Macclesfield Hockey Club Ladies 1^st XI tasted their first of the pre season on Saturday, after a 2-0 loss away at Leek.

The visitors took a large squad to the game, enabling newcomers and junior players to make a claim for a position in the starting XI for the 1^st league game of the season next week at home to Knutsford.

Leek started the better of the two teams and enjoyed a greater amount of possession than Macclesfield. The Macclesfield defence was strong with firm tackling and well read interceptions and they did well to keep the score at 0-0 for the majority of the 1^st half.

Leek’s midfield unit frustrated the visitors with interplay between them and the forwards resulting in a lot of the game being played in Macclesfield’s half.

A short corner awarded to Leek resulted in the opening goal of the game. After the initial strike at goal was missed, a series of deflections meant the ball landed at the striker’s feet and she pushed it into the back of the net from a short distance to make the score 1-0.

Macclesfield fought back with surging runs from their wingers and plenty of work by the midfielders but could not penetrate the oppositions defence to level the score.

After half time the visitors came back much stronger and with determination to take the game to Leek. The players worked well together to work the ball forward into Leek’s half and had more time in the final third of the pitch. Macclesfield couldn’t convert the short corners they were awarded but still managed to trouble the defence in the later stages of the game. Leek again pressed forwards when in possession and Macclesfield had to remain disciplined in all areas of the pitch.

Leek’s second goal came from another short corner, but this time the shot from the striker was on target and unfortunately was deflected into the goal after the ball hit a defender’s stick and rose up past the goalkeeper’s pads.

Undeterred by the second goal, Macclesfield continued to stick to their game plan and it paid off not with a goal, but with an improved performance and good passages of play towards the end of the game.

They host Knutsford next week in their first league game of the season where they will be looking to start well with a home win.