Ladies 2nd XI Match Report
Potters Bar Ladies 2nd XI v St Albans 4th XI
15 January 2011 | by Michelle Lewis
Once Upon a Time...... After a hard game back the previous week due to the Christmas break the Guru’s struggling fitness was showing. They were determined to prove themselves against a very strong St Albans 4 side. Bar started strong and attacking with defender Laura Cullen pushing up and scooping up a stray ball, neatly dribbling around several opposition and laying off the ball for one of Bars first forays into the D. Unfortunately Laura’s game was short lived, following two injuries in minutes of pushback resulted in her watching the rest of the game from the sidelines.
Bar attacked but struggled to convert, however their first goal was a team effort, turning defence into attack, the ball cleared from bars defence, picked up neatly by Michelle on the 25, passing through to Shelley driving up the middle cleanly laying it off to Louise to her left who found a waiting Clare at top D who found the backboard with no opposition.
St Albans had several strong players who where causing Bar trouble, following several breaks they had several shots on goal, Bars mid field and defence fought hard but struggled at times with St Albans skill, luckily keeper Glenys Chiswell was on top form and cleared away all St Albans strikes. At one point St Albans almost got a goal in but was cleanly saved off the line by Helen Stovin, to the rest of the team’s relief.
Following an opposition injury, and a quick team talk the whole of the Bar team lifted their game and all of St Albans attempts to get into the D were neatly quashed.
Bar attacked, and quickly won a short corner which was fumbled by several Bar players on the edge of the D, finally reaching Laura Pointing who played the ball with composure to finally find the net.
So, half time 2-0
Bar tried to keep on the pressure going into the second half however St Albans had changed formation, which caused Bar some confusion in marking, this allowed Albans to sneak a goal back. Bar didn’t let their heads drop and follow end to end play, won a short corner. This was neatly converted by Esther Strous.
St Albans won several short corners in a row, neatly saved on many occasions by the star of the day ‘No. 1.’ Glenys. Unfortunately one of the shorts resulted in Liz receiving a lifted ball to the knee cap and Bar almost reduced to 10. Vicky, who was until this point walking her dog and enjoying spectating, stepped in to save the day, a reshuffle of position and Bar were again back in business.
St Albans were in there stride at this point and although Bar managed several breaks, St Albans won several more short corners and with a very skilled forward line-up a goal seemed inevitable and it was. Score 3-2.
Bars midfield were exhausted by now having run end to end through out the whole game, Esther Strous found the legs to push up and help, working well with Shelley, Louise and Laura but all play seemed fruitless.
Somehow St Albans still had the legs, and put a lot of pressure on Bar. 2 minutes before the final whistle, St Albans won a Penalty Flick from a foot on the line by one of bars players, compounded by another batting the ball mid air to prevent a goal. Anyway, St Albans professionally converted the flick, with amazing speed, to bring the score level.
The final score, a hard fought 3-3.
Man of the Match : Glenys Chiswell for saving Bar butt time and time again
Wooden Spoon : Laura Cullen for lasting all of 2 minutes and coming off with 2 injuries.
Final Score: Potters Bar 3-3 St Albans 4
Goal Scorers: C Rose, E Strous, L Pointing
Team: Glenys Chiswell, Ruth Spencer, Esther Strous, Laura Cullen, Liz Finding, Michelle Lewis, Clare Rose, Shelley Farmer, Louise Allmark, Laura Pointing, Nicola Holland, Helen Stovin and late sub
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