IT'S time to get loud - that is what Bathurst City co-captain Erin Cobcroft thinks is vital for her side to remain in the hunt for the Central West Premier League Hockey finals series.
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On Saturday afternoon at Bob Roach Field City suffered a 4-0 loss against Lithgow Panthers, leaving it with one win and a draw through six rounds.
While City has impressed in defence - goalkeeper Maddy Tattersall pulled off another string of impressive saves in Saturday's clash - an improvement in attack is needed if the Bathurst side is going to pressure for finals.
So how does City find the goals it is currently struggling for? Cobcroft says finding their voices is key.
"I think we need better communication, I think a lot of the time we're not loud enough up the front so we don't know where each other are," she said.
"That can definitely come from the back as well, I think we can be yelling out where the options are better as well. So I think communication is going to be key."
Panthers headed into the round six clash as the undefeated competition leaders and with the best attacking record in the women's league.
It showed as the Lithgow side dominated possession and field position, but City worked hard to restrict the chances their rivals had to score.
It was Clare Bosman who got the breakthrough for Lithgow from a penalty corner play with three minutes of the opening quarter remaining.
The pressure continued to come in the second quarter, Tattersall proving sharp as she blocked a reverse bullet from Bosman just 23 second after the resumption.
Again it was a penalty corner that provided Panthers with a second goal, this time an Emily Cooper deflection finding the mark.
Panthers had five more penalty corners for the match, but City managed to repel each of those attempts.
Sarah McCusker, Ruby and Emily Thompson, Tayla Grabham, Tattersalll and Cobcroft all worked hard for City during those set plays.
"Defensivley really, really happy, we're always very solid at the back. Again Maddy saved us a few times. Up the back we've always been really, really solid," Cobcroft said.
City's first real attacking chance came a tick over three minutes into the second half when drawing a penalty corner.
But the hosts could not convert that chance or another penalty corner which came three minutes later.
Panthers added another to their tally in the third quarter via Millie Leard, one of five Lithgow players named in the NSW Country side earlier in the week.
Leard was superb throughout the contest, but the highlight of the third quarter belonged to City's defence.
In the one play Tattersall made a double block then Cobcroft made a shoulder-high stick save to deny Panthers.
"I didn't blink I think that's how I got it," Cobcroft said.
While City continued to work in search of a goal, Bec Arrow having a one-on-one in the final quarter, it was not to be.
Panthers sealed the win with 45 seconds left on the clock with an Ash Robinson goal.
"I'm very proud of the girls, Panthers are always an incredibly tough game, they are always such high intensity," Cobcroft said.
"I think today we matched it, unluckily we did go down but we were missing a few players. We had a few of the girls came up from the younger grades and they did an amazing job."
LITHGOW PANTHERS 4 (Clare Bosman, Emily Cooper, Millie Leard, Ash Robinson) defeated BATHURST CITY 0
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