30th January 2022, KO 9:30
Team – Alexis, Emilia, Emy-Mae, Phoebe, Sienna W, Esme
Sponsor – Lightning Tools
Last Sunday was a home match against our previous hosts, Epworth Forest. The previous week was a tough match and this one proved tougher. The weather was sunny and cold, as usual, and the early kick-off gave us some slight frost on the shaded side of the pitch. Fortunately, it was not slippery and cleared up quickly as the sun rose. We had a sub this week, which did allow some reprieve for our players when needed.
With the sun on our backs, the first half saw the return of Esme, who brought some great energy to our midfield. Sienna W. played her usual midfield wing, opposite to Esme. Emilia in defence and Alexis as forward, with Phoebe in goal. Emy-Mae as brought on in midfield at our first substitution. As with previous games, we still saw our players all being quick to the ball, making runs up the sides, and moving into space in the centre of the goal for an opportunity to receive a pass.
Epworth’s defenders were also quick, though, and when the ball was lost during one of our attacks, they didn’t hesitate to immediately counter attack. This caught us out more than a few times, with the opposition’s forwards quickly attacking towards our goal, while Rugby Town was left trying to catch up. Thanks to the hustle of our players, and Phoebe’s reading the opposing attackers’ movement, we were able to minimise the risk.
The second half now had the sun in our faces, which did make it more challenging for us. Rugby Town showed some good possession, with passing sequences from goal kick, to wing, followed by a cross to switch sides. You could see the girls thinking methodically at times, and not simply kicking the ball forward. Despite our heavy possession, Epworth’s forwards demonstrated some speed and finesse on counter attacks.
While Epworth’s attacks were smooth and controlled, we really only found ourselves caught out after having pressed forward as a team, yet not quite getting back to defend in time. When you only have 4 in the outfield in a 5v5 game, and against a strong defence, the whole team needs to press together for numbers on the attack. This scenario is something we can work on in training, where keeping spread out and moving to space can help from getting clumped up and on our heels when put on the defensive.
Definitely a different match to last week, which is a reminder that all teams can play differently from one day to the next, and you can’t always evaluate on just one performance. We definitely saw some great skill from our players, and some fantastic football all around.
Manager’s player: Alexis for her non-stop pressure on Epworth’s defence, her determination to get to the ball first, and strong attacking.
Parent’s player: Emilia, for her continued defensive performance and hustle to make some crucial tackles.