In the England Hockey Championships, both the IOM Ladies Masters (O45) and Ladies A teams had quarter final matches on Sunday.

The Isle of Man Ladies Masters (Over 45s) travelled to Liverpool University on Sunday to take on a determined Sheffield side in a competitive and hard-fought encounter.

The match began at a hectic pace, with both teams eager to settle into their rhythm. Early pressure came from the Isle of Man, whose forward pairing of Donna Harrison and Kerry Cowley showed excellent running and movement, immediately testing the Sheffield defence.

It quickly became clear that Sheffield’s goalkeeper was a formidable shot stopper. Recognising this, the Isle of Man began working hard to move the ball around the goalkeeper, looking to create better angles in the circle. Harrison came agonisingly close on three occasions in the opening half but was denied each time.

Sheffield responded with strong attacking pressure of their own, repeatedly driving into the D and winning several short corners. However, excellent goalkeeping from Jo Hicks, supported by the defensive short-corner unit of Lynne Valerga, San Moore, and Kirsty Guy, kept Sheffield at bay with a series of well-organised defensive efforts.

The breakthrough finally came in the 27th minute. Harrison worked skilfully around the goalkeeper’s feet and calmly slotted the ball home to give the Isle of Man a deserved 1–0 lead.

In the second half, the Isle of Man made good use of their width, with wide halves Elaine Wiseman, Jo Quine, and Niamh Goddard creating several promising attacking moves down the flanks. Harrison and Cowley again came close to extending the lead, both narrowly missing the target by inches.

As Sheffield pushed hard in search of an equaliser, the Isle of Man midfield triangle of Sharon Pope, Sam Franklin, and Ros Lynch held firm, working tirelessly to disrupt Sheffield’s build-up play and maintain control in the centre of the pitch.

Further defensive resilience came from Jan Lewis and LeeAnne McNaught, who collected numerous loose balls and absorbed sustained pressure as Sheffield pressed forward late in the match.

Through disciplined defending and determined teamwork, the Isle of Man Ladies Masters held on to secure a well-earned 1–0 victory after a spirited and competitive performance from both sides.

IOM Ladies A faced a hard battle against Chester Ladies 1.  A tough decision led to an early flick which proved difficult to come back from against a very defensive team who caught the IOM Ladies on counter attacks. 

Whilst IOM Ladies A came close on many occasions, they just couldn’t find the net to score and get them rolling. The ladies showed true grit and determination throughout the match as shown by no goals being scored by either team in the final quarter. The team did everyone, and themselves, proud. The final score was 5 – 0 to Chester.

Many thanks to the coaches and managers, and to the teams for the reports.