Lancaster lose final game of season to Neston despite taking two goal lead

Lancaster started well and took the lead through Nicola Conway with a trademark goal from a penalty corner.

Her first time strike was too powerful for the goalkeeper and it smashed into the back board.

Lancaster continued to press and doubled their lead when Ali Standeven-Johns found the back of the net with a reverse stick flick into the near post.

Neston came back into the game shortly before half time with a tap in after the initial raised ball into the D was adjudged to be acceptable.

Into the second half and Neston began to turn the screw; they were moving the ball quickly and dragging Lancaster out of position.

They found their equaliser with a break away ball which found their high striker who calmly passed it past Leighan Bleasdale in goal for a tap in for her teammate at the far post.

With eight minutes to go Neston took the lead with a with a quick reverse stick shot which took Lancaster’s defence by surprise.

Lancaster pressed looking for an equaliser and they t hought they had it with five minutes to go when Hayley Standeven-Johns found the back of the net but the whistle had already gone for an earlier infringement and the goal was chalked off.

Lancaster failed to capitalise from the resulting penalty corner and at the final whistle they were disappointed to have let their lead slip.

However, due to other results going their way they maintained their position in North Prem for next season.

Meanwhile, Lancaster 2s took on Windermere at the weekend in the final game of the season.

Lancaster started the brighter of the two teams with Nina Helme, Ailsa McKirdy and Nat Clark dominating possession and linking up well before releasing the forwards.

Lauren Allwood and Emma Moore were unlucky not to break the deadlock in the first five minutes but the Windermere goalkeeper was equal to every shot.

Eight minutes in Lancaster were able to find a way through though.

A well weighted pass from Allwood reached Sophie Christopherson who smashed the ball into the goal around the emerging keeper.

Lancaster were hungry for more goals and continued to dominate possession after the restart.

Isla Tomlinson, Beth Davey and Katy Lindsay worked the left hand side well and Lancaster were unlucky not to find the goal on a number of occasions.

However, a defensive error saw Lancaster hand Windermere a soft equaliser just before half time.

After the break it was Windermere who retained the majority of the ball.

The Lancaster defence of Emma Wood, Lottie Horner, Meg Tudor and Frances Archer were called into action on a number of occasions and goalkeeper Rebecca Halliwell was forced to make a number of saves time keep Windermere out.

The perseverance from the team as a whole meant that Lancaster were able to withstand the pressure from Windermere and the game ended 1-1.