Winters on its way and with the festive season around the corner the ground was certainly as ‘hard as iron and water like a stone’! A bitter icy wind sliced through the fans ..warming up on coffee and players warming up on the pitch.

Ducklington stamped their mark on the game from the start with shots from Ella Butler and Francis Hook in the first minute. Five minutes in and Ella again shot right of the goal, followed a minute later by Katie Weaving’s shot into the keepers hands.

Tower Hill returned the battle but were ably dealt with in defence by Katie Weavin, Holly Keylock and Abbey Lloyd. Laura Jones and Katy Hoare came on in the eleventh minute with Laura immediately shooting wide of the right post and thirty seconds later sailing a shot narrowly above the cross bar.

On the quarter of an hour mark Ella Butler again saw her shot saved. Two minutes later and the Ducklington strike force were at again with a through ball from Laura Jones to Ella Butler who set up Francis Hook but the ensuing shot again found the hands of the Tower Hill Keeper. Ducklington were doing everything …right…apart from scoring! Nineteen minutes in and Katy Hoare pulled of a dazzling turn on the edge of the area, against the managers instruction …but with devastating effect ..as the clearance set up yet another Ducklington attack culminating in Laura Jones shot screaming wide of the left post.

With twenty one minutes gone and against the run of play Tower hill nearly took the lead with a goal mouth scramble, ending with Ducklington keeper Viv Hughes diving at the feet of the Tower Hill striker to kill the ball. It had been along time coming and in the twenty-third minute Ducklingtons determination paid off with Ella Butler notching up her first of the day to take the visitors into a one goal lead at half time.0-1

The second half started as the first finished with a shot from Lauren Major in the first minute saved and the resulting parry falling to the feet of Ella Butler whose shot was deflected off the post. The scenario was repeated almost exactly a minute later but this time Ella found the target to net her second of the day and take Ducklington into a two goal lead. 0-2

Tower Hill responded well but could not break through the defensive wall that was Abbey Lloyd and Holly Keylock under the command of Katie Weavin. Then in the fourth minute Lauren Majors shot was cleared but only as far as the feet of Laura Jones who stroked the ball over the line to take Ducklington to a three goal lead.0-3

Tower Hill kept their heads up and again took the game to Ducklington and would have broken through in the sixth minute but for the dogged determination of Holly Keylock at left back and Katy Hoare in the centre. Then it came, a break trough from Tower Hill and cracking shot from Jemma Dudley keeping the home side in the game with the score at 1-3.

Ducklington retaliated with shots from Lauren Major right of target in the ninth minute, Katy Hoare left of target in the eleventh minute and Laura Jones similarly left of the goal in the twelfth minute. A minute later and Katy Hoare threaded a pin point pass through to Lauren Major who with time and space slotted the ball into the top right hand corner of the net from the left edge of the area.1-4

On the quarter of an hour mark Katie Weaving spotted the tower Hill keeper off her line and lobbed a shot which sailed under the bar to take the visitors into a four goal lead.1-5

Two minutes on and Laura Jones took the ball from inside her own half through the Tower Hill defence for the resulting shot, under defensive pressure, to skim wide of mark. Nineteen minutes gone and Tower Hill turned it on, with a goal mouth mêlée in the Ducklington area seeing the ball in the back of the Ducklington net.2-5

With Ducklington in a moment of disarray, Tower Hill capitalised and took the ball straight from the centre and straight into the Ducklington net.3-5

Ducklington regrouped and in the twenty second minute of the half Ella Butler sealed her hat trick 3-6

In the dying moments of the game a further two shots on target from Laura Jones and Lauren Major failed to change the score line and the final whistle announced a Ducklington win.3-6

The game had it all with ENTERTAINMENT written all over it; a good spirited encounter from positive play from both teams. The Ducklington Player of the match was deservedly awarded to skipper Katie Weaving who had captained a tight Ducklington side ….and notched up a goal of her own!