Hockey Ladies 2nds one game from promotion

A Shanade Orsmond double took Newark Ladies’ 2nds to the brink of promotion after they overcame West Bridgford Ladies’ 3rds in a tense match in Nottingham.

The visitors, knowing a win would all but take them up, made hard work of the game, and had some lucky escapes, with goalkeeper Molly Usborne sparing the team’s blushes.

Newark forced a couple of early corners but failed to properly test West Bridgford’s defence as nerves began to show.

Usborne was twice called into action to save what looked like certain goals when she dived to intercept a Monarch attacker about to shoot, and stretched out to push another shot beyond the post with her stick.

Newark gradually came more into the game in the second-half and Ann Crockett-McLean saw her shot crash back off the post.

A short corner routine was worked home by Orsmond to send relief flooding through the visitors. Orsmond again produced the goods when she released a vicious strike that fizzed past the keeper.

Newark would need to lose their last game to mid-table University of Nottingham 3rds, with chasers Nottingham Players needing to win their last two games and improve their goal difference by ten to pip the Greens to promotion.