Harrogate Hockey Club Ladies 1st XI continue their march towards league title

Rosie Dale was the star of the show as Harrogate Ladies 1s came from behind to win at Durham University. Picture: Gerard Binks

Lucy Wood's team remain four points clear at the summit with a game in hand following a with a 3-1 success at a wet and windswept Durham University.

The visitors Harrogate made a typically bright start and could have been two up inside five minutes, but those missed chances set the tone for the first half which ended with 'Gate somehow trailing 1-0.

The Ainsty Road outfit dominated possession, however they failed to find a breakthrough due to a combination of some good goalkeeping, desperate defending and their own attacking players opting to shoot at goal rather than pulling the ball back to team-mates in better positions.

To compound matters, a defensive lapse during a rare Durham breakaway led to a short-corner for the hosts which was deflected into the 'Gate net to hand the students a slender advantage.

The second half followed a similar pattern until visiting defender Laura Beardsmore controversially had a goal disallowed.

This provided the spark for Harrogate to score twice in the space of as many minutes, with player of the match Rosie Dale netting with a reverse-stick strike from a tight angle to level matters.

The same player then laid the ball into the path of skipper Wood who rounded off a sweeping length-of-the-field team move with a finish into the bottom corner.

Dale later made the points safe when she added their third of the afternoon from close range to take her team's tally for the season to 73.

Reflecting on the result, 'Gate midfielder Tilly Hall said: “We thoroughly deserved our win because we have goal-threats all over the park.

"If you stop our forwards, it simply creates more chances for the midfield. Rosie Dale has seven goals for the season now and Lucy Wood has six."

The Ladies 1s face a double-header this weekend, welcoming former coach Alex Fletcher’s City of York 1s to Ainsty Road on Saturday (2pm) before they entertain Morpeth 1s on Sunday (11am).

Harrogate Men's 1s were thrashed 5-1 by derby rivals Ben Rhydding on Saturday, a result which leaves them 10th in the Yorkshire & North East Premier Division standings.

They will be aiming to bounce back when they host Brigg this Saturday, 12.30pm start.