For the 2nd week running, the Ladies had a seriously depleted squad due to a mixture of injury, illness and work commitments and once again Carly Stevenson stepped up to stand in as keeper.
The game got off to a bright start and with less than a minute gone, Emma Sisson crossed from the bye-line on the right but Tasha Scott was unable to keep her shot down and the ball spooned over the bar from 6 yards. On 2 minutes Nicola Smith broke free for City but her shot was palmed onto the crossbar by Carly Stevenson as she came off her line. It was end to end stuff but City drew 1st blood on 18 minutes when Newlaithes failed to clear a corner from their left and Nicola Smith drilled the loose ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards out. The game was played at a furious pace and the speed of Nicola Smith and Alice Simpson was a constant threat for City. Newlaithes had Carly Stevenson to thank for keeping them in the game as she came off her line to save on a number of occasions when City were through 1 on 1. Newlaithes kept battling though and they equalised on 18 minutes when Emma Sisson picked up a loose ball in the middle of the pitch. She sprinted clear of the chasing City defenders to tuck the ball into the bottom corner to the keeper's right. Six minutes later and Newlaithes took the lead when Katie Johnston intercepted a City pass in midfield, diverting the ball towards Emma Sisson. She played a marvelous first touch into space behind the City defence before once again sprinting clear. However she took too many touches before pulling the trigger and a City defender slid in with a last gasp tackle. Fortunately, Emma was first to the loose ball and she jinked inside the defenders to finish with a left footed shot that flew in at the near post. On the half hour, Newlaithes extended their lead when Paige Williams picked up the ball in midfield and laid the ball outside to Mairead Kinsella on the right. She played a delightful ball through the gap to Emma Sisson who had made a diagonal run to receive and this time she made no mistake as she drilled the ball into the far corner to complete her hat-trick. In typical cup-tie fashion, City pulled one back within a minute when Chloe Moore was harshly adjudged to have fouled a City forward in the area and they were awarded a penalty, with Meg McCormick stepping up to blast the ball into the corner. The game continued at the same frantic pace but the score remained 3-2 at half-time.
City continued to press at the start of the 2nd half and on 50 minutes, Nicola Smith headed just wide of the near post when she stretched to get onto a cross from the left. A minute later and Emma Sisson put Chelsea Norris through for Newlaithes but she pulled her shot just wide of the far post. However it was nearly all City as they searched for the elusive equaliser with the makeshift Newlaithes team working their socks off to keep them at bay. Unfortunately for Newlaithes City won a free kick on 63 minutes, right of centre on the half way line. The the long, high ball bounced through the defence and Becky Rush ran in to head head home for the equaliser. As with last week against Workington, Newlaithes heads didn't go down and the setback seemed to spur them on as somehow they stepped up a gear to take the game back to City and on 75 minutes they restored the lead when once again, Emma Sisson picked up the ball 25 yards out and she struck a high looping shot into the top corner that gave the City keeper no chance. A minute later and they extended their lead when Tasha Scott turned smartly with the ball, halfway inside the City half. She slid a diagonal ball through to Faye Comber, who took the ball into the City area before opening her body up and curling a right-footed shot into the top corner. There was no time for complacency though as the battle continued right up to the final whistle. However the two goals seemed to knock the wind, ever so slightly out of City's sails as tiredness started to creep in and their best effort came on 89 minutes when they attempted a long shot from 30 yards but Carly Stevenson managed to keep it out. At the other end Faye Comber attempted a couple of difficult first time volleys but unfortunately she wasn't able to get a clean contact on the ball. Final score 5-3 to Newlaithes.
This was a fantastic cup tie, played at a high tempo with end to end action. Of the two teams, City played the more composed, passing football in midfield - they were the sharper for much of the game and with some better finishing in the first half they could easily have had two or three more but Newlaithes pulled themselves together when it mattered. It was never going to be pretty with so many key players unavailable and with many of those who were left having to play out of position. However they battled in determined fashion to keep City out and pull off a hard fought victory. There have been many times in the past where Newlaithes have played well and got nothing out of the game but the last two matches have proved that even when the chips are down, they have learned to grind out a victory. Joint players of the match for Newlaithes were Carly Stevenson for keeping them in the game with numerous close range saves while at the other end, Emma Sisson's quality was a joy to behold.
So, we go into the Christmas break, top of the league and through to the semi final of the League Cup - well done Ladies!! First game back in the new year is on Sunday 13th January at home to Penrith AFC Development.
Merry Christmas everybody!!
