GU12 28-Oct-06: Oswald Rd 2-3 Urmston Pumas (HT 0-3)

Let me quickly go through the same stuff that I have been through for the last three weeks first. Only seven players, blah blah blah, no substitutes, yakety yak etc etc. Now let me tell you it was a gutsy performance and only a reduced game time due to having no referee prevented us from drawing, if not winning the game.

As is the tradition when we play Urmston (or anyone else – Ed.), we give them a three goal start and then scare then to death by catching them up, well almost. Today was no exception. We started off a little vacantly but the game was swinging to and fro. It was Urmston who took the lead with one reasonable goal and two daft ones (very very very daft goals – defenders & keeper – Ed.) which we gave them from basic mistakes.

At half time despite being three goals down (3’, 10’ and 23’) the feeling from the bench (although there actually wasn’t one) was that we could win the game. It was a different second half, the team created chance after chance. Naomi was absent (kidnapped – Ed.) but was rolling in her grave at the thought of all those crosses flying across the box which we just could not get on the end of. Sophie A Tara and Zoe all doing some great link up work to keep Urmston under pressure all fired off by Katie at the back. Becks held the fort and pulled off a couple of saves that would have killed the game, and also saved a couple of one-on-ones.

Tara is still looking for a spot on the top scorers list and banged in her fourth of the season after some nice passing play in the 8^th minute of the half. A couple of minutes later, Sophie A took it on herself to release a thunderbolt which took a light deflection and crashed into the net. Tanya was very fast at the back and her speed and agility in getting in last second tackles after running half of the pitch was outstanding. Sophie P was solid and ran herself into the ground matching the Urmston strikers step for step. We linked up with some fabulous football and Urmston were on the rack, but due to having no ref the game had started 20 minutes late and we had agreed to reduce the length of the game?? ... so peep went the whistle, and we lost a game that we were well on course to win! However it was a spirit lifting performance, and next week we should have nine players when we take on Wythenshawe, Joy of Joys !

Mike

Team: SophieA, Tara, Zoe, Tanya, SophieP, Katie, Rebecca
Goals (& Assists): 2^nd half – Tara (SophieA), SophieA (Tanya)
Opposition’s Player of the Match: SophieA
Managers’ Player of the Match: Tanya