GU12 25-Nov-06: Partington Village 2-6 Oswald Rd (HT 0-4)

First, can I big-up Partington, they are a much improved team and fought, hassled and harried the Os for the duration of the game and never gave up. Their approach was more disciplined and overall very impressive. Having said that, the Os made the game hard work, and had to be pushed along all the game. We did contain Partington and put them under pressure with a succession of breaks, but the Oswald finishing was a little lacking. Again, very static from corners, and an inability to take first time shots when the goal is going begging. However we were four nil up at half time so mustn’t grumble?? Sophie managed to beat the very competent Partington goalkeeper twice, Katie drifted up field and nicked one. Nai took a good opportunist goal which we have been practising for a while, she took her chance well when it came.

There was a real danger that Partington could have come back into the game and keeping momentum was always going to be a problem. Partington did come back into it, and only Katie’s second goal and Sophie’s hat trick goal lifted the Os to a safe level. Ruq was tough and solid in defence, and it was only bad luck that prevented Zoe getting her first goal for the club. (Good job Declan wasn’t there, Tara had a good game but missed a penalty! Which was justice as the defender was protecting herself when she handled it.) A good result from an o.k. performance but by no means our best.

Mike

We started the game a bit slow as always but they let us off the hook as their two defenders didn’t come up to support their three nippy forwards (they only had six players) and then our defenders got going and stayed with the attackers they were supposed to mark. Even when any of their attackers got past one of our players, that player always came back doggedly at the same attacker and either got the ball off them or slowed them down enough for help to arrive. This was brilliant teamwork all round and they hardly got a shot at goal in the first half! We had loads of chances but either missed the ball with firs time shots or their excellent goalie saved the shot. Finally Tara crossed from the left and it went past the goal but SofiA got to it and whacked it in. Another few chances went begging but then their goalie tried a quick goal kick and it went straight to Katie who swept forward and banged it past the goalie. It was getting more tense now as their forwards were really trying hard but our defence held firm, and our third goal was set up from defence as Ruqayyah got the ball, went past a couple of players and passed to SofiA who again guided the ball into the net. Our confidence was growing now and their heads dropped a bit – we piled players forward and finally got our reward as a cross from the left (pattern seem familiar?) from Katie was well controlled and stroked into the net by Naomi. We also got a penalty in this half as one of their players raised her hands to protect her face from the ball – Tara stepped up to take it but even though it was a hard shot, it was too close to the goalie who pulled off another great save.

Two things changed in the second half – they had a good team talk and came out fighting with a plan (more of that later) and we got overconfident and players started wandering forward without regard for position or their attackers – thus helping their plans. The plan they evidently came up with was to play deeper leaving only a single attacker and then run to support her when they got the ball. Simple really, but when our defenders went missing in their half, it left them outnumbering our defence! And they had fewer players on the pitch! Argh! Both their goals in this half had the same format – get the ball, pass it forward to the attacker, run up to support her and pass the ball around the defender, while our players walk back or stand still, and then smack it past Becky into the net. Luckily Tanya and Ruq were fast enough to get back to stop most of their attacks, and our forwards managed to keep out of each others way enough times to score a couple of goals – both great shots after clever setup play. We gave their player of the match to their goalie who made some tremendous saves – one fingertip save was right up by her right hand corner.

What we did well: great marking, dogged defence, good support play in defence and midfield.

What we can improve: passing and moving, movement after losing the ball, shooting.

Kamal

Team: SofiA, Tara, Nai, Ruq, Zoë, Tanya, SofiP, Katie, Beck
Goals (& Assists): 1^st half – SofiA (Tara), Katie, SofiA (Ruq), Naomi (Katie)
2^nd half – SofiA (Katie), Katie (Ruq)
Opposition’s Player of the Match: Katie
Managers’ Player of the Match: Zoe