Ladies Match Reports 06-07

Olney v Oakham

Sunday 15 April

WON 41-27

Second Half Performance Ensures Good Win

Olney travelled up to Oakham for their last league fixture of this season, knowing that they would face a determined side with a strong pack. Despite a strong start from Olney, soon enough Oakham were pushing the pink ladies back and getting into the 22 with some aggressive rucking and good support play. Olney managed to regain possession and work the ball back up the pitch, Helen Hacker at centre proving a good battering ram for gaining ground. Eventually captain Kath Hardwick saw a gap and went through on the blind side to run in a try from half way.

Oakham came back in good fashion with some excellent driving from a line out taking them up the pitch. Their pack was clearly their strength and it was used well to batter Olney back up the pitch. Despite excellent tackling from flanker Maddy Bowley and number 8 Sarah Larner, Oakham had momentum and secured an attacking scrum from 5 metres out. Using their strength, the Oakham pack drove Olney back to allow their number 8 to pop the ball down over the line. Coming back with more positive play, Olney kept the ball alive and soon enough flanker Maddy Bowley drove through 2 tacklers to find clear ground, sprinting through to score.

Another reply from Oakham came soon after as they were awarded a line out in the 22. Once again, great forwards work created a strong maul and drove Olney back and on reaching the line they were easily able to put the ball down to go level again. The game ebbed and flowed and Olney managed to keep the ball going through the hands quickly to gain ground. Fast rucking and support play was the order of the day and support play paid off for hooker Anna Holden who collected a pop pass to go over to score.

Just before half time Oakham once again used their power up front to create chances and went over to leave the half time score 17-15 in their favour.

Olney started afresh from the restart with some excellent angled running from number 8 Sarah Larner and centre Hacker. Kirsty Duncan at scrum half kept the ball moving well and soon enough Olney were moving Oakham around the park. Bursting through tackles, Hacker came in at pace and took the ball over to get Olney in front, with Clarke converting. Replacement number 10, Lizzy Holden came on and made an excellent impact by creating space for the back line. Soon enough, she spotted a gap herself and went over to score, with prop Amanda Clarke providing the conversion.

More impact play from Oakham put Olney on the back foot and from a scrum another push over try was awarded. From the restart however, Olney made great gains with Claire Batty and Terri Denham both showing excellent support play and rucking to secure and turn over possession. Number 10 Lizzy Holden kept momentum going and from a quick penalty sneaked through the defensive line to touch down, once again a conversion from Clarke.

Olney seemed to have the game under control and using quick hands and good support were able to keep their opportunities flowing. This time good work from the forwards drove Oakham back and quick hands from the back line resulted in a text book try for winger Anna Fagan.

Oakham kept their mettle however and a good kick down field was collected by their winger, who was tackled short of the line. Conceding a penalty in the tackling area however, Olney had to get back quickly but couldn't quite make it to defend against a quick take from Oakham.

The final score of 41-27 was a good result for Olney who now hope they have secured a third place position in the Midlands 1 league.

Hat-Trick for Larner in Tough Clash

Olney Ladies v Camp Hill

Sunday 25 March

Lost 15-39

With many supporters turning out for the annual Sponsored Day which the Ladies host, there were plenty of people in good voice to cheer on the home side in this league encounter against top-of-the-table side Camp Hill. Olney needed all the support they could get knowing that this game would be unrelentingly fierce.

Olney started well with number 8 Sarah Larner making some good runs up the pitch, supported well by the pack. Camp Hill were very good at the breakdown however, and managed to turn over ball throughout the game and disrupt rolling mauls ably. Camp Hill came back with a counter attack which nearly saw an early score, were it not for an excellent tackle by winger Charlotte Mills. Great cover defence from Olney prevented any early damage and soon enough they were back on the attack with a stolen ball and a break through run from Kath Hardwick. Nothing came from this however and once again Camp Hill regained control.

Using their zippy back line, Camp Hill started to open up the game and create space out wide. Despite great tackling, the overlap was there and they went through to score. Soon after, another touch down came from their full back who made light work of skipping through tackles to take the ball over.

Olney drew their breath and went back for a positive attack with Helen Hacker providing her usual mix of power and passion to create momentum. Scrum Half Kirsty Duncan was an excellent shepherd for a great rolling maul by Olney which pushed Camp Hill back into their 22. Some good work from the base of rucks kept the game flowing with prop Claire Batty making great incursions. Eventually it was number 8 Sarah Larner who took the ball over to open Olney's account for the afternoon.

Camp Hill replied in great fashion with 2 tries to leave Olney 20-5 adrift at half time.

The second half began more brightly for Olney who had regrouped and were determined to bridge the gap. Number 10 Lizzy Holborne kept Olney on the right track with some excellent runs through the defensive line, and great support play throughout. Camp Hill tested full back Lou Osborne, new to the role, with a number of high kicks, but none of these fazed Osborne, who did well in counter attack to get Olney back on the move. Olney kept the pressure on and soon again number 8 Larner went through to score her second.

Once again Camp Hill created space in return by bringing in all of their back line to create overlaps. Great tackles from Josie Haines and Anna Fagan stopped the flow of hte game but Camp were there in numbers, their excellent back row recycling everything in sight and keeping the pressure on. Another try for them ensued, with another soon after. Olney were tiring and soon again Camp Hill's back line showed their class with a stolen ball collected and taken over to leave Olney 39-10 adrift.

A last gasp of pressure from the home side ensued as Olney showed their mettle to go up the pitch again. Hooker Anna Holden led the charge with a breakthrough run, and was ably assisted by the pack who played excellently throughout. A half break from Lizzy Holborne left Olney just short and the ensuing scrum left Larner with another chance to score, which she ably carried out from a text-book pick and drive.

With the final score at 39-15, this was a far improved result from the last time Olney met Camp Hill, no doubt improved by the huge amount of supporters cheering the Pink Ladies on.

Olney have one league game left against Oakham in which to cement their place in the top three of Division 1.

Olney Ladies v LEC Stoneygate

Sunday 4 March

Drew 5-5

In atrocious weather conditions, Olney started this game well with some secure support play which saw the pink ladies quickly get into Stoneygate's 22. A break from Kath Hardwick took the visitors up pitch but a try saving tackle from the Stoney fullback prevented any early damage. Olney were quick to the rucks and secured possession to enable phases of play. Excellent pacey runs through the fringes from flanker Helen Hacker and second row Lizzi Leetch kept Olney's momentum going but pressure just wasn't converting to points.

With the pitch conditions deteriorating play started to get messy with both sides knocking on and easily turning over ball. Some excellent tackles from centre Lou Osborne and flanker Sarah Larner prevented any incursion from Stoneygate and soon Olney were on the offensive again. Excellent work in the scrums by hooker Anna Holden secured ball and Olney managed to gain ground again with some strong running from prop Claire Batty. A seemingly valid try from Anna Holden who popped through a ruck to touch down was disallowed by the referee so Olney had to work hard again to get over the line.

However it was Stoney who scored first, kicking the ball through and chasing it from half way to touch down. No conversion left Olney 5-0 adrift and it was the kick that the visitors needed as from the restart Olney picked up the pace. Short bursts off the breakdown worked well and Olney were soon threatening for the line. Hacker picked up at pace and ground her way through three tackles, powering over to score for the visitors. No conversion left the pink ladies level.

The second half once again saw Olney dominating play, and rarely did the match move out of the Stoneygate 22. Credit to the home side was their tackling which prevented Olney getting over the line. Their flanker in particular did great work to halt Olney in their tracks but they also incurred a number of penalties which saw Olney take line outs 10 metres out from the try line. Bad conditions prevented clean ball but scrum half Kirsty Duncan did well to clear up. With the ground getting heavy, it was harder to put pace on the ball but Full back Kellyann Davey did well to start a counter attack which once again saw Olney threaten for the line. PAsses just weren't going to hand however so the pressure never came to fruition.

Stoney enjoyed one phase of play back in Olney's half but excellent tackles from new winger Beth Peters prevented them taking the lead. Frustration was conjoined with tiredness as both sides' discipline started to go as players were ground down by conditions. A last burst from centre Anna Fagan led Olney back up the pitch but once again passes didn't go to hand, and it was too late as the whistle blew to leave both sides with a draw.

Men of the match: Beth Peters; Lizzi Leetch

Olney v Cheltenham

Sunday 4 Feb

Lost 5-19

Facing one of the top teams in their league, Olney came into this game wanting to impress and prove their mettle against a very good side. The game started well for Olney, who began with some excellent attacking incursions from Helen Hacker and Claire Batty. Support play was good but Cheltenham's defence was immense and managed to hold back waves of attack with some excellent tackling and aggressive rucking. Cheltenham came back into the game with some well timed incursions and solid work at the breakdown and soon were threatening to score. From a line out full back Kellyann Davey provided a good clearance kick to give the home side breathing space. Eventually Olney worked their way back up the pitch with some excellent running from wing Mary Hardwick and flanker Sarah Larner. Olney's posession improved and fast rucking gave the pink ladies space. Flanker Helen Hacker spotted a narrow gap and burst through to score, putting Olney 5-0 in the lead.

Cheltenham fired back from the restart with an excellent series of attacking runs, using their pacey backs to break the gain line. Pressure was absorbed by some excellent tackling from Hacker, centre Katie Graham and full back Kellyann Davey. Cheltenham threatened to power through a number of times but cover tackles went in to leave the score at half time 5-0 to Olney.

The second half brought renewed pressure from Olney who spent time in Cheltenham's 22 but couldn't quite get over to score. Taking the offensive, the visitors started drawing in Olney players and using the emerging gaps to burst through with their pacey full back going through to take them into the lead with a converted try. Now using their back line increasingly, full back Davey was under increased pressure but put in some excellent try-saving tackles to keep the visitors out. Olney worked hard in the set piece with Anna Holden at hooker providing some excellent work in the scrums, winning the ball against the head on a number of occasions. Olney's pack drove up the pitch with a great maul, prop Claire Batty leading the charge. However, a turn over ball from a penalty saw Cheltenham scoop up possession and blaze through for another long distance try.

Under pressure, Olney suffered from injuries to two key players but replacement wing Charlotte Mills did an excellent defensive job with some superb tackling, as Cheltenham looked to keep the ball moving wide. A half break from captain Kath Hardwick led Olney back up the pitch and once again great incursions from Helen Hacker gave the pink ladies a chance. However in the last 10 minutes Cheltenham put on the pressure to take Olney back down the pitch and a good sneak through from the back of the scrum saw their scrumhalf score to leave the pink ladies 19-5 adrift at full time.

Man of the match: Helen Hacker, Kellyann Davey

Olney v Loughborough

Sunday 28 January

WON 19-10

Olney were fired up for this fixture having had a run of two wins from the start of 2007. Keen to keep their place third in the table, the pink ladies were determined to beat Loughborough to consolidate their position. The game started well with some excellent attacking runs from the pack, Helen Woods breaking through early on, and the support play took Olney right into Loughborough's 22. Cover tackles prevented damage in the first instance but then a clearance kick from their full back was charged down by centre Kath Hardwick, who collected the loose ball to start the scoring for Olney.

Loughborough came back into the game straight away from the restart and evidenced their game plan for the day, keeping the ball in tight to the breakdown and pushing forward inch by inch through short bursts from their back row. Olney did excellently to soak up the pressure but Loughborough slowly but surely were making ground. A series of penalties took Olney further back until soon enough they were defending on the line. Despite excellent tackling from Sarah Larner and Tanya Cartmell, Loughborough managed to get enough momentum to go over and even up the scores.

The second half began with Loughborough once again on the ascendant, as they quickly managed to get back into Olney's 22. An injury to fly half Aby Roberge proved a blow as the team missed her kicking skills. Full back Kellyann Davey did her best to clear the lines and Olney eventually after much hard work managed to get up the pitch. From the resulting line out, Olney gathered the ball and stand in fly half Kath Hardwick chipped it over the back line. Centre Katie Graham spurted through the defence to collect the ball, run through from the 22 and score, with the conversion from prop Amanda Clarke.

Olney now seemed to be back in a positive frame of mind, and from the restart Clarke went through on an excellent burst to take Olney up to the 22 again. Number 8 Claire Batty made maximum impact with some great incursions and pick ups from the base of the scrum. Clair Swallow did well to offload out of contact keeping the ball alive and Olney's momentum going. Olney's pack were starting to win through from set piece as hooker Anna Holden won balls against the head a series of times to give Olney the upper hand. After a long spell of pressure, it was Kath Hardwick who saw a gap and broke through to score, Clarke once again providing the conversion to take Olney 19-5 ahead.

Loughborough's heads didn't go down and with minutes left the home side really used their back row to gain ground. Once again a silly penalty from Olney put them back on the line and Loughborough managed to sneak through a score to leave the final score 19-10 to Olney. Olney face Cheltenham next week at home in a tough game against a team holding strong second in the league.

Man of the match: Clair Swallow

Olney Ladies v Lutterworth

Sunday 21 January

WON 31-10

A windy Lutterworth pitch provided the backdrop for this clash as Olney took on Lutterworth and were surely favourites to win. It was Lutterworth who got the upper hand first however as their forwards made an immediate impact from the kick off pinning Olney into their 22 and using crashing runs around the breakdown to keep possession. Despite their best efforts and superb tackles from scrum half Mary Hardwick and flanker Sarah Larner, the pink ladies eventually caved to let in Lutterworth for the first points of the game.

Olney regrouped and came straight back into the game with renewed purpose, battling against the strong opposition pack and using quick hands to secure the ball. Number 8 Maddy Bowley managed to keep momentum going and from the back of a ruck, scrum half Mary Hardwick picked up, dummied and weaved her way through to open Olney's scoring. A break up the blind side from prop Amanda Clarke from the restart kept Olney's supporters in fine voice as she took the pink ladies well into opposition territory. Eventually the ball came wide and a break from centre Kath Hardwick proved fruitful to take Olney up to 12-5 with the conversion from Aby Roberge. This period of play was commanded by Olney who kept going forward despite lutterworth's great efforts to disrupt play and regain possession. Some messy moments saw the ball exchange between sides but soon enough Olney had the upper hand again and this time it was centre Katie Oliver who weaved through three tackles to take the ball over.

Half time score 19-5

Lutterworth's pack came into their own in the second half with some very good rucking and mauling. They spoiled Olney's forwards efforts numerous times and made it difficult for the pink ladies to gain ground. Some good running from their number 8 made ground but solid tackling from the visitors ensured there was no damage. A series of baffling refereeing decisions ensued which pushed Olney back into defending on the line and giving Lutterworth a serious chance of scoring. Lutterworth's forwards made the most of the opportunity and once again pummelled away at Olney until the overlap was there and the try scored.

Olney once again bounced back and an excellent break from Maddy Bowley took them up the pitch. Rucking became faster and more secure and some excellently placed kicks from Aby Roberge pinned Lutterworth back in their own 22. Second row Tanya Cartmell ensured possession was maintained by being the first to every ruck and maul, and scrum half Mary Hardwick played her part with great delivery to the fly half. The pressure paid off and Olney once again scored, this time Kath Hardwick going through for her second at close range.

Lutterworth did their best to keep up the battle using their incredibly strong pack but Olney managed to stay on the attack and from a skewed clearance kick from the opposition, Katie Oliver collected and strolled over the line to collect her second try, converted by Aby Roberge to leave Olney 31-10 winners.

Men of the match;

Mary Hardwick

Tanya Cartmell

Olney Ladies v Shelford

League match

Sunday 14 January

WON 34 - 15

Shelford travelled to Olney with a side strengthened from their last meeting and from kick off the difference showed as Shelford's defensive line held firm. Olney took possession to begin with and some excellent strong runs from prop Amanda Clarke and flanker Sarah Larner moved the game up the pitch. A half break from the back of a ruck took centre Kath Hardwick through but cover tackles from Shelford kept the pink ladies out.

Support running was the order of the day for the home side and Olney's hooker Clair Swallow did well to collect pop balls from round the fringes. A well worked move from the back line drew players and allowed winger Lou Osborne to go through for her first ever try. Shelford replied with a decisive clearance kick which saw them threaten for the line. Olney's defence rushed back but the pummelling forward running from Shelford was too much to contain and they went through to score.

Olney regained momentum with some good pressure at the rucks, securing quick balls for incisive runs from sisters Kat Woods and Helen Hacker. Once again Olney worked their way up the pitch and regained control. After some solid scrummaging, the ball was shipped out and a series of quick passes saw Kat Woods go over to score. From the restart, a textbook maul saw the forwards drive the ball 20 metres up the pitch pummelling back the Shelford pack. An excellent run from centre Katie Oliver took the back line within sniffing distance of scoring but once again superb cover tackles kept the threat at bay. Soon enough however, more strong running off the breakdown saw Helen Hacker go over to score, and with fly half Aby Roberge converting, Olney were 17-5 up at half time.

The second half saw renewed vigour from the visitors as they set out on more positive runs and pushed Olney back. Pinned into their 22, Olney had to kick for touch a number of times but couldn't quite remove themselves from danger. A skewed clearance kick was charged and touched down to quickly give Shelford a score. Olney replied with fervour, as full back Kellyann Davey charged through a number of tackles. Excellent support running kept the ball alive and quickly Olney were back within range. From a penalty, the defence was sucked in and quick hands down the line saw winger Mary Hardwick score.

It was real end-to-end stuff as Shelford once again went on the offensive. Using their back line more effectively, the visitors stretched the home sides defence to once again score in the corner, bringing them within one try of Olney's scoreline once again. Olney showed their mettle and once again worked hard to secure ball and drive up pitch. Some solid takes from the line out by Terri Denham led to more rolling mauls which once again took the team nearer the try line. Some excellent running off a penalty once again led to a try, this time for Kat Woods. A quick run from the restart saw full back Davey weave through three tackles to touch down, the conversion provided by Amanda Clarke to take the final score to 34-15.

Men of the match: Terri Denham, Lou Osborne

Olney v Oakham

Sunday 26 November

WON 68-5

Oakham travelled to Olney with a man short in their team but throughout the game played with such fervour that it seemed a full squad was present. Long standing opponents through the leagues, this was a friendly and competitive game played in great spirits by both sides.

LAdies lineout Oakham Olney started brightly and made their way up the pitch against a good defence from Oakham. Holding their own in the rucks, Oakham did well to slow Olney's ball but a superb period of interlinked play led to the first try for winger Lizzy Holborn. Olney's confidence, which was knocked by a comprehensive defeat last week, was restored and soon the pink ladies put on a show of great support play as they kept the momentum up. flanker Helen Hacker was the next to score, bursting through the defence from a short pop at the breakdown and showing a good turn of pace to go through to score.

Oakham made their presence felt in the pack, winning ball against the head and really putting Olney under pressure at every scrum. Olney's mistakes were capitalised upon with a few mis-directed kicks being collected and used for counter attacks. Olney kept out any threat however as Oakham pounded at the defensive line - it held intact. Settling in to their game plan again, Olney started moving the ball wide and it wasn't long before tacklers were sucked in and winger Anna Fagan went over the line. Soon after centre Katie Graham continued in the same vein, taking the ball through on a strong line to score.

Oakham were not opposition to crumble however and soon came back on the offensive. A number of good incursions from their centre and some pacey running from the back row took them up field and the ball was held up twice over the line. A superb aggressive scrum pushed Olney back, over the line and their number 8 neatly touched down to get them on the scorecard. Ladies scrum Oakham

Olney came straight back however, and number 8 Maddy Bowley kept her scoring record up with the next try, coming from a breakdown and superbly taken over with a crashing run at pace into the defence. Prop Claire Batty in particular stood out in loose play, collecting balls and making Oakham's life difficult in attack with her aggressive rucking and ball stealing.

The second half continued in the same vein as Olney kept the pressure up. Great collections of long kicks from Kellyann Davey and scrum half Kirsty Duncan meant Olney could counter attack and man of the match Anna Fagan proved useful in support as she made great inroads and kept the ball alive, scoring again herself from an offload. Centre Katie Graham went over for another 2 tries to get her hat trick, both coming from quick hands and pacey running in the back line. Captain Kath Hardwick went over at short range for her first try back from a year out with injury and fly half Aby Roberge neatly provided 9 conversions to take the final score to 68-5 and a comprehensive win for the pink ladies.

Man of the match: Claire Batty, Anna Fagan

Second Half Fightback too Late for Olney

Olney v Camp Hill

Lost 10-53

Sunday 19 November

Olney Ladies travelled to league topping Camp Hill on Sunday for what they knew would be a challenging game. However, with a good side out and a win from their last match against Stoneygate, Olney were feeling confident that they had the chance to cause an upset.

The game began well for the visitors with an early surge from Olney thanks to strong running from full back Kellyann Davey and flanker Helen Hacker. Poor handling gave Camp Hill the turnover however and Olney's progress was lost as their speedy back line took full advantage of yawning gaps in defence to fly through. This set the tone of the first half as the home side used overlaps and aggressive defence to make their mark and run in long range tries time after time. Their pack also took the offensive in winning ball against the head in the scrum and sucking in defenders with pick ups from the base of breakdowns.

Olney's heads were dropping and despite some good periods of play going forward, passes didn't go to hand and the defensive line was sloppy, allowing Camp Hill to take a 41-0 lead at half time.

Starting afresh, the pink ladies were determined to get back to basics and did well to contain Camp's strong first half scrummaging by holding their own. With a better platform to now work from, Olney managed to make good strides into Camp's territory and Hacker burst through a number of times, this time with people in support - Tanya Cartmell from second row proving particularly useful. Fly Half Aby Roberge provided some gains with solid kicking and Olney were now into Camp's 22. A series of fast rucks brought the ball wide and Maddy Bowley at number 8 had the satisfaction of the touchdown to lift Olney's heads.

Ladies Lineout Wiggy Olney continued in the same vein and once again looked to be on the offensive. A sloppy pass was made the most of by Camps however, as they again used quick offloads to go through to score. Olney fought back and began to be more aggressive in defence with new wingers Lou Osbourne and Charlotte Mills putting in some try-saving tackles. Camps worked hard off the short balls to make gains and ground it out before finally going over the line.

Olney replied straightaway with some superb interlinking running from prop Amanda Clarke and scrum half Kirsty Duncan. A series of penalties against Camps took Olney 5 yards from the try line and it was only a matter of time before they were over. Centre Katie Graham received the ball out wide from a penalty take, leaving the second half score 10-12 to Camp Hill - but it was too little too late from Olney Ladies as the final whistle blew.

Olney vs LEC Stoneygate

Sunday 5 November

WON 22 - 5

Olney were determined to put right defensive errors from last week's defeat in this league fixture at home to Stoneygate. Olney started well with long periods of possession and strong runs from flankers Helen Hacker and Sarah Larner taking them up the pitch. Aggressive defence and counter attacks were the order of the day as Olney managed to rip possession from Stoneygate at the breakdown to regain the upper hand. Fly Half Aby Roberge made the most of kicking opportunities and it wasn't long before a score was on the cards. Olney's pressure was on full gas and eventually a penalty came, which Roberge slotted through the posts to put Olney 3 points ahead.

A break up the left wing took winger Anna Fagan to within yards of scoring but she was bundled into touch at the last second. Ensuing pressure continued with a great catch and drive from the line out and Stoneygate, despite excellent tackling, buckled under the pressure to concede a penalty. Roberge provided a superbly timed offload to flanker Hacker who powered through to touch down, the conversion coming from Roberge.

Stoneygate responded in good form with their forwards leading a charge up pitch. Great fast rucks and incursions led them to within sniffing distance of the line. Olney's hard work at defence training came in useful however as the pink ladies line was impenetrable. Excellent tackles from prop Amanda Clarke and second row Tanya Cartmell prevented any score coming for the away side and ensured the half finished with Olney's lead unchallenged.

Half time Olney 10-0.

Stoneygate started the second half with renewed vigour, and some superb scrummaging saw them push back Olney's pack. Olney managed to keep the pressure on however and cleared up any clearance balls from Stoneygate. The pink ladies were spending all their time in Stoneygate's half and eventually the away side caved again to a penalty. This time flanker Sarah Larner took the ball on at pace to score, the conversion again from Roberge.

Stoneygate changed tactics and now began to push the ball wide, with both wingers threatening for the line at times. Eventually despite superb tackling along the back line, they had the overlap and scored.

Olney had one last period of play to prove their mettle and the offensive started with a great pick up from number 8 Maddy Bowley. Support players were there and after quick recycling of the ball, centre Katie Graham went through at pace to finish the game with a try.

Olney Ladies v Cheltenham Ladies

Sunday 29 October

Lost 8-31

Olney Ladies travelled to Cheltenham last Sunday determined to continue their division one league campaign in good form. Olney knew they were facing a huge challenge in containing Cheltenham's pacey back line but started the game positively with a good period of possession and drives up pitch from the forwards. Cheltenham conceded a penalty and fly half Aby Roberge slotted it through to put Olney in an early lead at 3-0.

Soon after, the dangers ahead emerged as Cheltenham's full back showed great turn of pace to outstrip two Olney tacklers and sprint in from half way to touch down. Olney regrouped and had a great period of play as good support work and fast rucks took them up the pitch. Centre Helen Hacker and flanker Sarah Larner made good inroads with some strong running bursting through the gain line, but the home side's defence was impenetrable and Olney could find no way through. The pink ladies were within the 22 for a good 15 minutes but to their credit, Cheltenham held firm and started a counterattack which burst through Olney's back line and once again their player showed immense pace to score.

Half time 12-3 to Cheltenham

Olney began the second half in good form with a positive series of running from the fringes of play. Tanya Cartmell at second row had an excellent game at getting to the breakdown and spoiling line out ball for the opposition. From this spoil came a good burst from the centres and quick thinking from the forwards sucked in Cheltenham's defence and allowed prop Amanda Clarke to tumble over to score for Olney. Now only 4 points behind, Olney were back in the game and confident.

Cheltenham had other plans however, and managed with their turn of pace to burst through the Olney defence once again, their centre cutting great angles to outfox the pink ladies. Olney slipped behind as the home team kept up the offensive and used overlaps and gaps to their advantage. Olney were looking adrift and tired as the game reached 31-8 to Cheltenham, but one last burst from Hacker looked to be a try scoring opportunity. Hacker made the break from a penalty in their own half and hammered through 3 players, only to be brought down by the full back in a try saving tackle. Full Back Kellyann Davey in support made more ground but the ball went out of play as Cheltenham's defence kicked in.

This was a disappointing result for Olney, who ultimately failed to convert pressure into points. The pink ladies face LEC Stoneygate at home next week in what they hope will be a game with a reverse of fortunes.

Men of the match: Tanya Cartmell, Kellyann Davey

Olney Ladies v Lutterworth

Sunday 15 October

Won 29-5

Olney came into this game with confidence but the first five minutes did nothing to bolster this as Lutterworth blazed through with a breakaway try. This was the spur Olney needed to wake up however, and from the next kick off the game started to flow for the pink ladies. Incisive runs from forwards Helen Hacker and Sarah Larner took the home side up the pitch and created space for the team to exploit. Soon enough, the pressure started to pay dividends and number 8 Maddy Bowley picked up from the back of a ruck, and drove through two defenders to touch down. Kerry James provided the conversion taking Olney 2 points ahead.

Support play was superb in the first half as Olney continued to pile on the pressure. Full back Kerry James made some good breaks up the wing, supported by player of the match Charlotte Mills, and the back line continued to break through gaps with centre Anna Warren touching down to finish the moves. Followed soon after was another onslaught from the forwards who drove Lutterworth back with excellent support play. This time it was winger Mary Hardwick who scored the try following great hands and support in the backs, and James added another conversion.

Lutterworth showed their strength in their forwards who managed to spoil Olney's scrums and made some in roads. However, their attacks didn't bring results and soon after Olney were on for another score, with Helen Hacker bursting through the defence and sprinting from half way to cross the line.

Half time 24-5

The second half brought a different game as Lutterworth turned up the heat defensively and in counter attack and started to rock Olney's boat. Passes were skewed and dropped, support play was lacking and Olney seemed as if their heads were down. To their credit the visitors took full advantage with some box kicks putting Olney under pressure and some good work from their pack driving the pink ladies back. On the back foot, Olney managed to hold out Lutterworth thanks to solid tackling from scrum half Kirsty Duncan, whose pressure work at the back of the scrum prevented any continuity for the visitors.

Katie Graham for Olney managed to regroup and start some counter attacking moves and second row Terri Denham also made solid runs to get Olney going forward but nothing came of it as Olney continued to spoil their chances and frustrate their many supporters. Eventually flanker Sarah Larner took the attack into her own hands and zipped through the defence, outpacing the full back to touch down just in the nick of full time.

Olney face Supermarine in a friendly next week, playing away at the Swindon based club.

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