LICHFIELD Hockey Club's women continued their unbeaten start to the season with a home victory against Rugby and East Warwickshire.
It was a familiar fixture from seasons gone by, but one that is never an easy game – even given the city side's fine form so far this season.
The game started as expected as a battle for possession and a few breakaway attacks from both teams, but it was Lichfield that broke the deadlock when Kym Shergill slotted the ball past the diving keeper just before the first quarter ended.
The home team's pace and energy seemed to drop in the next quarter, but they still managed to fend off Rugby's attacks.
The visitors were capitalising on this shift of momentum though and their relentlessness paid off when a loose ball in the D fell to a forward for a push into the goal that wrong-footed the goalkeeper for an equaliser to make it 1-1 at half-time.
The third quarter saw Lichfield regain some control in the game and begin piecing passes together in the hopes of breaking down the backline.
A foul in the D gave the hosts the chance from a penalty stroke, but captain Amy Palmer was denied by a fine save from the keeper.
Lichfield continued to push going into the final quarter as both sides traded chances.
With fewer than ten minutes to go, the city women found themselves with a period of possession and won a short corner. A staple routine was decided upon, but a rogue touch from a defender left the ball in the D in no man's land. Palmer pounced on the opportunity, hitting the ball at an awkward angle which sent it goalwards and into the bottom corner.
Lichfield held on to their 2-1 lead, despite a couple of cards being shown in the final quarter meaning they were defending with ten players at times.
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