A 2–1 win, plenty of possession, plenty of chances and, judging by the number of hockey sticks and elbows ending up where they really shouldn’t, apparently a firm belief that ✨ elbows are perfectly acceptable tackling equipment ✨

Driffield started strongly, with Holly, Amy and Abi distributing expertly from the back. Fast transfers allowed the team to bypass approximately half the pitch in one go, while some excellent tackles kept Hull struggling to make any real progress.
In midfield, Keira, Charlotte, Harriet and Fiona were putting in the miles, making key runs and using some lovely skills to move the ball through both the attacking and defensive halves.
Up top, Bry, Bron, Hannah and Bella were causing chaos, making runs out wide and into the D and generally refusing to let Hull settle.

All of this resulted in plenty of possession and a healthy collection of chances… with just one tiny issue: the final touch appeared to be on annual leave ?

Luckily, the short corner department was on hand. Charlotte sent a beautifully disguised sweep towards goal, with Keira on the right post providing the crucial deflection into the back of the net.
7 minutes in and 1–0 Driffield.

Just two minutes later, more battling and pressing kept the ball firmly at the Hull end. Bella picked it up, produced a very lush roll-out and calmly flicked it into the back of the net.
9 minutes, 2–0.

From there, the rest of the half was essentially Driffield asking, “How many chances can we create without scoring?”

There were plenty of them, including a goal from Keira that was unfortunately disallowed. Screaming, crying, throwing up?

Hull survived, and we headed into half-time still 2–0 up.

Hull came out fighting in the second half and began creating chances of their own, eventually finding the back of the net to make it 2–1.

Driffield kept pushing for that elusive third, but Hull’s keeper had clearly decided she was going to be involved in the result, pulling off some very good saves and repeatedly denying us.

There were also some questionable interpretations of the word tackle from both sides, all elbows & no chill, resulting in a green card for our very own Harriet. Naughty naughty. Having committed the offence, Harriet immediately put both hands up with a little “oh sorry, sorry” act, looking like butter wouldn’t melt. The performance was convincing… however, the umpire remained unconvinced. Green card.

At the other end, Kat was doing everything she could to preserve the lead, pulling off some class saves against Hull’s strikes and keeping us firmly in the driving seat.

The final stages became increasingly physical, with Driffield continuing to battle and putting bodies on the line to protect the win. Bella produced some particularly skilful runs down the baseline, only to be wiped out by the same Hull player not once, but twice. At this point, we’re wondering if their defender may have accidentally wandered onto the wrong pitch — perhaps rugby is the sport she was looking for! Unfortunately, the second wipeout resulted in a rather painful landing on Bella’s already dodgy shoulder. Owwww!! We’re wishing you a speedy recovery, Bels!

The match eventually timed out at 2–1 to Driffield. A win is a win, but with the amount of possession and chances we created, there was definitely a feeling that we could have made life considerably easier for ourselves.
Still, three points secured, bodies mostly intact and another win in the bag. On to next week!

A big thank you to the umpires who we couldn't do without! Tash for TDing and to everyone who came down to support us today — it’s always appreciated! And a special shoutout to our very own Amber, who came down to support the team despite not being on the pitch. Proper team spirit! ???

?️ Match Teas
10/10 for The Spread Eagle, as always. ✨

? Girlie of the Match
Holly — insane tackles and distribution from the back.

? Donkey of the Match
Amber — for leaving the hockey balls with Fi.