The OAK Group-sponsored Isle of Man under-16s girls hockey team were in ruthless form against Bowdon at the weekend.

The two sides went head-to-head in the EH Girls Under-16s Tier Two KO Championships at the Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.

A busy motorway journey meant the team minibus arrived at the venue with less than 10 minutes before pushback, but captain Ela Blakemore quickly organised the squad into their warm-up drills and the girls focused on the game ahead.

From the outset, the Isle of Man girls placed pressure on any Bowdon possession and quickly gained control of the game, with forward Sophie Partington scoring her first goal two minutes into the contest.

Within the next three minutes, both centre forward Alicia Kiernan and then attacking midfielder Summer Craig won penalty corners, with the second leading to a further goal by Partington.

The Manx side continued to apply pressure, focusing on movement and accurate passing of the ball.

The defensive line-up of Caitlin Williams, Bree Collister, Amira Crookall and Connie Sellors looked strong and, supported by goalkeeper Ellie Burns, Bowdon’s attacking opportunities in the D were quickly closed down.

Continually re-aligning their positions to enable swift changes in the direction of play, the Isle of Man defence supported the midfield players Blakemore, Craig, Zara Levy and Amelie Geldart who controlled the run of play.

In the first half a further six goals were scored from both penalty corners and open play, with Isla Caine scoring a hat-trick plus Safina Miah and Levy adding to the scoreline.

In the second half Bowden didn’t give-up despite the pressure from the Isle of Man girls, but the Manx side continued to dominate with goals from Partington (2), Collister, Miah and Blakemore to round off a resounding 13-0 win.

The team would like to thank Bowden for the hospitality, the umpires, OAK for its continued sponsorship, Manx Hockey Association and all the parents.

LYNNE VALERGA