Sunday 15th September
Sponsors: Oxygen Graphics, Big Wave Campers, Ados, Eclipse Clean, Kelsy Living, Life Investments Estate Agency
Another morning trip out to Leicestershire for Rugby Town today for their second successive away match. After avoiding being speared by stray arrows from the archery field next to the path the girls were able to warm up for the match.
First Half:
With a change of goalkeeper for Rugby this week and also only 2 subs the game kicked off just after 10:30. Rugby started the game brightly with Sophie putting in dangers crosses within the first 5 minutes. Ioanna came close to opening the scoring with a shot that went just wide. It was clear why Ashby were top of the league and Daisy-May had to be alert to clear the ball with some smart defending. Macey and then Louise came close with shots that went wide and were saved respectively. Ashby were starting to assert themselves more in the game and on 19 minutes they opened the scoring with a shot that just went inside the post despite Jasmine getting a hand to it. The lead didn’t last long as a minute later Louise battled hard and equalised with a good finish. On 29 minutes Poppy was through on goal only to be upended by the goalkeeper as she went round her, the ball was cleared and the referee decided it was not a penalty. Soon it was 3-1 after a shot that was unstoppable, even the great Steve Ogrizovic would have struggled to keep out the top corner effort from the Ashby striker. Ashby deserved their lead of 3-1 at half time with some excellent attacking and very composed defending by their centre back.
Second Half:
At 3-1 the next goal was going to be crucial in the game, Rugby started the second half brightly with Poppy and Sophie both having shots that went wide. Jasmine was launching the ball forward on every goal kick, maybe it was the incentive of a push up after the game for every kick that didn’t reach the halfway line??, to try and get Rugby back into the game. Unfortunately Ashby had just been biding their time and it was soon 4-1 when their winger was unmarked and was able to put it out of reach into the corner.
Rugby didn’t give up and kept battling, Ioanna making it 4-2 with a good finish that the Ashby keeper had no chance with. The comeback was short lived though as with Rugby starting to tire gaps started to open up and they made it 5-2. Sophie then had a great run and shot that rattled the bar, on another day it would have broken the net but it was not to be today. Another run through the middle resulted in a 6th goal for Ashby, it then should have been 6-3 after another cross from Sophie just needed to be tapped in. The 7th and final goal from Ashby was from another run through. Leila and Sophie then had shots saved before Ashby hit the bar after a save from Jasmine.
Conclusion:
Ashby are a good side with some very good players in key positions, Rugby created enough chances today to have got close to them but need to improve on a few basic areas to minimise the mistakes. The higher standard this season means these kinds of mistakes get punished.
Coaches player Jasmine
Her kicking from the floor and out of hands was incredible and clearly a hidden secret, she shouldn’t be disappointed with the amount of goals conceded today. When you have an opposition striker that can ping them from 25 yards out in a goal that size you’re not stopping them.
Thanks to Dave and Dave for coaching the team again. We all know it is going to be a tough season playing 11 a side but if everybody works hard then the results will come. Thanks to Ashby for hosting and for a game played in the right spirit, thanks to the referee, everybody should remember that without the referee we don’t have a game and also to the long arm of the law who stepped in to be linesman this morning (with some help from Andrew with gentle words of encouragement in the second half).