| Match Report |
Euan Temple Reports:
Match report 14 December 2019.
South Notts v Woodthorpe Ladies
Won 2-1. in the county knock-out Cup/Shield
You all know I have been away in Australia for a month. I have missed watching and admiring our team of Terriers. But renewing my vision on Saturday gave me some thoughts on how we can minimise the less good bits and expand on the best. There is only so much pre-planning available.
The Army say that “no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy”. But working to our strengths and concentrating on them, will hone and polish our skills, so that whatever is thrown at us, we can cope and react by reflex. And we do.
Let me start by saying that our team display on Saturday was absolutely brilliant, against the top team in the league above us. They could not believe that they lost to South Notts. Again. We countered their largely static skills by speed and movement.
Whenever our team lost possession, we went back fast to recover possession. Katrina was outstanding at this and set an example to everyone. Whenever one of Woodthorpe Ladies had possession and was driving forward, we were right there in the tackle. Preferably early before the opponent had the time to settle. We did not stand off and let our opponent collect to take control. It was well done.
The only time this failed, was once; a series of missed tackles by us which cruelly exposed Elizabeth in goal and made it impossible for her to save a strike. It was not just a defensive error at the back, it started at about the half way line and went on from there. It showed us what would happen if our concentration lapsed again. But it didn’t happen a second time.
Eleanor and Scarlett at the back were shrewd at reading the pattern of play. But more than that, they ran hard to cut out passes to send Woodthorpe Ladies packing. One particular episode is memorable. Woodthorpe Ladies drove a pass out to our corner flag and Scarlett raced after it, stopped it going over the line, and set up from the base line a very clever attacking move, which very nearly resulted in a goal in our favour. This activity rattled Woodthorpe Ladies and disrupted their attacking moves. Their own battle plan was turning into a mess for them.
The acceleration of Abbie, Emma and Ruby was a joy to behold. Woodthorpe Ladies had no answer to it as we repeatedly cut round behind their defence and drove the ball into the D to heap pressure on their keeper. Poppy and Becky showed increasing strength and skill in setting up creative and supporting moves. They took no nonsense from opponents who tried to take the ball off them, assuming Poppy and Becky had not already passed the ball to one of our team, right on the button for accuracy. Awesome and deeply impressive by all five.
Add to this the mature skills of Beth and Sophie and the picture emerges of a team gelling into a formidable fighting force. Both displayed consistently faster speed off and on the ball and were hungry, looking to make themselves visible to receive shrewd passes. Which duly arrived and were acted upon.
A particular skill was coolly displayed by Bella but there were others doing the same. Bella stopped the ball, kept it static at the end of her stick, (making it difficult to tackle her) moved her feet as needed, and smoothly passed the ball, right on the button for accuracy, to keep setting up creative attacks. By this, Bella created time, and by her accurate passing, she kept frustrating Woodthorpe’s aspirations.
Now for the seniors, Katrina, Louise, Julie, Elizabeth and Eleanor. Engines of turbo-charged power, start to finish. Their activities made me gasp in admiration and there were similar murmurs too from the Woodthorpe Ladies supporters. If our seniors carry on like this, skilled, strong and very cunning, the team will not only increase our goals scored, but we will be knocking once more on the doors of promotion.
The difference between the teams was down to our speed of movement and our creative thoughtful passing. Woodthorpe Ladies were by comparison static, apart from their sensational and always dangerous number 20 who needed to be tightly marked by Katrina, and whose activity was largely stifled by Katrina.
We had three mother and daughter combinations Elizabeth and daughter Emma Turner; Katrina Blunden and daughter Poppy; and Julie and Bella Whalley. We missed the presences of Caroline and Izzy B. Woodthorpe Ladies had for the first time a three generation combination of grandmother, mother and granddaughter. Wow.
Goals by Julie and Abbie to make it 2-1 to South Notts.
Coach’s prize for an under 18. Bella Whalley for coolness under heavy fire and her undoubted skills and talent.
Thank you to Simon Recaldin for umpiring.
*corrections - Julie Whalley scored a brilliant goal (3rd mother daughter pair on the pitch)
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