Ipswich defend Suffolk title

HOCKEY: Ipswich retained the Suffolk Clubs Championship with a 3-0 victory in penalty strokes over Ipswich East Suffolk after a tight and exciting final finished 1-1.

IPSWICH retained the Suffolk Clubs Championship with a 3-0 victory in penalty strokes over Ipswich East Suffolk after a tight and exciting final finished 1-1.

Ipswich won their first match 1-0 against Christchurch, despite only having ten players.

Their second match was against next season's team-mates Orwell Ladies and Ipswich, with a full team, won 2-0.

Ipswich's final group match was against Carlton Park and they finally hit top form easing to a 4-0 success.

Ipswich made it to the final undefeated and waited to see who their opponents would be.

The qualification for the other final spot was a close affair.

Haverhill needed five goals against Castaways to progress but could only manage four, and so IES and Haverhill had to contest a penalty stroke competition to decide who would meet Ipswich in the final.

Neither side scored for the first three penalties but IES finally broke the deadlock and progressed through to the final.

The final was a great match, full of good, fast flowing hockey and when IES took the lead from a short corner strike by Abigail Adams, Ipswich were given their first real test of the tournament.

They responded well, forcing a run of short corners, but IES defended well, with goalkeeper Avril Adams playing brilliantly to keep the ball out.

The second half saw Ipswich again pressurising the IES goal and with eight minutes to go they finally equalised.

Vickey Dixon showed her outstanding skills to weave her way through a group of players and set up Emma Millar to sweep in at the far post.

Full time saw the game ending 1-1 and even with ten minutes of a golden goal spell, neither team could finally settle it.

So strokes came into play again and this time Ipswich made no mistake. Sarah Juggins, Kirsten Spencer and Jo Jo Andersson all scored while IES could not beat Mary Ost in the Ipswich goal.

So Ipswich defended their title with players from all three teams involved and the result was even more special as it will be the last time they will lift the trophy as Ipswich Ladies.

Thanks went to Dawn Claxton and John Adams for organising the event as well as the umpires, who did a great job.

Ipswich squad: Mary Ost, Jo Jo Andersson, Charlotte Andersson, Ali Clements, Sarah Juggins, Vickey Dixon, Kirsten Spencer, Jo Gray, Emma Millar, Lindsay Annandale, Sally Elsom.