|
CROWBOROUGH
ATHLETIC WOMEN'S FC
Neil Blaber: 56 Forest Dene, Jarvis Brook, Crowborough, East Sussex. TN6 2EX. Tel: 01892-667760 |
April 2003 News
| Sunday 27th April | ||
| Firsts Go Third after Scrappy Finale | ||
| The firsts equalled their highest-ever league finish with an identical record to last season against arguably tougher teams but made hard work of an ultimately comfortable victory over Ringmer. Kicking off at 11am to allow for players to get to Hastings for the League Cup Final later in the day, most of the first half was played at a snail's pace with both sets of players looking like they'd rather be in bed. After Ellie had spooned over a golden opportunity from close range, a quality corner from Sam was headed in by Liz in the third minute of injury time to give us the lead. The second half showed no immediate improvement, and a speculative Ringmer effort cannoned off the bar with Terri off her line. However, the introduction of Fran as sub seemed to liven things up and just after the hour she was set free on the right, cut in and hit a low drive from 20 yards that looked comfortable for the keeper. However the keeper somehow let the ball squirm underneath her and it ended up in the far corner of the net. The goal signalled a good 20-minute spell of pressure and both Rachael and Sam had chances to put us further ahead. The clincher came about 15 minutes from time off the head of a Ringmer defender, Frans's cross bulleting into the far corner from an acute angle. With both sides content to play out time, the match ended rather as it started. | ||
| Thursday 24th April | ||
| 2nds Finish on a High | ||
| The 2nds finished their season on a high note with a battling 1-1 home draw against Haywards Heath under the Alderbrook lights in a game they dominated for long periods and on the balance of scoring chances should really have won. Fielding a much changed side from last week, including Milla, Tracy Kelly and Nat Waller in for Kerry, Liz and Amy we took the game straight to them and could have been ahead in the first few minutes as Nat broke clear, but she hesitated and allowed defenders back to cover and the chance was lost. After a couple more half chances we were left to rue the misses as Heath took the lead rather against the run of play, a misplaced clearance dropping to one of their players just inside the box who slotted the ball low inside the post. This signalled Heath's best spell and we had to hang on until half time as they piled on the pressure, with only some last ditch defending from Terri and TC saving us on occasion. The early period of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, as we created the better chances but just lacked that final quality ball or finish to pull the goal back. Substitutions on both sides midway through the half seemed to shift the balance of the game more in our favour and signalled a final onslaught on their goal, and ex-Crowborough keeper Amy Piper pulled off several good saves to deny Becky (twice) and Shanna when through one-on-one. An even better headed clearance off the line by a Heath defender denied us a few minutes later, but ten minutes from time we won a free kick on the halfway line. Terri touched the ball to TC who ran ten yards and hit a superb long range lob which just dipped under the bar and past Piper into the net. A truly magnificent goal probably deserving of a more important game than an end of season nothing-to-play-for run out. As time ticked away we continued to press for a winner but Piper gathered our last shot on target comfortably. | ||
| Wednesday 16th April | ||
| Battling 2nds Hold Haywards Heath | ||
| Terri recoved from illness to take the goalkeeper's shirt for this League fixture which Haywards Heath needed to win to keep their hopes of runners-up medals alive. Putting out essentially the same side that beat Redhill (with Shanna back after 5 weeks out for the injured Nat and Kerry recovered from her back injury in at right back) we battled hard throughout and always looked dangerous on the break. Though we didn't create many chances of note - a second half shot from TC being the only effort that tested the Heath keeper - we frustrated their efforts and kept their chances relatively low. Pick of our players was Lisa, a live wire throughout who chased and harried every ball and never stopped running. Heath upped the tempo for the final fifteen minutes but in their desperation to score rushed their moves giving us time to clear our lines. We even had an opportunity to snatch a shock win at the death, Liz Power getting behind their defence but the keeper came off her line quickly and saved well with her legs. Final score Haywards Heath 2nds 0 Crowborough 2nds 0. | ||
| Sunday 13th April | ||
| Extra Time Agony for Firsts, 2nds Go Down Heavily at Meadow | ||
|
The firsts went down by the odd goal in seven in yet another titanic battle with Whitehawk, in the process producing their best performance of the season. With the County Cup semi defeat fresh in many minds, we took the game to Whitehawk from the start and enjoyed the majority of possession, going behind very much against the run of play when Tracey's underhit goal kick went straight to Nicky Heffernan who hammered the ball back past her from 20 yards. We made the best possible reply, taking the ball straight back up the other end and winning a corner, which Sam swung in for Nat to head home. Continuing to dominate, we forced keeper Jo Davis into a number of saves, the pick being a superb tip-over from Ellie's snap shot inside the box. However, our continued pressure paid off as Ellie got behind their defence and shot clinically under Davis to give us the lead. Another superb save kept them in it, and we were made to pay as they profited from two errors towards the end of the half, scoring through Heffernan again and our nemesis Deano Carlin to give them an extremely undeserved 3-2 lead. The second half carried on in the same vein as we harried them in midfield and kept pressing, but were rocked by the sending off of Cha 10 minutes into the half for hitting out at Whitehawk captain Leah Bryant after both players had gone down challenging for the ball. However, if anything the remaining ten players played even better than before, and we got our just rewards as Liz headed in another corner from Sam to equalise. Contraversy soon followed as Ellie was set free, Davis rushed to the edge of her box and appeared to handle the ball outside the area - the referee missed the incident and after consulting with Whitehawk's club linesman gave nothing. Despite being a player down, we still looked the better side but were unable to force a winner before the end of regulation time, with Davis making another fine diving save to deny Ellie. The first period of extra time was uneventful, but four minutes from the end of the second period a Whitehawk shot across the face of goal forced Tracey to parry the ball away, and a runner from deep who had lost her marker put away the rebound before Tracey could recover. Despite the disappointment of the defeat, all the players can take heart from having outplayed them with ten players for over an hour and the knowledge that, on the balance of play, the better side lost. The seconds, again with only 10 players available, made the long trip to Woking without Terri who was ill, and also without a single recognised defender, and went down to their heaviest defeat of the season.All the players battled hard, but the lack of experience cost us dearly and we went down 8-1, Lisa getting our consolation goal. |
||
| Sunday 6th April | ||
| Firsts edge Dover in tight encounter, 2nds lose with honour against Milford with only 8 players | ||
|
On a rock hard and bobbly pitch, the firsts eventually overcame a battling Dover side in a game which spent most of its time bogged down in midfield as both sides struggled to control a wildly bouncing ball. Playing with the breeze in the first half, Dover seemed far more 'up for it' than our girls and controlled most of the first half. Their keeper made a couple of comfortable saves but Tracey needed to make an excellent save to tip a 20-yard Dover effort over the bar. The second half was a different story as we exerted much more pressure and played much of the game in their half, but still had little to show for it until two minutes from time. From Sam's right wing corner, Michelle outmuscled her marker and bulleted her header in at the far post. With only eight players available, the 2nds game was close to being
called off but ultimately the girls performed outstandingly at holding
Milford to only 3-0. With Roby in goal and a makeshift back three
of Steff and Milla with Terri in the centre, a midfield of Fran
Golby, Becky & Lisa allowing Nat to play upfront alone it was
never going to be easy. However, for once we won the toss allowing
us to play up the hill in the first half which proved extremely
useful. Milford took 25 minutes to score their first goal. By half
time they had doubled their advantage, both goals coming from unfortunate
ricochets with the ball landing at Milford players feet due to sheer
numbers they had forward. The second half saw Milford only add one
further goal from a good left wing cross neatly despatched past
Roby. Milford had little to play for in this game as their league
position of fourth place was already assured but make no mistake,
if we hadn't have competed and matched them the score would have
been far greater. Nat showed in the second half that she has more
to her |