| Match Report |
12.03.22 South Notts Ladies v Players for club
Captain Eleanor Wallace led our eager team on to the pitch at Bingham on a beautiful Spring-like
morning. She quickly noticed that Players had only 9 players on the pitch and generously and
courteously offered them one or two of ours for the game. It would make the contest much more
even and we had 15 players available. It would also give more of our players actual playing match-
time.
Just as courteously, Players declined. And just as predictably, the game became very one-sided
Elizabeth (“They shall not pass”) Turner was unavailable . Could not get back from Spain in time for
the match (“can’t get airline quality as we used to”) so Liberty (the Dynamo) Rowe stepped up and
put on the pads. In our pre-match warm-ups , and indeed during the match, Liberty was just as
directive and vocal as Elizabeth can be, in successfully defending her goal line.
Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) Wallace and Jo ( Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw were totally prepared for
Players’ pre-planned opening salvos. But with our advantage of numbers and the superior speed
and skills of our defenders, our opponents were sent back. Our acceleration on identifying a loose
ball and clearing it away with razor-sharp, pinpoint accuracy , was impressive and a continuing
heartbreak for our opponents. As usual.
Added to which, Liz Foster (it is easier to cross the Alps on foot in winter, than for an opponent to
get past Liz when she is in full defensive mode) provided extra power, speed and momentum in
coming out of defence and supporting our speedy forwards. Beautiful striking of the ball.
Caroline (Turbo-Charged) Brackenbury once again covered miles in creating and supporting our
attacks, while capably organising midfield. No need to come back in defence so much, as Players
were short of numbers anyway and our defenders were already moving closely up in support.
The strong combinations of Fiona (the Greyhound) Sweetman, Kate (the Terrier) Parker, Karen
(Speedy Gonzales) Pearson and Freya (the Meteor) Beaumont skilfully supported Caroline in
midfield. Running, running, running, they stepped up to the mark, but did not need this week to read
the Players’ attacks so much, because we outnumbered them.
Up front, Louise ( Poacher ) Price and Ruby (Rocket) Ryan on the wings continued to show their
devastating turns of speed, slipping round the back of the Players’ defence, but their keeper and full
backs had great games and held out very firmly. But our wings’ crosses to the centre kept being
fired in. In the centre, Gemma (the Swift, the Jet-Propelled ) Robinson, Evie (Shooting Star) Bates,
Emma (Field-Craft ) Turner and Becky (Himalayas) Humphris kept up our own additional
pressures on the Players’ defence .
Becky was so quick (and seemed so much to be everywhere in attack) that it must have seemed that
the Himalaya mountains were not there only in defence but were moving inexorably to dominate
the Players’ skyline.
And Emma Turner, back from Uni, showed her usual admirable combination of speed and intelligent,
thoughtful, Field-Craft.
We raised our game last week against Redhill to far more than the sum of 11 separate parts by
genuine teamwork and by looking out for each other.
In contrast, against Players, we took our foot off the accelerator pedal and lowered our game to a
much more relaxed tempo, well within our collective comfort-zone . Not much verbal
communication between players, not much calling for the ball, and at times we even had 7 players in
their D, crowding and confusing ourselves.
In fact so much ‘off the pedal’, that we even found Players’ counter-attacking ( very fast) our own
goal-line and winning some penalty corners! Very capably dealt with by Liberty (Dynamo) Price.
It is no fun to be winning a whitewash, nor for our opponents to be suffering a whitewash. It would
have been much more fun for everyone, had Players accepted Captain Eleanor’s generous offer
before the match.
That said, we did take advantage of our superior numbers, skills, and speed.
Crackingly good goals as follows:-
Becky Humphris 3
Emma Turner 2
Evie Bates 2
Louise Price 1
Gemma Robinson 1
Caroline Brackenbury 1
total by SNHC 10 Goals against SNHC by Players 0
Score line 10-0
Coach’s under 18 prize to Kate Parker. Fast, thoughtful and highly skilled. Very well done.
Thanks to Tom Pitsillos and Nathan Gerrard for their very capable umpiring.
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