Report

RSA Basildon girls travelled to Flanders Fields to take on West Ham in the final league game of the season. OverN*Ght rain rain had left the surface wet, but still firm underfoot.

West Ham had already secured the league T*Tle and boasted a 100% record, so the girls knew that it would be a very tough match. Basildon started the match defending against the wind, and it quickly became apparent that the wind would be causing far more problems to the players on the pitch than had initially appeared from the side.

Kicking against the wind in the first half, Basildon adopted a 4-5-1 formation. Taking advantage of the wind, West Ham put the Basildon defence under pressure straight from the kick off, and forced Basildon to defend their penalty area. The West Ham forward was looking particularly dangerous with her quick turns and bursts of pace.

It appeared as if Basildon had weathered the early storm, and had started to make some forays into the West Ham half, before West Ham struck on the twenty minute mark. A diagonal ball was played across the Basildon defence, which got caught in the strengthening wind, before hitting the still firm surface and bouncing high over the Basildon defenders. This enabled the West Ham forward, anticipating the bounce, to latch onto the through ball and to open the scoring.

This was the signal for intense West Ham pressure, and a second goal came on twenty seven minutes, when the West Ham forward took advantage of hesitation in the Basildon defence to get between the covering defender and the goalkeeper to get a second goal. At this stage it was critical that Basildon did not concede a third before half time, and Basildon defended resolutely to ensure that this did not happen.

For the second half, Basildon adopted a 4-4-2 formation, to take advantage of having the wind in their favour. The first twenty minutes of the half were quite evenly matched, until Basildon reduced the arrears in the twenty third minute. A through ball caused hesitation in the West Ham defence, and Lauren KN*Ght took advantage of the situation to get between the defender and goalkeeper, before rounding the goalkeeper and scoring into an unguarded net.

The goal visibly lifted Basildon, who now started to put the West Ham defence under some pressure. The equaliser came on twenty eight minutes, when Lauren KN*Ght chased an overhit through ball, and as a result the West Ham goalkeeper was unable to claim the ball. Lauren, as for the first goal, rounded the goalkeeper, to score into an unguarded net.

At this stage Basildon, with confidence high, looked the more likely winners. However, West Ham regained the lead on thirty three minutes when their forward chased down an overhit through ball, before rounding the goalkeeper and finding the empty net. As Basildon pressed for the equaliser, West Ham took advantage of gaps in the Basildon defence to score a fourth goal two minutes from time. The West Ham forward executing a quick turn before hitting a fine shot from twenty five yards.

The match finished shortly afterwards, but Basildon knew that they had pushed West Ham all the way in what was a very compeT*Tive match.

Despite this defeat, the girls have had an excellent season, finishing as runners up to West Ham in the league, and can be proud of their efforts this season.