Setback forLarkfield title bid

It has been a spectacular transformation of fortunes for the Lisburn club, who can however still be crowned champions if they arrest the slump and win their six remaining matches including two meetings with current league leaders, Graduates.

In narrowly losing out to champions Belfast Ladies on a 52-50 scoreline at the Racquets Club last Friday night, Denise Prue’s side did deliver a much improved peformance compared to their last outing against Graduates a fortnight earlier.

That 21-goal hiding was embarrassing for the 2010 double winners but in some ways this latest loss was harder to take as Larkfield will know they could, and probably should, have picked up a vital victory rather than two losing bonus points for finishing within five goals of their opponents.

Larkfield led at all three intervals and were well in front at one stage of the first half but, with two key players suffering from medical conditions, ran out of steam in the second and fell agonisingly short.

Goalkeeper Deborah McCarthy bravely lined out in spite of a severe chest infection but had a torrid time against Northern Ireland captain Noleen Lennon, who would have been a major threat anyway but predictably thrived on not being marked as tightly as usual.

The ongoing absence of Neamh Woods with a hip injury meant last summer’s signing from Belfast Ladies, Ciara Brunton, slotted into the unfamiliar position of goal defence between an ailing McCarthy and Eimear Wright, in her first game back after a holiday in Australia.

Although the return of the international trio of Wright, Brunton and exile Michelle Drayne meant Larkfield had a stronger team out than against Graduates, the defensive formation had an unfamiliar look to it and significantly Prue hasn’t had a settled side since Christmas.

Captain Caroline O’Hanlon was typically tireless and fought ferociously to pull the match out of the fire in the closing stages, even taking increased shooting responsibility as the off-colour Kyla Bowman wilted a little.

Bowman was majestic in the earlier part of the season when Larkfield beat both of Belfast’s big two, but illness has somewhat hampered her effectiveness of late and her miss in the final 30 seconds snuffed out hopes of salvaging a draw.

Larkfield should break their losing run against top four outsiders Laganside tonight (Fri, 8.30pm) at the Racquets club and a convincing victory would not only boost the team’s confidence but their goal difference, which could yet prove crucial come the end of the season.