two one point ahead, but play against top team Bowden at home next week – promotion still possible.

Bowden Vixens 2

Whitchurch Ladies 3rds 1

Whitchurch ladies thirds played a friendly away against Bowden Vixens on their spare weekend from the league.

The first half saw goalkeeper Louise Cottrell and the defence of Mel Reid, Emma Stubbs and Hermione Ball come under pressure from the Bowden attacks but they calmly retrieved the ball and set up Whitchurch attacks through the midfield of Poppy Huxley, Annie Leigh and Alice Page.

With the inners of Jasmin Williams and Emily Lister a constant thorn in the side of opposition as they worked tirelessly to break down the opposition possession.

In the centre of the pitch, Jan Teggin and captain Wendy Cooper worked together with forwards Jess Kimberly, Kate Buckeridge, Caitlin Edwards and Libby Fox to create Whitchurch chances in the Bowden dee.

The first goal was scored by Bowden as they broke quickly and finished clinically giving them a lead into the break.

Whitchurch soon were back on equal terms in the second half as Page drove through the Bowden midfield and slipped the ball to Kimberley to score. Bowden again took the lead breaking quickly and catching Whitchurch with a counter-attack.

Whitchurch pushed hard for the equalising goal and despite creating many good chances their luck was not there as they failed to make that last elusive touch in the dee.

Player of the match was Hermione Ball.

Next week Whitchurch ladies thirds are at home to Cheshire Blues.