In complete contrast to last week, there was a strong wind blowing, it was raining and the pitch was very heavy for the first visit to Carlisle of Blakelaw United. New signing Sandra Krauza was in the Newlaithes squad following receipt of international clearance.
Newlaithes started brightly playing into the wind as several crosses fizzed across the visitors' goalmouth but they were unable to find a finishing touch. Blakelaw responded as they broke quickly down the right-hand side with a shot from the edge of the area flying just over. The game developed into and end to end affair as both teams broke quickly and Nat McCann was unlucky as the Blakelaw keeper saved her goal-bound shot brilliantly from 10 yards. Blakelaw then countered with another shot just over. Then the Blakelaw keeper made another outstanding save from Alice Simpson. Newlaithes best effort of the half came when Simpson broke down the right and she lashed a thunderbolt against the angle of the right-hand post and the crossbar from the edge of the area. There were further chances from both sides but the score remained 0-0 at the break in what had been an enthralling end to end game despite the conditions.
The second half continued where the first half left off but it was Newlaithes who finally made the breakthrough on 60 minutes when Pip Atkinson won the ball midway inside the Blakelaw half. She then showed tremendous strength and determination, driving forward and taking the ball past numerous challenges before finishing crisply into the bottom corner from just inside the area. The lead was short-lived though as two minutes later, Blakelaw again broke down the right to shoot firmly across goal from the right-hand side of the area and into the bottom corner. Pip Atkinson was on fire though and another two minutes later Newlaithes were in front again. Katherine Hutchinson played a lovely ball down the left wing for Atkinson to run on to. She once again showed real grit and determination to drive into the left-hand side of the area before unleashing an unstoppable piledriver into the back of the net. The weather was taking a turn for the worse as driving hailstones were blowing horizontally across the pitch but both teams kept plugging away, however Newlaithes sealed the points on 70 minutes when Alice Simpson played the ball forward from midway inside the Newlaithes half. Pip Atkinson then produced a deft flick-on with her head for Claire Davis to race onto and clip the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net. The weather was taking its toll as the pitch was cutting up badly and the chances dried up for both teams with the score remaining 3-1 to Newlaithes at the final whistle.
Despite the horrendous conditions, this was an exciting and open game with both teams breaking quickly to create chances. Credit to Blakelaw who have strengthened their squad with some very good signings and the game was fairly evenly balanced until Newlaithes scored the decisive goals in the second half. Once again everyone put in a tough shift but player of the match was awarded to Paige Williams by our visitors for a commanding performance in the centre of midfield.
In a slight re-shuffle of the fixtures we will now play Whitley Bay Development next Sunday, 2pm kick-off at the Sheepmount.
