With several key players unavailable it was a patched up Newlaithes side that took to the pitch for the season's opener with Carlisle City and they had to rely on two last minute signings to make up the team. Tasha Scott was still struggling with an ankle injury sustained at Futsal so we started the match with ten with Tasha waiting in the wings if needed. Our rock in central midfield, Paige Williams was also struggling with tonsilitis. To cap it all we had no recognised keeper so Chloe Moore volunteered to start in nets.
City started sharply and Newlaithes battled hard to keep them at bay. It was a typical derby as both teams attacked at pace with Chelsea Norris making inroads down the left for Newlaithes. Despite the fast and furious start, neither side created any real chances until City made the breakthrough on 18 minutes when Nicola Smith broke free to fire home at the near post from the right hand side of the goalmouth. Tasha Scott couldn't stand watching any longer and joined the game from the sidelines, however Chelsea Norris had to leave the field feeling sick. Four minutes later and City extended their lead when a free kick found Alice Simpson in space and she fired home, again from the right hand side of the area. Newlaithes were careless from the restart and livewire Nicola Smith inercepted the kick-off and she raced through the Newlaithes defence to put City 3-0 up. Despite the quick-fire setback, Newlaithes gritted their teeth and came back at City and they pulled one back when Paige Williams did well to fend off the close attentions of her marker to jink her way inside before slotting the ball through to Tasha Scott who slid in bravely to fire past the advancing keeper. Newlaithes breathed a sigh of relief minutes later when an off-balance Nicola Smith fired wide from close range following a cross from the left. Chelsea Norris also rejoined play which meant that Newlaithes had a full team on the pitch for the first time in the match and they began to take the game to City with the pace of Chelsea Norris and Alison McCorry causing problems down the wings. Unfortunately for Newlaithes on 43 minutes, a sloppy pass on the right-hand side of midfield once again let the irrepressible Nicola Smith in and she burst down the left wing to square for a City striker to tap in at the far post. Half-time, 4-1 to City.
Despite the scoreline, it was a fairly even game with both teams battling for the upper hand and Newlaithes came out for the 2nd half, determined to redress the balance. Chloe Moore moved into attack with Katie Johnston taking over in the Newlaithes goal. They immediately put City under pressure and they were unlucky on 52 minutes when Alison McCorry broke down the right only to see her shot thump back off the post. However it was City who extended their lead 3 minutes later when Nicola Smith blasted home a loose ball from the edge of the box. Credit to Newlaithes, they never let their heads drop and 3 minutes later, they pulled one back when Alison McCorry again burst down the right and this time she made no mistake, firing home past the keeper. Newlaithes had the bit between their teeth now as the shots started to fly in with Chelsea Norris coming close from just outside the area. Then City suffered a setback when their keeper was forced to leave the pitch with a hand injury following another blistering effort from Alison McCorry. On 68 minutes it was Alison McCorry once again as Chloe Moore played her in down the right and she tucked the ball into the far post. City were still dangerous on the break but they didn't really trouble keeper Katie Johnston as she mopped up any through balls, with any shots flying high and wide from distance. Nicola Smith who had been City's main threat was then drafted into defence to man-mark Alison McCorry. However on 75 minutes Paige Williams played the ball into Becky Rush, who played the ball into space behind the City defence, Alison McCorry sprinted over 30 yards like a bullet, out-stripping her marker to get to the ball first and once again she tucked it away to complete her hat-trick. With 15 minutes left, could Newlaithes pull off a remarkable comeback? They kept up the pressure on City and were aggrieved when another through ball found Alison McCorry in acres of space, however the referee blew up for off-side despite a City defender playing her well on-side; the defender was so deep, the ref didn't see her! Newlaithes kept on plugging away and finally got their just reward on 84 minutes when Chloe Moore again played the ball through to Alison McCorry. She won a tussle with her marker before sprinting free to fire home the equaliser. Now Newlaithes were going all out for the winner and there were corners and goal-mouth scrambles galore but they couldn't get the ball over the line. But then it was City's turn to break away left of centre. Their forward shot from just inside the area but keeper Katie Johnston pulled off a great save, parrying the ball out to the right for a corner. Newlaithes weren't finished though and in injury time there was more controversy when Alison McCorry once again knocked the ball past her marker only to be cynically up-ended to the right of the area. Paige Williams took the kick, floating the ball over the keeper's head with precision but the ball somehow re-appeared from the goalmouth. The Newlaithes players appealed in unison, absolutely convinced that the ball had crossed the line, with the defender well behind the line when she made contact but the referee had no way of telling whether or not the whole ball had crossed the line so the goal wasn't given and he blew for the final whistle. Final score 5-5.
This was an unbelievable effort from the Newlaithes team, with so many key players missing and no recognised keeper, they could easily have let their heads drop but they dug deep and were unlucky not to win in the end, however that would have been harsh on City and the draw was probably a fair result in what was a truly exciting local derby. Newlaithes player of the match was Alison McCorry for the way she took City apart in the 2nd half although credit must go to Tasha Scott for battling through the pain barrier and Paige Williams for a sterling performance in midfield despite having tonsilitis. Becky Rush also put in a monumental shift and she must have covered every blade of grass on the pitch. Well done also to Chelsea Norris who rose to the challenge after feeling sick in the 1st half and a massive thank you to Chelsea Lightfoot and Georgina Campbell who signed on the day to help us in our hour of need. Also thanks to Hannah Whitford who made the journey from Millom for the match and of course not forgetting the volunteer keepers, Chloe Moore and Katie Johnston. Last but not least, how could we forget team captain Jade Williams who was solid as ever in a makeshift defence putting in several timely tackles.
On a day when a Battle of Britain Hurricane & Spitfire landed at Carlisle Airport, the whole team displayed an awesome British Bulldog fighting spirit to comeback so strongly and they can be thoroughly proud of themselves.
Next week's game is at home to Keswick, 11:30 kick-off at Rickerby Park.
