Sport / Inter-county: Historic hat-trick in sight for women’s hockey team
SHETLAND’s senior hockey team can make more history on Saturday by potentially becoming the first blues team to win three inter-county fixtures in a row.
The team are gearing up for a huge occasion this weekend, with Orkney the visitors to Brae for their annual battle for the Lady Hamilton Cup.
Shetland ended a near 20 year drought in the fixture by thrashing Orkney 6-0 at home in 2023, before putting a stop to a 42-year wait for an away win in the fixture last year by winning on penalty flicks.
They are now out to do what no other Shetland side has done before, and win a hat-trick of inter-county hockey matches.
They come into the game having lifted the Scottish District Cup for a second time in three years in April, and with a home crowd behind them the team are hopeful they can carve out another landmark result.
Coach Derek Leask said he and fellow coach Brenda Leask’s 18-player squad features a “healthy mix of experience and emerging talent”.
Long-serving players Nicola Balfour and Kristan Robertson – fresh from representing the Shetland women’s football team at the Island Games – are set to reach 15 caps.
Captain Rhiannon Inkster-Smith will earn her 14th in the fixture as she looks to continued an unprecedented recent era of Shetland hockey dominance.
At the other end of the county scale, Spurs’ Sanna Forsyth and Shona Hunter are both in line to make their first inter-county appearances, while Megan Grant returns to the fold after a decade.
Derek said that fitness preparations had been a “clear focus” this summer, with Alina Murray – who ran the 1,500m for Shetland in Kirkwall last week – joining the staff in an athletic development role.
He said her hockey-specific programme had been central to ensuring every player was in peak condition for what is expected to be a high-intensity encounter.
The Shetland coach added they had built a side designed to play with “speed, intent and confidence”, and said they would be looking to attack an Orkney side who would be out to spoil the party.
Saturday’s inter-county match in Brae begins at 12 noon, with supporters strongly encouraged to attend what promises to be a fiercely competitive and potentially historic clash.
The players are calling on the Shetland public to turn out in force – and in blue – to help create the kind of atmosphere that could carry the team over the line and into the history books.
Should the score be level after full-time, the result will be decided by running penalties.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
