On Saturday 4th March 2023 the Phoenix travelled to Wheathampstead for a league fixture.
It was another really strong performance today with each of the girls playing well individually, but also as a team.
Phoenix laid down an early marker, with AP getting a shot on target within the first few minutes. She showed great determination to win the ball straight from an opposition goal kick. She sprinted forward, putting the receiving player under pressure. The defender tried to find a pass but was quickly dispossessed. Now through on goal, AP took an early shot. The goalkeeper had anticipated this and was quickly off her line to close it down.
The girls continued pressing high up the pitch. CD led the way and constantly troubled the opposition defence. She anticipated their passes and forced numerous errors with her tight marking. This encouraged others to run forward which created a number of goalscoring opportunities for the Phoenix.
JM and FLS both worked well in the midfield pushing forward whenever they could to really rack up the pressure on Wheathampstead. JM in particular made a number of really good runs down the flank with the ball. Having driven the ball forward, on each occasion she looked to get the ball into the box.
FLS tucked in behind the SDB and made use of the space that was pen to her. She found that she had regular possession of the ball. When there were no options, she would use the players behind her and then run into attacking positions.
AW played in both attack and defence in this half. She appeared to be enjoying both positions. In defence she read the game well and was disciplined in her positioning. She directed teammates and ensured that all attacking players were being marked. In midfield she used the space out wide to run into to stretch the opposition defence.
LS also floated between midfield and defence. She was always quick to chase down Wheathampstead. In a 1:1 situation she could not beaten. The highlight in the first half was, however, her midfield performance. She won the ball in the middle, moved forward with the ball. Once on the edge of the area she crossed the ball in. The ball ricochet off a defender straight at the feet of SDB.
A goal had been coming for SDB. Before this moment she had no less 4 shots on goal. She had been creating space with her dribbles and really troubling the opposition. This time she quickly struck the ball with her left foot and guided it to the left of the goalkeeper. A well taken shot with her weaker foot.
YC worked hard to try to double the Phoenix lead. She conducted the game from the middle of the pitch – dropping back when needed, winning possession and then playing deadly accurate passes. She was composed when in possession and shrugged off challenges with relative ease. She had two shots in this half – one a long range effort, and the other a shot inside the box.
Whilst the Phoenix tried to score another goal, it was just as important to prevent any equaliser. MK played a vital role in both parts. The ball was rarely in the Phoenix half and MK could often be found patrolling the centre circle, to drive the team forward but also to act as a back pass option. With only a single goal in it as the half drew to a close she made a brilliant save to thwart a Wheathampstead player who was through on goal. She bravely dived at their feet to keep the Phoenix in front.
The girls really upped the pressure in the second half. 18 shots at goal, 5 goals scored and not a single save for MK to make highlights how dominant the team were in this half.
MK carried on as she had in the first half – camping out near the centre circle. She spoke to her defence the whole time and was always encouraging the team and offering praise for their efforts. She had little to in terms of saves, but was always there as a passing option.
A number of players rotated the defensive duties in this half – it was really encouraging to see the girls working together to keep their shape and see off the opposition. AW, LS, JM, AP and CD all showed a strong defensive side to their game. They could not be beaten.
AW and AP also linked up very well on the flanks. They had both realised that the opposition tried to play it down one side and so one would put pressure on the player receiving the ball and the other would close off the passing option. T
The second Phoenix goal came only 3 minutes into the half. SDB had blasted the ball at goal. The goalkeeper did well to parry it away, however it bounced to outside the box and into the path of an advancing CD. As soon as it was in her path it was clear that she was going to strike it. She hit the ball cleanly, just as it bobbed up. The ball screamed into the top corner. A superb goal from outside the box.
She added another goal 20 minutes later. Having won the ball on the edge of the area, she slipped through the defence and placed the goal into the back of the net.
CD showed her selfless side too – despite chasing a hattrick, she found herself in a goalscoring position, but rather than take the shot she saw a team. mate in a better position and laid on the pass.
SDB was on fine form and was enjoying the amount of possession the Phoenix had. Her solo runs were impressive. The opposition could not get near her and as the game wore on, they seemed to run out of ideas to keep her at bay. She scored three goals in this half – two of them assists from CD and one an assist from LS. and another of them a left footed effort.
She kept the goalkeeper om her toes and unleashed some powerful long-range efforts at the goal. When she did drop deeper, she played some brilliant passes to her teammates and really epitomised the passing and attacking play of the Phoenix.
LS played much of the half in midfield – providing a good opportunity to let other players gain defensive experience. She really enjoyed pushing forward and made some driving runs down the left side. She also put pressure on the Wheathampstead defence – pressing when out of possession. It was through winning the ball in the box that she was able to get another assist to ger name.
FLS did not stop running in this half. She was always close to the action – ready to tackle or receive the ball. She showed real maturity in possession today and played some quick 1-2 passes which created space for her and left the defending players chasing her tail. It was the quick passing that really opened up the attacking opportunities she had.
YC was again instrumental in keeping possession and putting the opposition under pressure. She completely closed off the midfield – making it impossible for Wheathampstead to get beyond the half-way line. She chased the ball down, calmly collected it and then always looked for the right pass to make. She also unleashed a couple of long-range efforts at goal.
Although AW was mostly in defence, she also spent some time in the centre position too. Again, she constantly put the opposition on the back foot and played some perfectly weighted long balls to her teammates. She was solid in defence today and she was confident when she had possession.
JM had an opportunity to play in defence today. She seemed to enjoy this role and was always quick to meet any advancing players head on. Her pace and determination meant that very quickly any attacking threat was extinguished. She communicated well with her teammates in this position which showed a good reading of the game to identify where the threat came from. She also played in midfield and enjoyed several runs with the ball – the highlight being a run from the Phoenix half to just outside the opposition box.
AP also played some of the half in defence. For a player who really likes to get involved in the attacking play, it took a bit of adjusting. She quickly started to shut down any possession in the Phoenix half and she was disciplined with her positioning. When she did get the chance to go forward, she was troubled the opposition with her positioning which gave her a number of goalscoring opportunities. She was always the first Phoenix to run back into defence when Wheathampstead got the ball back.
A solid display today. It was relatively one sided -Wheathampstead had some serious defending to do today with a total of 32 shots taken at their goal. The Phoenix were really on top form today – all individual performances were fantastic, but it was also so pleasing to see them play as a team and work for each other. Also, a great opportunity to try players in new positions which is always good for their development. They all excelled wherever they were positioned. Credit to Wheathampstead who defended well throughout and kept battling away.
POTM was FLS – she played in every position, worked her socks off in and out of possession, and made lots of quick passes to really influence the game.
TOTW is Matilda - a relatively quiet game but she was on fire when it counted for the two saves she made. She was extremely vocal throughout and positioned herself as a sweeper to offer options in attack.
Savannah ?? Lottie ?? Chloe ?? Savannah ?? Chloe ?? Savannah ?? Lottie ?? Savannah ?? Chloe ?? Chloe ??
