FOREST thirds started brightly against Springfields in their first match for three weeks.
There were chances at both ends but defenders from both teams played well to keep the match goalless for the first 20 minutes.
Forest opened the scoring first with some well worked passing down the right between Abbie Hunter and Amy Greenwood.
Greenwood fired the ball in the D for Claire Birkett who slipped the ball with her first touch to Julie Portman who squared the ball to Dee McInnes who was a metre inside the D.
McInnes made no mistake and fired the ball home to the right of the keeper.
Forest did their upmost to play passing hockey but although they were making the right choices they just didn’t seem to get the ‘rub of the green’ and Springfields regularly intercepted loose passes and pushed forward themselves.
It was such an instance that saw them play the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and into the D. Debs Lancaster in goal initially saved but once on the floor was immobilised and saw the ball bobble agonisingly over her arm and trickle into the net from a rebound strike.
The second half was a tale of two halves for Forest who were caught sleeping for the first 15 minutes allowing Spingfields in to score two more goals.
However, Forest continued to play quick passing hockey and unlike in the first half there were no mistakes. There was superb work from Julie Portman, who was playing in an unfamiliar role in centre of midfield.
Portman linked well with Rosie Southworth who in turn linked with McInnes who passed the ball to Birkett who was waiting on the post in the D.
Birkett’s initial strike was blocked by the keeper but the ball fell back to Birkett who played a cheeky reverse stick shot at a tight angle to score a well earned goal.
Play was end to end but the Forest defenders were on top of their game by now with Mags Robinson shining throughout.
It was no less than Forest deserved when the ball was played from defence and through midfield via Hunter and Greenwood to Portman who was positioned at the edge of the D. Portman instinctively struck the ball first time and it sailed passed the keeper to level the game at 3-3
The match remained 3-3 to earn Forest a good point and Portman player of the match.
