As the hockey season turned the last corner into the home stretch another Saturday morning in February saw Sutton Ladies 3s travel down the M42 for a lunchtime fixture at Solihull Blossomfield. With only a few games left to play, Sutton are sitting mid-table with Solihull hovering around 4th bottom so it was expected they would be up for a game to ensure their safety in the league.

The weather was being undecided as usual for this time of year, one minute blazing sunshine, the next rain but overall it was cold so it wasn't surprising that wimp shirts were spotted on both sides as they took the field for the warm up.

Sutton only had 12 for this game whilst Bloss had amassed a small army. A good warm up and both teams were ready for the push back.

The 3s started the game and Solihull came out fighting. If Sutton had expected an easy ride to the 3 points they would have to think again. Bloss were definitely up for this game and it showed from the off.

The first ten minutes saw both teams make inroads into each other's D's and to be fair in those first few minutes Solihull probably had the upper hand. The solid Sutton defence of Naomi, Katy, Mandy and Robbo stood up to them and held them at bay and it was with some well worked 'Christmas Tree' passing through the midfield and up to the forwards that the 3s dug themselves out and started to push Bloss back.

As the half continued Sutton utilised the pace of the 3s youngsters and their charges into the Solihull D started to cause problems.
Des and Becky up front were giving the defence a real headache and first glory went to Sutton when Becky latched onto a through ball right of the D and drew the keeper out and with a perfectly timed pass left towards the P spot, Des charging in from the left, smashed the ball into the right corner giving the keeper no chance.

After the restart Sutton were electrified. The Bloss keeper had to really put herself on the line to keep Sutton at bay, she was pulling off some fantastic saves and with last ditch frantic scrambling by the Bloss defence they tried to hold Sutton. Smurf in the Sutton goal still waited to touch the ball and was still waiting when the 3s took a second.

Once again Becky and Des linked up well and after a beautiful switch around through the midfield following a long corner from Nik, to Katy to Emma who pushed the ball out wide to Des on the left, Des charged in and leathered a shot across the face of the goal to Becky who literally threw herself at it and perfectly deflected it into the right corner-what a goal! Becky picked herself up to the congratulations of the team. It really was a spectacular finish.

After the restart Sutton stepped up the pace even more but so did Bloss, this had become a really good game and Solihull saw a chance to get something, the next goal was going to be important - and it went to Sutton.

Once again Sutton were invading the Bloss half and a cross pitch move saw Sam chip a ball to Becky in the D who took a first time mid height shot straight past the motionless Solihull goalie. Another spectacular goal from Auntie B! If the first wasn't superb this was simply sublime! Bloss were stunned!

Play continued and again both teams were still battling hard. Sutton were temporarily down to ten men for a couple of minutes when a green card was issued to a midfielder in white after an offending stick tackle saw the umpire reach for his pocket. Sutton rode the time out well and it wasn't long before they were back up to full strength after the 'sin bin' time was served.

Solihull had been defending really well but Sutton's goals were simply awesome and they were out for more, their goalkeeper must surely have taken the man of the match title today, how she saved some of the 3s efforts is simply unknown. Sutton had faced a handful of short corners but Bloss did grab one back just before half time when a quick attack on the break saw two players in blue charging down the pitch and into the D, Smurf came out to narrow the angle as Katy charged back with the other attacker but a well timed slip across between them saw the ball nestle in the net to the disappointment of the Sutton team.

Sutton were to have two goals disallowed and were unlucky not to have notched up more in this game - the ball was in the back of the net as the whistle went for a short corner in the first half and then again in the second.

The second half continued at the same pace as the first, Bloss had really stepped up their game to try and match the might of the 3s today and were playing some really good hockey. They won a handful of short corners and had a few charges into Sutton's D but with really good and solid defending the 3s kept them well at bay and Smurf wasn't really challenged much at all.

Sutton were to take a forth, Sophie Davies added to the score tally when she took a superb goal, after charging down the right side of the pitch she wheeled past her defender and flew up the back line and then just let fly. The ball smashed into the net at an impossible angle, another phenomenal goal from the 3s. What a finish (& obviously listened well to Mum's advice not to shoot from there!)

4-1 to Sutton and still the goals weren't finished. As the half drew into the last ten minutes Solihull were awarded another short corner after a ball spun up and hit a defender in the mouth. The game was stopped whilst treatment was administered and the umpire apologetically called for a short. The ball was injected...and play stopped by the whistle - the Sutton back line was now down to four after the umpire called for an early break from the one-runner. The ball was injected again and the shot saved spectacularly by Mandy's thigh, it spun high in the air and after a bit of a melee in the D a Bloss attacker grabbed a chance shot at the back post narrowly missed by the diving Sutton keeper to bring the scores to 2-4 to the visitors.

This was to remain the score as the final whistle blew. There had been a battle and several players from both sides had sustained cuts and bruises, several had ended up on the floor but the game had been really enjoyable and played in a really good spirit. The umpires did an extremely good job and kept the game flowing well and were noted by both sides as being really fair.

Back at teas as the teams devoured the chip butties and cakes the MOM and DOD votes were cast. DOD was a battle between Des and Nik but whilst Des took just the 2 votes, Nik gathered 8 to lay claim to the trophy.

Man of the match, another hotly contested affair this week. Emma H got a vote, Des got a vote but Nik and Becky fought it out to the bitter end with Nik taking 4 of the votes but it was to be Becky who took the crown with 6 votes. Well done Becky-two outstanding goals! Well done Sutton 3s. A deserved win after a well fought battle.