Ladies 1st XI Vs Ashfield Aztecs 4

The Ladies got a walkover concession but played an experienced but cobbled together amalgam.

A clear early morning at Kingsway Park, Kirkby in Ashfield was the occasion for South Nottm Ladies to  sprint out to face the challenging opposition of  keen local rivals Ashfield Aztecs Ladies.  As it was a local “friendly fixture”, this enabled Aztecs (by agreement) to combine with experienced players from higher teams to make up team numbers and thus to set up a defence of real strength. 

This provided a stimulating and vigorous challenge to South Nottm. All to play for.

South Notts forwards,  Gemma (Jet Propelled) Robinson, and Izzy (Shimmering Moonbeam) Brackenbury  in particular, rained attacks on the Aztecs goal-line, but Aztecs’ experienced defence proved solid. 

Caroline (the incomparable) Brackenbury and her experienced midfield team of Louise(the Poacher) Price,  Sophie ( the Tiger) Runciman and Liz (the Fleet-Footed) Foster  then re-grouped and switched tactics. Started to pass wide and thus use the speedy wings to get round the back of Aztecs defence. Emma  (the Gazelle) Turner at centre-forward opened the scoring by picking up a superbly created  cross from Kate (the Terrier) Parker on the left and  Emma slipped it neatly over the line.

Then Evie (Shooting Star) Bates glided through the centre, noticing a gap opening up in the Aztecs defence, and poached a goal out of nowhere. 0-2 to South Nottm.

In the second half, Aztecs cleverly re-grouped and indeed created their own breakaways. Elizabeth (“they shall not pass”) Turner as keeper capably dealt with all that was fired at her by Aztecs forwards, anything that got past the defensive wall of Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) Wallace,  Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw, and Steph (Barrier of the Alps) Hagerty. Elizabeth calmly  saved shots and moved the ball wide  to help  to create further pressure on Aztecs. 

 Evie Bates at the heart of the forward action laid on a clever ‘assist’   for Emma Turner to drive home 0-3. Then Emma returned the thought, for a smart sideways-slip to  Ruby (Rocket) Ryan   for hr to speed through and crisply make it 0-4  to South Nottm.

Captain Eleanor Wallace said it was a tough but very fair game. She was delighted that so early in the new season, the South Nottm Ladies team is beginning to gel as a Team and thus collectively to out-think the opposition.