Alastair Whatley reports from Southgate Hockey Centre on a Division One South clash with University of Exeter

Southgate v University of Exeter (credit Simon Parker/SP Action Images)

Ellie Robinson’s Southgate side produced their best performance of the season as they beat the University of Exeter in style.

Exeter made the long travel buoyed by a 3-1 win over league leaders Barnes two weeks previously and, in Southgate’s indifferent form, spied an opportunity to capitalise. The Matt Way-coached Exeter side boasted the strongest defensive record in the league and a top keeper in the form of Camila Vaughan not to mention the fire power of captain Mille Holme.

Yet, from the opening whistle, Southgate set up with a determined and relentless drive which led within eight minutes to Ellie Robinson driving a ball into Ella Poole-Crowe, who dinked a fine pass on her reverse goal-wards for Emma Macintyre to deceive Vaughan and thread the ball home.

Two close chances fell Southgate’s way in quick succession in the ensuing minutes, the first seeing Ellie Halliday pass on a dime to Katie MacCallum who steered the ball inches wide of the post. Even better was an Emma Postings pass picked up well from a strong lead by Charlotte James-Pajwani who put Emma Macintyre one-on-one with Vaughan who came out hard, diving at the feet of Macintyre, who smartly sent the ball onto her reverse and under more pressure from Exeter’s Vicki Gill laced the ball goal wards only for it to hit the post to gasps from the crowd. Southgate were knocking on the Exeter door but the score remained 1-0.

Exeter had their chances, a Louisa Bray clearance well picked up by the Exeter attacker smartly saved by Bray on her near post before the captain Millie Holme, showcasing all her class in a run down the left wing onto the baseline, beat the Southgate defence, only for Bray again to show she was more than Holmes’ match by calmly meeting the charging Holmes for a fine clearance.

The game remained deadlocked until the 26th minute, when Exeter converted a penalty corner well injected by Gill and flicked nicely by Holmes deep into the left corner of the ‘Gate goal to equalise for the visitors.

Just three minutes later, Southgate converted their own corner with Halliday slapping the ball left for Macintyre to bag her brace, getting in on the post and in true centre-forward style deflecting the ball up and into the goal to give Southgate the lead going into half time.

The second half got under in way with Exeter still pressing and winning corners in quick succession, yet some good defending and poor finishing kept Southgate’s noses in front, which extended further still in some fine forward interchanges.

Lorna Jane Cruickshank found Charlotte Childs who charged forwards, outmatching the Exeter defence for pace, before seeing MacCallum leading hard into the D to her left, MacCallum again keeping ahead of the defence roaring at her heels. Childs, under intense pressure herself, found the pass across goal, yet it came to MacCallum awkwardly on her reverse and in one of the moments of the game saw her diving at full stretch on the reverse to bundle the ball past Vaughan and send the home side 3-1 up.

Exeter never gave up, however, winning ten corners in the game and having several good chances yet Bray, Postings, Halliday, Burkin, Richardson and Ami Robinson as a defensive unit worked tirelessly to keep the Exeter attacks at bay.

The cherry on the cake came when Imi Swann turned over a ball just on the edge of the Exeter D and offered a reflex pass to MacCallum who was shielded stick to stick and shoulder to shoulder by Gill as she drive wide left of the goal, MacCallum stole a half chance to get away a hard reverse tomahawk shot which laced itself on the finest thread like a rocket into the bottom right corner to seal the game. It was a fine finish from a player who really announced herself to the Southgate crowd in an MVP winning performance.

That win sends Southgate into sixth place and riding a wave of confidence. They have a real chance to challenge the top places in this league and have two games left before the Christmas break to climb further still in this intensely competitive Division One South league.

Final score: Southgate 4 University of Exeter 1

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