We were expecting it to be a tough match against the Dinos, and that’s exactly what it was. They came out strong and we found ourselves slightly panicky on the ball and initially struggled to find much consistency or rhythm with our passing. Although we had a couple of early chances to score, it was the Dinos who took advantage of a short corner half way through the first half and we found ourselves 1-0 down.
We had a change in our defensive line up half way through the first half and we began to settle into the game. We were able to put more pressure on the Dinos, with some great balls coming from defence with linking play through the midfield, up to the forwards. Eventually a ball came through into the D and, with the lightest of touches from Emma and a rare mistake from the Dinos exceptional keeper, we were 1-1 just before half time.
We managed to dominate the match for the majority of the second half, but despite consistent pressure in our attacking half and multiple attempts on goal, we were frustrated not to add to our scoreline. They had a couple of quick breaks out of defence, which resulted in shots on goal, but our defence held strong and with some great saves from Mo we were able to deny them a second goal.
A chance came late on in the second half with a penalty stroke awarded, but unfortunately we were not able to convert that opportunity… until, finally, with just a few minutes to go before the final whistle, our hard work paid off and Emma was able to find the back of the goal. Hurrah! It was 2-1 at the final whistle and a well deserved win for us!
It was a real team effort with everyone working really hard, but special mention must go to: Sarah, who did a great job in her debut as a defender; Karen who didn’t let a ball past her and created a lot of play down the left side, linking well with Viv and Skittle; Toni’s non-stop running in midfield; and some great leads from Janet and Holly up front. Well done everyone – a really enjoyable game and a great win!