Hockey players on target for Rosebowl
A total of 17 goals were scored in the hockey league this week as Delting continued to stretch their lead at the top while Scalloway notched up their first victory of the season.
Association Rosebowl
Zetland 1, Burra 5
Burra started with some brilliantly-linked passes immediately putting pressure on Zetland’s defence and Kristan Robertson opened the scoring after five minutes with a well-hit ball. Shortly after Burra made it 2-0 with a strong hit from Stacey Laurenson.
Zetland seemed unsettled at this point with some new faces in the team still adapting to the senior league. The defence worked tirelessly but could not stop a strike from Josie Jamieson making it 3-0.
Burra continued their excellent play, switching the play well across the pitch. However, Zetland began to settle into the game and made some good runs through their midfield.
Zetland came into the second half determined to get a goal and made some promising runs and good strikes on goal. They were rewarded when a hit from Shona Keith rebounded off the goalie’s pads to be struck into goal by Stacey Gardner.
Burra continued to keep the pressure on Zetland keeper Debi Kane who made some great saves.
Zetland never gave up and continued to pressurise the Burra defence but some great tackles and play by Burra resulted in two further goals through Stacey Laurenson.
A mention must go to Zetland’s new players Claire Gallagher, Alice Unsworth and Natasha Graham who put in excellent performances.
Players of the match were Shona Keith for Zetland and Josie Jamieson for Burra.
Juniors 0, Spurs 1
The game started at a very fast pace with both teams applying good pressure.
Lara Thomason for Spurs applied good pressure towards Junior keeper Jessica Bradley but the strong and well organised defender Debbie Robertson broke down the Spurs attack and cleared the ball wide to Sarah Groat.
Groat and Zoe Irvine went on a spectacular run which was eventually broken down by Morag Fox.
Spurs started applying more pressure but Caitlin Holmes and Ava Sim managed to stop any would-be attacks. The Spurs attackers fought well and got a few good shots on target which were stopped by the keeper and cleared on numerous occasions by Debbie Sneddon.
Sim and Hannah Hunter for Juniors stopped many attempts by Gayle Johnson to shoot while the Spurs defence worked well together and managed to stop attempts by Margaret Johnston to penetrate the circle.
Tammi Anderson and Bethany Laurenson worked well as a team to set up many chances for Megan Jamieson but all were halted by the Spurs defence.
Julie Brown and Hannah Hunter stopped Spurs breaking into the Juniors defence by giving good coverage, while Juniors’ Rowan Nicolson was stopped many times from penetrating the circle by the organised Spurs defence.
In the second half scrappy play in the Juniors goalmouth led to a goal for Spurs scored by Karen McKay.
Players of the match were Jessica Bradley for Juniors and Gayle Johnson for Spurs.
Zetland 2, Delting 5
Zetland opened the scoring through Stacey Gardner but Delting equalised when an intercepted pass was fed through to Linda Gunn who slotted home a fine goal.
The ever dangerous Julie Kirkness and Jillian Copland linked up for Delting second when a loose ball was collected by Kirkness whose strong shot was saved by Zetland keeper Debi Kane. The rebound fell to the left post where Megan Hibbert rattled the ball past Kane.
Delting made a few changes at half time and made the best start to the second half. Pushing for the equaliser Zetland were caught out by a switch from left to right from Kirkness. Michelle Stark fed a well-timed ball to Gunn whose shot penetrated the keeper’s pads and went in.
Zetland’s new set up for defending short corners worked well and Delting failed to capitalise on six corners. Tired legs cost them the fourth goal when a counter attack from Delting involving Kirkness and Donna Murray. Kirkness released Murray down the Delting left flank who returned the ball to Kirkness and her accurate strike flew into the bottom right corner.
Stark got the last for Delting with a fine strike from the top of the circle.
Captain Helen Robertson continued to encourage Zetland and found herself with space up the middle. She received a square ball from Keith and smashed her shot past Karen Jarvie in goal for Delting, making the final score 5-2 to Delting.
Both teams played well in a spirited game with great performances on both sides. Shona Keith shone for Zetland with her tireless work in midfield and Julie Kirkness for Delting with her accurate passing and goal scoring.
Burra 1, Scalloway 2
Both teams started well with play from end to end resulting in Scalloway getting a short corner. Scalloway’s Nicola Smith putting a great ball into the path of Kerri Redfern who struck a great ball into the back of the net.
Burra fought back with some great midfield play between Tracey Blance, Sarah Young and Stacey Laurenson but were unlucky not to materialise any goals, with fantastic defence from Scalloway’s Anne-Marie Robinson and Redfern.
Burra started the second half with more pressure on Scalloway’s defence with Josie Jamieson and Karen McKelvie playing fast balls into the circle resulting in a short corner being awarded to Burra. Laurenson smashed the ball home to make it 1-1 and all to play for.
Unluckily for Burra Mhairi Moncrieff, Nicola Smith and Naomi Johnson made some fantastic play up the park which resulted in another goal for Scalloway by Nicola Smith.
It was a good game from both sides but Redfern’s organising and encouragement gave Scalloway the win on the night. Players of the match Scalloway’s Anne-Marie Robinson and Burra’s Stacey Laurenson.
Fixtures
Monday – Lizzie Polson Shield: Scalloway v Whalsay at 6.30pm (Simon Skinner/Burra rep).
Association Rosebowl: Juniors v Burra at 7.50pm (Simon Skinner/Whalsay rep).
Thursday – Association Rosebowl: Whalsay v Spurs at 6.30pm (Kerri Redfern/Delting rep); Scalloway v Delting at 7.50pm (Morag Fox/Spurs rep).
Training
Players attended four very worthwhile sessions led by former international coach Douglas Reid at the weekend.
He will be back in Shetland during the weekend of 29th/30th May to take sessions as follows and all sessi
