Youthful Fareham Ladies suffer agonising late loss in season opener at Oxford Hawks

With seven teenagers in the team, they only lost 2-1 at Oxford Hawks to a goal two minutes from time.

After a goalless first half, Fareham had taken the lead through Vicky Field.

Manager Steve Lemon has been forced to make several changes to the side that won the South 3B division in 2019/20.

Jo Faulkner and Laura Pendleton have stepped down from 1st XI hockey, last season’s skipper Lydia Rosewell has moved to London to work, and Georgia Collins and Sophie Raymond have gone to university.

In addition, last season’s top scorer Heath Batten is currently out with an ankle injury and Rebecca Reavell was unavailable for the season-opener.

‘We had a very young team,’ said Lemon. ‘There were seven teenagers, including three making their debuts.’

Four of those were under 16, including 14-year-old debutants Hannah Ward and Anya Middleton.

‘Whilst disappointing that we conceded the winning goal late on, this is outweighed by the positives we can take from the game and the encouragement it can give us as we look ahead to the rest of the season,’ Lemon added.

‘We will be a much better side later in the campaign as we get used to a new league, new teammates and new positions, but the progress we have made since the start of pre-season is encouraging.

‘The aim is just to consolidate this season and then look to build. We don’t know any of the teams in our league, it’s a whole new ball game.’

Fareham welcome Harrow to Henry Cort School this Saturday (11.45am). While Fareham were winning South 3B last season, Harrow were doing the same in South 3A.

Pendleton and Abbie Tallack netted as Fareham 2nds drew 2-2 at Bournemouth 3rds, while Nic Brooks fired a hat-trick as the 3rds defeated Basingstoke 5ths 6-1.

Vicky Ward scored twice and Gracious Phillips completed the half-dozen haul.

Fareham (v Oxford Hawks): Jilly Tovey; Kiera Denham, Tara Lemon, Emily Denham; Sian Edwards; Sam Mitchell, Alice Appleford, Lydia Jackson (captain); Vicky Field, Bel Capper, Poppy Roddis. Subs: Anya Middleton, Hannah Oldham, Hannah Ward.