The Ladies were away to last year's champions Dalton for their 1st match in 5 weeks. Abbie, Beth, Emma, Katie J, Laura O & Pat were missing but Carly, Chelsea and Stacey returned to the squad.
Newlaithes started the brighter of the two teams and kept possession well. Laura W, Stacey and Faye had several long range efforts but the keeper was equal to the challenge. Dalton tried to feed their forwards with a number of long balls but Katie M was quick to come off her line to gather. Dalton then started to come back into it and they won a corner on the right. Newlaithes failed to clear the ball and they blasted the loose ball home for the opener in the 19th minute. Flashbacks to the collapse at Kendal came flooding back as less than two minutes later, Dalton won a penalty after Katie M had collided with a Dalton striker. The Dalton keeper stepped up to bury the ball in the bottom corner to Katie's right. However this time Newlaithes kept their composure and continued to retain the ball well, forcing Dalton backwards. It only seemed a matter of time before Newlaithes would score but the Dalton keeper was in fine form and the score remained 2-0 at half time.
Newlaithes increased the pressure in the 2nd half with wave after wave of attack forcing Dalton onto the back foot. Their reward came in the 55th minute when Faye linked well with Claire inside the box. Her hard and low shot was saved brilliantly by the diving Dalton keeper at the near post. The resulting corner from the right came to Faye, whose shot was again saved by the Dalton keeper but Sarah was on hand to finish from close range. Faye came close again when she clipped the outside of the keeper's left hand post from 25 yards. Laura W then had a low shot fumbled out for a corner. With less than 15 minutes left it was all Newlaithes although Dalton still threatened with the occasional counter-attack but in the main Holly, Jade and Carly were rock solid at the back. Laura W also played a blinder as a wing-back on the left after Chelsea was forced to leave the pitch with an achilles injury. However Newlaithes had a scare when Dalton broke down the right and their winger whipped in a low cross across the face of goal. Fortunately for Newlaithes their striker was unable to guide it into the net. Then came the sucker punch - Holly got caught in a tangle with a loan striker about 30 yards out from the Newlaithes goal and the ball went loose towards the Newlaithes box. Katie M got there 1st but the advancing striker intercepted her attempted clearance and stroked the ball calmy into the empty net. Straight from the kick-off Faye took the ball past three Dalton players before being tripped about 30 yards out. She struck a magnificent free-kick that flew straight as an arrow into the top corner to the keepers left. So it was as you were and Newlaithes continued to press until the end for an equaliser but it just wasn't forthcoming. The Dalton keeper was on top form and their defence was difficult to break down.
Despite the scoreline, this was possibly the team's best performance this season in terms of consistency and quality. Sarah and Stacey's link up play was excellent, with Tasha in fearsome mood, playing just behind them. Up front, Faye in particular caused all kinds of problems as she bustled and battled against the Dalton defence. One parent suggested that it was the best she had ever seen the team play and after the game, the Dalton manager was quick to praise the team and admitted that his team had been lucky. It was certainly a big step up the learning curve and things look promising for the new year. Keep it going ladies!!!
Thanks to Dalton for the post match hospitality and thanks also to the parents who drove the 160 mile round trip :-)
Next match is Abbeytown at home on 17th Jan - river permitting... ;-)
