Now I can’t write much about the pre-game team talk and tactics, as I was around 20 minutes late to the supposed pushback of 4:30pm (LOM vote number 1), but I CAN write about how I did eventually arrive 5 minutes into the game with a (lucky for me) 20 minute delay.

Unfortunately, by this point we were 1 nil down, BUT BUT BUT it was not the end of the world. Rebecca, Emma and myself on the side lines were raring to go, we did our best in our respective lines to help even the score, and as a team seem to bring it back together.  Alas, they break through quickly, scoring again, 2 nil.

There were some fantastic runs from Camille in the middle and cheeky 1-2s with Daisy, but sadly we could not quite make it into their D. We can appreciate but not necessarily like the fact that Nomads wanted this win and were all over us in the first ten minutes, but the 5s were not faltering.

After we won the ball back it was passed to me, where in my dramatic flair, I fell over on my own, whether by sheer pace or clumsy feet (who knows?). Is it really a hockey game with Avi if I don’t at least fall over once? (Usually not a fault of my own.) And so it happens, I lost the ball and off they went, but by gods were we going to let them have another goal, like the England’s team back line against Senegal we refused for them to get by us any longer thanks to Julie, Rebecca, Helen (our midfield adding into defence!), Daisy and Vicki.

Play came back into midfield but was intercepted by the opposition. But in a turn of events, it rebounded off the oppo’s stick and into my own. I ran, and I ran and I ran. Looking up every few seconds to pass to someone, but with no-one in sight, the pressure was on, the panic was set. The determination like Harry Kane to get it in was strong, as I got closer and closer to the goal, it dawned on me it would actually be 1v1 with the keeper. With a clear, but stressed mind, a strike to the left corner gave us our first goal of the half! Though we couldn’t relax quite yet, we were back in the game and deservedly so.

The half-time talk and snacks, skittles and oranges (a big team favourite), got us in the positive spirits of how we would do better in the next half - wider passes, posting up, and communication being the main take aways. It worked in the second half with great work from Emma driving up the right wings, Louisa and Becky relentlessly intercepting the balls through the middle, excellent keeping from Sélène and Hattie driving the ball up to the D, we had a chance! There was a slight hiccup where our very own captain collided with the opposition questionably stacking it (or getting stacked) to which there were some flailing going on what the call would be, which almost won her LOM. But long story short there was a lot of running, defending and intercepting this half, with neither team being successful. The score remained 2-1. The umpires indicated 2 minutes, apparently unknown to most the team, as we entered the ball into the attacking D and won a short corner. With that, there was 45 seconds remaining. We swiftly agreed on a first strike, but Nicky safely slipped it left to Sarah who readily swept it in the far right corner, past the wavering sticks, past the keeper and past the goal line.  The whistle was blown for full time and we finished with an iconic 2-2! What a dramatic ending to the day and game and well worth the cold.

There were many nominations for POM; Avi, Daisy, Nicky, Sarah, Sélène, as well as members who played in Wisbech, helping the 6s, Harry and Polly. LOM nominations went to Avi for stacking it, and Louisa for getting stacked (the phrase that was chosen, and a key highlight to this match report), but with Avi ultimately winning PLOM as Rosie would say (who was missed!).

All in all, a fantastic game from everyone, we all worked hard, did our best, and that’s all we can ask from each other. We are rising in the ranks! Watch this space.