THD Women’s 2s vs Richmond 2s – Saturday 10 January
Final score: THD 5 – Richmond 2
If anyone ever needs proof of what Tulse Hill & Dulwich is all about, this was it.
On a freezing Saturday, in a car park full of potholes and with no goalkeeper, THD Women’s 2s calmly went out and beat Richmond 5–2. No panic. No drama. Just vibes and very good hockey.
With no GK, THD rolled out a bold 5–3–3 - a shape set up by Dan on the sideline, who somehow managed to make sharp, confident decisions all game, despite not wearing any gloves in January.
The formation gave us protection at the back, control in midfield and freedom up front, and it worked beautifully.
The tone was set inside five minutes when Laura opened the scoring. From there, the front line of Cara, Grace, Orla and Laura kept Richmond pinned back. Cara, in particular, was impossible to shift - completely unfazed by any GK contact.
In midfield, Milly, Ro, Fran, Suzie and Scarlet ran the game with smart movement and endless legs.
At the back, THD were ice-cold. Amy and Georgie anchored centre back with calm authority, while Cordy on the left brought skill, pace and some brilliant leads down the line.
Despite the small detail of having no GK, the defensive unit moved the ball beautifully and shut down Richmond’s attacks so effectively that they barely knew where the goal was.
When Richmond were awarded a penalty flick, Georgie stepped into goal wearing only a face mask, showing true bravery - and then promptly dribbled past a player straight into attack, which pretty much summed up the whole match.
THD kept piling on the pressure, especially from short corners where Laura’s straight strike caused chaos. Cara was even taken out by the Richmond keeper while trying to score, but it barely registered. The pressure never dropped, and with every goal, the belief grew.
There was plenty of running, plenty of tracking back and plenty of colourful language drifting over from the next pitch, but THD stayed composed. Possession sat around 70:30 in our favour, and the team stayed completely connected from the first whistle to the last.
Winning 5–2 without a goalkeeper isn’t just impressive - it’s peak THD.
Around 70% possession, loads of teamwork and zero fear. No GK. No excuses. Just THD doing THD things.