Report

Essex County Girls Football League U15 Plate Final

Senrab Ladies 1 – Tigers 2

Rose

The end of season Senrab fairytale finalé was sadly not to be. Both sides took a while to find their feet in the heat but Tigers settled the quicker and, looking comfortable at the back, started to dominate the midfield. With Senrab struggling to impose themselves on the game Tigers opened the scoring when a snap-shot hit the bar and the defence failed more than once to deal with the rebound before Tigers put the ball in the net from the ensuing scramble. As has become traditional in meetings between these two sides, Senrab started to up the pace having gone behind, and held the initiative for the last ten minutes of the first period, Rose coming closest when she hit the bar. They carried the momentum into the second half and struck early when Lewis-Shodeinde pulled the ball across the six yard box after a strong run for the second week in succession - and Rose made no mistake to level the score. Senrab looked to have weathered the storm and for ten minutes seemed the more likely to strike next as the chances started to come, the indefatigable D.Davis having the best of them and forcing a save from the keeper. Then disaster struck from nothing as Hynes appeared to get caught too far off her line at a speculative long range free kick, and could only push the well hit shot up at full stretch as it came out of the sun. The danger looked for a moment to have been averted, but Tigers reacted faster and bundled the loose ball in at the post. Goals change games and, as the equaliser had handed the impetus to Senrab, so Tigers’ second goal moved them back into the ascendency and. chasing a game for the second time in the heat against a determined and robust defence was never going to be easy. Nonetheless, there were chances at both ends as the play became stretched and Senrab were forced to commit numbers forward. Walker, Rose and Lewis-Shodeinde all had opportunities to level but just couldn’t find the right pass or shot to put Senrab back in the match. Tigers remained resolute in defence and looked dangerous on the counter-attack, trying to finish the game with a late third goal and coming close. All the players knew they had been in a game at the final whistle, probably neither team played their best football in the ebb and flow of a tense contest, but it was a hot afternoon and an unforgiving pitch. Congratulations to Tigers, League and Plate winners, who shaded the season’s encounters 3-2 and proved more than worthy opponents. Adieu Senrab, as the only girls’ team ever to wear the red and black stripes of the club sign off after six years and hang up their shirts as ladies after this, the very last competitive appearance. Many of the current squad have played for Senrab throughout, some have been away and returned, others have joined from former opponents. All have been proud ambassadors for women’s football and treated those two imposters, triumph and disaster, just the same.