As the fog lifted over Fortress Long Road, the L1s knew they had a job to do: win. With Pelicans and St Ives leapfrogging us in the table after last week's away trip to Wisbech was frozen off, we knew we had to keep the pressure on.

Fresh-legged and caffeinated to varying extents, we started the game strongly with an attack from the first push back resulting in a goal in under a minute. Some of the passing moves and foresight today led to the best attacking hockey we have played this season. We spread the play and moved the ball around, with most of the goals being the final pass on the end of long passing moves involving several members of the team.

To their credit, Horncastle stuck to their plan and were a threat on the run but our defensive four did a solid job of shutting down their counterattacks before they troubled Loopy's goal. With Manager Graham ("the Force") McCulloch masterfully running the bench, we used our squad of fourteen to the max, playing fast and clinical hockey that actually did make the ball do most of the work.

Some particular highlights:

1) Kim scored five goals, of which my personal fave was a drag-push from the top of the D after picking up a rebound.

2) Sophie scored four goals, of which my personal fave was a looping deflected shot with all the fizz of a half-drunk bottle of tonic that's been at the back of the cupboard since last Christmas.

3) Flix is pretty good at playing hockey whilst sat on her backside in the middle of the D.

4) The advent of Robyn M(c)'s stopping into our penalty corner routine means we've finally smashed that fifty percent conversion rate and also gave her a class debut goal for CSHC.

5) Either the Long Road pitch is haunted or Kim deserves an Oscar for jumping out of the way of a trickling ball…

6) Poor Loopy should have brought a book.

7) It is awesome having a manager and support from the side-lines.

8) The pivot around the back works wonders.

9) WE LOOKED LIKE A TEAM AND WE PLAYED LIKE ONE.

10) Doing on a Saturday what we practiced in training on Thursday works really well. Cheers, Dave.