We bring you a light sports report this week owing to the current COVID-19 situation. Despite that we saw some fantastic wins in the football quarter final last week against St Columba's College, the hockey boys continuing their winning track record and a close win in Netball against Salesian College.
Cross Country
Well done to Nicole Dunn who competed in the New Balance English Schools Cross Country Championships last week. Nicole came 95th out of 300 in the senior girls' category, and 2nd overall for Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire girls' team also came 3rd in the county team category.
Netball
Girls U18A v Salesian College
On Wednesday Shiplake’s A team played an important league match against Salesian. The match began with Salesian having first centre pass. As the game began, both teams played well with the score evenly matched for the beginning half. After half time Shiplake went back onto the pitch determined to increase their lead. Good defence from centre court players meant that Salesian’s centre passes were turned around and moved quickly into Shiplake's attacking D. This allowed Shiplake to create more of a lead due to good shooting. This left the score at the end of the match 19-15 to Shiplake, well done to M Arora for getting player of the match.
Girls U18B v Licensed Vituallers' School, Ascot
On Wednesday 11 March, Shiplake B team played their last league match against LVS Ascot. The match began with LVS having the first centre pass, however, Shiplake quickly turned it around and scored the first three goals with excellent shooting from S Joyce and A Hallam, and efficient movement around the D from A Selwyn. As the first quarter progressed LVS began to close the gap and, despite strong defence from L Worthington and E Guirronet, by half time the score was 10-5 to LVS. Shiplake came back fighting in the second half with hard passes and great movement in the centre third, allowing the ball to be moved up the court around LVS’ quick interceptions. However, LVS put up a powerful wall of defence and managed to keep the ball down their attacking third for the majority of the last quarter. Despite it being a loss for Shiplake, all the girls played extremely well and showcased the advanced skills that they have picked up throughout the season. Congratulations to L Worthington for getting player of the match and being a consistently vital member of the team throughout the entire match and season.
Hockey
1st XI v Pangbourne College
Shiplake 4:2 Pangbourne
Spirits were high after last week's 3:2 win against Lord Wandsworth. This week we had a new challenge, it was another derby day, one more physically demanding than the previous derby against Reading Blue Coat.
With another change to the team this week, we started with a solid backline with J Hutchins and H Watts out wide and a solid centre back pairing of H Kunzig and Z Tilley controlling the game from the back, with brilliant cover from H Stride. We started off with early pressure, putting on a strong offense, exactly the type of approach we wanted to take to let them know they were going to be on the back foot. A good ball played into the D from J Underwood who was controlling the midfield the whole game, gave us a short corner as L Rouse-Roberts dribbled the ball in and caught a foot. The ball was played to the top of the D and stopped perfectly for O Rouse-Roberts who smashed the ball into the bottom left corner to take us one up in one of the biggest games of the season.
The rest of the first half was end to end with some missed chances from us where we should have taken more of a lead but overall we were positive. In the second half we put on more pressure which led to two goals in quick concession as I Beasley tapped one home to make the score 2:0. Shortly after, J Underwood won the ball back to play it down the wing to L Rouse-Roberts who passed the ball across the keeper, for J Perry to tap it home and make the game 3:0. We were comfortably in control.
After our quick goals, Pangbourne bounced back quickly, responding heavily forcing us into error and catching our defence and H Stride out making the score 3:1 and then shortly after 3:2. But importantly we kept our heads up and focused on the game and the result we wanted.
We won a foot in our own half which was taken quickly by Z Tilley playing a very nice ball up towards A Langeler. Langeler drove up to the back line sending a beautiful ball towards H Poustie who finished in the bottom left corner. We closed out the game keeping positive even though they came close to equalising. We shut them out and took home one of the biggest wins we have had in our season, meaning we have beaten both of our local and big rivals this year which we are very pleased with.
MOM: J Underwood
Report by Z Tilley, Hockey Captain
Other Results
1st XI Football v St Columbia’s College Won 2:0
1st XI Football v The Forest School Won 2:1
