Avenue Ladies may well hail this game as their most complete and impressive performance of recent years, they were simply outstanding for the full 9o minutes.
Harrogate came to the Horsfall on the back of 7 sraight league wins and a superb 7-2 victory against Reagional league high flyers Kirklees, but today they where to meet an Avenue side with determination, understanding and invention.
The Ladies took and early lead after just 6 minutes as Sarah Huby pounced on some sloppy defending from the league leaders, although they replied swiftly on 13 minutes. Pleasingly the Ladies dusted themselves down and again took the lead through winger, and slowly becoming prolific, Annie Roberts showing her current form infront of goal is a habit not a fluke. The visitors where not to let their 100% record away lightly and again equalised after a corner just slipped away from the Avenue shot stopper and fell to the feet of the ever present Hannah Campbell.
Again the Ladies ignored the score and stuck to a gameplan that has been worked on for weeks at training, continued to do their jobs all over the field and worked for each other, and on the 40th minute it paid off as controlloing the possession in the Midfiled and spreading the ball saw Jade Nelson power her way past her opposite number and drill home to give a lead at half time.
Traditionally this is where the Ladies switch off and sit back too often..but not today, they began the second half as they finished they first, driving forward, protecting possession, putting bodies on the line and working hard in pairs on every inch of the park. The Harrogate ladies where not given any time and their chances, when they came, where dealt with superbly by the back line. On the hour their hard work paid off when Sarah Huby crashed home to give Avenue a two goal cushion. But again the Ladies stuck to task, ignored the scoreboard and continued to go through the motions whilst sticking to the gameplan.
Harrogate had other ideas though as on 75 minutes Campbell bagged her hat-trick after a moments lapse in concentration by the Ladies, lesson learnt. They stayed tight for the remaining 15, didn't let the ball get away from them and blocked everything coming at them. Tireless work from Laura Wolfenden and Laura Fagan on the left frustrated that side of Harrogates attack, holding up play from Nicole Chamberlain and Chrisy Berry protected possession high up the field, whilst Dani Williams, Annie Roberts and Sarah Huby did what they do and terrified any player in their path. The defence continued to control the pace from the back, spreading the ball wide when possible and dropping it in the hole behind the front pair when not.
As the full time whistle blew Railways record was gone and Avenue notched up their 6th game un-beaten in the League, smiles allround and a glowing feeling of pride on the Avenue side of the pitch.
A truely superb performance and once again showing the class within the Avenue ranks, even moreso as at least 50% of the team had chest infections, colds, strapped up bodies and deep heat applied somewhere or other.
AS the two sides meet again next week in the League Cup, confidence in the squad will be bolsted, but as Railway are a strong side revenge will be sought...it's all set up for a cracker!
