Ladies 1st XI Vs Southwell Brincliffe United 3

On arrival at the Toothill Sports ground in Bingham v Southwell Brincliffe, 35 minutes ahead of planned PushBack, our Team could be seen warming up and practising penalty corner routines and other planned tactics from our Thursday evening coaching.

A quick note of reminder for us all to be there at least 30 minutes before PushBack to refresh our teamwork and stick skills. Otherwise we start the game less co-ordinated as a Team and less warmed up.

Southwell Brincliffe is a team we always find challenging and always needs hard work for us to achieve a positive result.

Samantha (the Arrow) Markwick, Sophie (Bounding Leopardess) Runciman, Gemma (Jet-Propelled) Robinson, Liz (Fleet Footed) Foster, Steph (the Wall) Hagerty, and (Stellar) Claire Stuttard were all absent on family duties. Nimble, twinkle-toed Lucy (Strike Force) Lloyd is still recovering from her hamstring injury last week.

Louise (Poacher) Price is now back at home after her hospital stay. Alex (the Spear) Stephenson is absent in the USA. 

If our Team could encourage new lady players to join the club, we could raise a Ladies 2nd XI, and give everyone more games. Nearly there for numbers but not quite. Most strength in depth ever, across the board, but not quite yet.

Vice-Captain Freya (Meteor) Beaumont, was captaining for the day in the absence of Eleanor (Rock of Gibraltar) Wallace. In Eleanor’s absence, Vice-Captain Freya was captaining our Team and in her pre-match pep talk, and Put a Fire under our warmed-up players. Emphasising the Culture of Togetherness in the Team.

Elizabeth (They shall not Pass) Turner got up that morning, just Knowing that today would be another A1 day in defending her goal, on a roll, with such wonderful success so far.

In front of Elizabeth in her scary bright yellow sweatshirt, were Jo (Barrier of the Pyrenees) Shaw and Sophie (Tigress, Swift to Pounce) Atkinson  

Our doughty defenders never lost lose touch with our attacking midfield and were up in support all the time. Jo Shaw was outstanding at positional play, resolute and determined to shut down the expected attacks from what looked like a pretty nippy side. And was.

Even Swift to Pounce Sophie A, sliding through from defence, unmarked, found herself on one occasion only feet from the Southwell keeper.  Perhaps a bit risky, leaving such a space between them and our goal, but we were always careful not to be caught out. And were not. Sophie A in defence was Swift to Pounce on any loose passes and created many new opportunities.

Our midfield had been outstanding in support in the first half but it was the whole Team doing it. . Caroline (the Incomparable) Brackenbury resumed her capable control of playmaking. Incomparable Caroline’s thoughtful, dynamic, intelligent play showed her skilled field-craft.  Ceaseless, purposeful motion by all.

Caroline, Fiona (Greyhound) Sweetman and Jo (Foxy) Foxall increased more positional calling to our upfront forward line. With their very clever readings of the game, they kept plotting the shutdown of their opposite numbers, (with 100% success), while opening up new opportunities, and possible gloom in the Southwell ranks. Our heroines collected and distributed passes to where they could (and did) cause most damage to the Southwell defence.

Fiona (Greyhound) Sweetman covered quickly an immense amount of ground and stuck limpet-like to her opposite number to neutralise her skills.  Freya’s clever reading of the game enabled her to be assisting in midfield to be shutting down attacks, and to be up creating opportunities in support of our forward line.

Up front, our speedy Becky (Comet) Humfris identified weaknesses in the Southwell Brincliffe defence. She jetted through on a loose clearance by Southwell and made no mistake, for us to go 1-0 up very early on,

Then Becky did the same a few minutes later with her scorching pace, into the heart of the Southwell defence, un-noticed and un-marked, to rattle their backboard, 2-0  to South Notts.

At one point, for one brief moment, our upfront forwards appeared for moments to be efficiently shut down by an efficient Southwell defence.

But they had not reckoned on Jo Shaw sliding up (unnoticed and unmarked) with sensational speed and skill to enable Rachael (the  Unseen Raider) Grupping with surgical precision to rifle in her first goal; to make it 3-0 at half time after Becky’s opening two.

At times, our speed and untried variations hurried some of us at all parts of the pitch into unforced errors.  Jo (Foxy) Foxall and Fiona (Greyhound) Sweetman were always there to pick up little pieces, assisting Caroline to keep overall control and direction as a seamless midfield unit.

 Swing left, swing right, push through, swing right, swing left, and pass to an unmarked player to dart and pierce Southwell’s ’s D. Devastating skill and inspiring to watch.

We showed all the personality and flair required by a good Team. The clever play of Ruby (Rocket) Ryan was as usual a joy to behold, absolutely Rocketing down the wing, cutting inside, and slipping the ball sideways to a hoped-for unmarked colleague, without slowing down or breaking stride. This caused mayhem in the otherwise solid Southwell defence, Brilliant. 

Evie (Shooting Star) Bates  kept driving at the  Southwell defence and sliding the ball sideways to a waiting unmarked colleague such as Rachael (the Unseen Raider), as was Ruby.

(Lightning) Liv Biddulph was invisibly and unexpectedly (to Southwell) doing the slicing-same and kept moving like Lightning for diagonal return passes and making more, as she kept up our penetration. Liv’s powerful speed and ball-control skills are awesome, combined with her acceleration.

Our Team showed Spirit and Stardust with great Momentum. But for all Southwell’s possession, often it was rash and rushed, so came to little or nothing. For the many Southwell shots at goal, there was always Elizabeth’s body thrown in front to divert the danger. Phew.

Then Rachael slid unnoticed through as an Unseen Raider to score her second goal with surgical precision.  And later Foxy Foxall accelerated from midfield through a narrow gap to dent the Southwell backboard, and made it 5-0

By full-time, Becky had scored 2 in total, Rachael 2, and Foxy 1 .  So   5-0   at full-time as a result of very thoughtful play, and trying to use our team drills to best effect. A Team Game with extra intelligence and a real joy to watch. Despite the score line, Southwell were never a pushover, but we created our opportunities and used them well. 

We have kept our place at the top of our League Division table. Very well done, everyone.  But Trent Vale and North Notts are close behind us.

And thank you to our very much-valued, supporters on the touchline.  The regular noisy support from the fan clubs of Sophie Atkinson, Rachael Grupping, Freya Beaumont, Evie Bates, Foxy Foxall and Ruby Ryan.