***Pauls Match Report*** Wimborne Pay The Penalty!
The team hosted Andover at Ringwood in their second cup group match. This familiar ‘old foe’ would offer no surprises, the girls would have to battle today, use the ball well and be alert to pace. A blow for the team, losing Georgia and Jess with injuries picked up midweek.
It’s amazing that how a how a team starts a game can have an affect on a whole match, unfortunately this scrappy opening would generally set the pattern for the morning. This played right into the visitors’ hands, broken play and quick transitions, they took a very early lead. What looked a very hopeful shot not dealt with and the visitors quickest to react and snap up the opening goal (0-1). The game simply did not settle down, both teams unable to build any kind of cohesion and no clear chances created. The team had to wait until the final minutes of the half for their first real half chance, Emilie out battling her opponent on the right hand side, lifting a shot over the goalkeeper and rattling the outside of the goalpost. 45 minutes had gone seemingly in the blink of an eye!
HT 0-1
Although the first period had been a proverbial ‘arm wrestle’ there was no panic in the camp, just frustrations that they could not get any sort of quality on the ball. They would now have to keep working hard, trust themselves and stick to the game plan of working the ball in behind and showing the quality when needed whilst still guarding against the threat of pacy attackers at the breakdown. As hoped, another half of ‘eye to eye’ combat was broken by a move of quality. Carly found the space centrally to set Emilie away in behind the defence and her cross smashed home by Izzy off the crossbar (1-1). Another Izzy effort, this time from distance narrowly failed to test the GK, at the other end Brooke in goal plucked a lofted shot out of the air but mostly all seemed comfortable. As the game drifted into the final minutes it looked odds on for a point a piece…..The team had marshalled the Andover attack well for 85 minutes but a ‘one on one’ situation came from know-where, the forward getting the wrong side of Maddie, a tangle of legs and a spot kick awarded. No nerves from the penalty taker, the ball wide of Brooke for the deciding goal (1-2).
FT: WTFC 1 Andover 2
Pom: Sophia (worked hard to shut down the RH side attack, never shirks a challenge and lots of quality on the ball)
Summary: A very familiar opponent with the same old threats…but it seems to work for them. The girls’ stood toe to toe and would not be pushed backwards but in a very tight game it was more of a case of who would make the most errors rather than who would create more. Although not a great watch if you like flowing football, the girls battled well today from start to finish. Brooke in goal, generally sound, so comfortable with ball at feet. An always combative Eva paired well with Lila in the heart of defence, Grace and Maddie were rotated at right back with Sophia at LB, all were strong. Any combination of midfield players had to ‘put a shift in’, and they did….Sophie, Scarlett, Ashleigh, Carly and Emilie at the heart of things in the engine room. A tough day for Sienna, asked to hold the width but starved of possession today, similar for Brooke, battled hard but not afforded a shot at goal. A special mention to Belle, playing in an unfamiliar central midfield position, battled tirelessly and to Izzy who held position well in an awkward match, showing a good team ethic and moments of quality. Well battled team…??????
