Buckingham 0 Holcombe 0

On Saturday Buckingham welcomed last seasons Investec Premier League runners up Holcombe to Stowe. The visitors had slightly the better of the opening exchanges, earning one penalty corner and having a couple of half chances in that period, but Buckingham stood firm and created a good chance of their own on twenty minutes. Abbie Brant went close to scoring and brought a smart smother from the visiting goal keeper. It was proving to be a high tempo game with play swiftly moving from end to end and Ella Jackson was forced to make a smart save of her own just a couple of minutes later.
It was the home side who went closest to opening the scoring, when a Phoebe Richards shot beat the goal keeper but was somehow cleared off the line by a recovering defender. Buckingham earned their first penalty corner in the thirty-second minute but Captain Zoe Shipperley saw her fierce shot smash off the post with the visitors goal keeper well beaten. Tash James was sharpest to the rebound but her shot was also saved and Lottie Porter's second rebound struck a defender on the line for a penalty stroke. Unfortunately, Shipperley’s effort from the spot was well saved to keep the scores level.
Holcombe had a chance early in the second period but gradually Buckingham began to to get into the ascendency. They had a series of penalty corners but the visiting defence stood firm and fought back to produce a couple of chances of their own, as the game continued to ebb and flow. Holcombe had a good opportunity to take the lead on forty-six minutes but could not take advantage and Richards again came close to breaking the deadlock on fifty-two minutes but once again the visiting goal keeper was equal to the task. She saved her side once again with fifty-seven minutes gone when a fantastic flowing passing move saw James's point blank volley somehow kept out. Nicholson also went close with a near post effort with eight minutes to go as Buckingham enjoyed the better of the latter exchanges. However, Buckingham were forced to defend a contentious penalty corner late on, as both sides continued to go in search of a winner. Buckingham pushed for the winner and earned a penalty corner of their own with the last play of the game but unfortunately could not convert, as the visitors goal keeper was once again equal to the task.

“We are all slightly disappointed, as we felt we probably edged the game overall. We created some good opportunities to score but then again, they also had a few chances, so a draw was probably a fair result. The most pleasing aspect is that we have now produced three very consistently high level performances and also that the quality of our play on both sides of the ball is improving week on week. It has been decent start but we know that we can still improve and that we need to continue to kick on. We are all fully aware that we will need to produce another performance this Saturday in what we know will be a tough challenge away at Leicester on Saturday."