BOLTON Hockey Club’s women’s first team had to share the points for the first time this season after a 1-1 draw with Prescot in North West Women’s Two South.

Bolton began strongly, putting pressure on the Prescot defence from the off with the support of a strong backline.

Prescot played a high pressing game themselves, a new challenge for the Bolton defence who after a rocky period settled and found their rhythm, with goalkeeper Nyemh Johnson keeping it cool and making some strong saves.

The defence began to grow in confidence and started to make some good interceptions and passes.

Prescot offered an aerial threat looking for the long ball over the top but centre-back Donna Hennessy was in control of the situation, bringing the ball out of the air with well-timed calls and a good eye.

Bolton had a couple of early chances that just fell short of conversion.

Their first clear sight at goal came from the first penalty corner strike of the match that was cleared off the line by a Prescot defender, however Bolton were able to keep a high tempo and continued to force the game.

The breakthrough came for Bolton when Yaz Aldcroft played a firm and decisive ball out of the middle of the park to Lu Bull who had dragged the play out to the left.

Bull played a first-time ball to split the Prescot defence and find Jenny Brookfield who had made an explosive run from right wing on the diagonal to pick up the ball behind the last defender and create a one-v-one situation with the Prescot goalkeeper.

The keeper did well coming to close down Brookfield as she looked to pull the trigger, with the ball being forced wide.

But Brookfield was on her toes to react fast with a reverse sweep to dispatch the ball into the open Prescot goal from a narrow angle to open the scoring.

The second half opened with both teams fighting for dominance with the biggest battle of the game being in midfield, with the two sides having a high turnover and neither carving out many clearcut opportunities.

The first short corner of the second half was won by Bolton and saw Emily Wilkes stop at the top for Bull to drag the ball low to left post.

Aldcroft got the decisive touch but Prescot’s post player deflected it off the goalline.

Bolton fought valiantly to hold on to the win, but they were denied by a break from Prescot who caught them on their heels from a free hit.

Prescot fired the ball directly into the D for a deflection into the bottom corner.

Bolton responded well to the equaliser, pressing high and creating chances as they rallied in search of that second goal with some dominant play in the centre of the park with Aldcroft and Wilkes forcing the agenda.

Brookfield and Laura Watson linked up on the left side of the park to advance the ball into the Prescot D and finding a foot. Once again there was a low, hard shot from Bull at the top that was again saved on the goalline by Prescot denying the goal.

Despite the late efforts of Bolton to find that elusive second goal, Prescot’s defence held strong with the goalkeeper making three smart saves low to her right in quick succession from Bull and Brookfield as they banged on the door.

Bolton were unable to capitalise on their late pressure and the score remained 1-1 with Bolton holding onto their unbeaten record heading into the final match before Christmas.

The women’s seconds also shared the spoils in a 2-2 home draw with Didsbury women’s fifths in North West Women’s Four East.

Bolton moved the ball around well using the new formation with sweeper Jude Gough directing the ball to the midfield of Erin Tuner, Lucy Pickles and Nat Boal.

Play was well balanced for the two teams, with Pickles battling well.

Bolton has two penalty corners with a straight strike and a slip from Viv Lake but were unable to convert.

Didsbury fifths were first to find the net with a goalline scramble and they made it 2-0 before half time.

The hosts found a new strength after half time and worked the forwards Emma Begg, Emily Hawkrigg and Lake gaining possession and momentum.

Lake found a Didsbury foot in the circle and Gough pushed out to Hawkrigg, who passed to Turner before a transfer to Pickles to make the score 2-1.

The seconds were straight back on the attack after the restart and again worked to find a penalty corner.

Gough pushed out to striker Lake, she slipped it to Pickles who fired it past the Didsbury keeper to level it with five minutes to go and that is how the scoreline remained.