Aldershot & Farnham (A&F) Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team started their 2024-25 South East Women’s Premier Division campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Holcombe’s second team.

The game started at a fast pace, with Holcombe pushing high and A&F sitting deep.

However, A&F gradually found momentum and soon both sides were making fast-paced attacks down the flanks of the pitch. Possession was equal between the two teams.

Holcombe created their first chance from a penalty corner, but shot wide. At the other end Tammy Cherry's shot was saved.

A lot of the play took place in the middle of the pitch, where Holcombe were very physical.

A&F won a flurry of corners at the end of the first half. Cherry was bundled to the ground at one of the corners, and the Holcombe defender was given a green card.

Some good work by Charlotte Clive created a good chance for A&F, but Phoebe Bryant's shot was stopped by a defender on the line.

Despite both sides creating chances neither side was able to make a breakthrough in the first half and the score was 0-0 at half-time.

The second half started at a fast pace, with both teams having chances.

New A&F goalkeeper Taylor Goodrich made some excellent saves for the visitors, coming out at crucial moments and making goal-saving scrambles on the line.

Up front Sophie Edwards and Sophia Fielding caused the home side plenty of problems and carved through the Holcombe defence multiple times. Edwards nearly scored on a couple of occasions.

Holcombe upped the pressure and won a couple of corners midway through the second half. A deflected ball ping-ponged around the D and bounced off Louise Laws' head before finding the back of the net to give Holcombe the lead.

The Shots came back strongly and pushed hard until the end of the match to try to find an equaliser.

A&F couldn't find the back of the net despite creating some good chances. The game finished 1-0 to Holcombe, but A&F will look to build on the positives after creating lots of chances.