Report

27 April 2013

Cup (Merit Shield)

Withymoor 1  v Halas 1

Halas won the penalty shoot out  3-2

To start: Lottie, Lauren, Kirsty, Caitlin, Ellie A, Eboni, Becky, Charlotte and Beth.

To come on: Issy and Ellie M.

Good conditions although colder than expected. A bit of a breeze blowing towards The Bull and Bladder end but the pitch as in pretty good order.

Kick off to Halas.

1^st min. Halas went straight on the attack but were met with determined defending from Caitlin who stuck to her task, won the ball and cleared on the right wing.

2 mins. Good throw from Kirsty straight over the top caught the Halas defence a little uncertain but Eboni couldn’t quite get in on it and the keeper collected.

8 mins. Halas built a good move on their right and came in to the middle. Lauren just did enough and the forward shot wide of the Withy right hand post.

12 mins. Scrappy defending from Withy and the Halas forward was through down the centre of the pitch to place the ball comfortably past Lottie’s left hand and into the net.

0 – 1

Beth had fallen awkwardly a couple of minutes earlier which effectively reduced Withy to 8 players. Issy came on to replace her.

19 mins. Withy worked one of their set piece corners successfully but were unable to make anything of it.

20 mins. They used another set piece from a corner and when the ball went back from Charlotte  to Eboni she put in a brilliant cross threatening the work of several local hairdressers but nobody got a contact on it.

21 mins. Lottie out well to clear from the feet of a Halas striker. She got back to her goal well and then palmed away a shot from a supporting attacker before collecting to the left of the penalty area.

31 mins. Halas again broke through the middle but Lottie again came and blocked with her legs.

35 mins. Great work from Becky who battled through with the support of Eboni and forced a corner.

The last minute of the half saw Withy  maintain some pressure and force another corner which Becky got her head to but it looped to the keeper.

Half time

36 mins. An early chance to Halas with a midfielder coming in from the left and hitting a good shot across Lottie’s goal and just wide of the far post.

38 mins Charlotte played the ball to Issy who combined with Becky and Eboni on the left. Eb got through but was forced wide and put a shot into the side netting.

40 mins and a good move from Withy ended with the ball rebounding off the poat before Charlotte tapped home only for somebody to be given off side. Nevertheless, it was a good move with several players in support.

59 mins. A free kick to Halas on their left was taken with an excellent direct shot on goal. Lottie got good hands behind it to stop it above her head and then smothered well.

60 mins. After avoiding what could have been a 2 – 0 score line Withy went straight down the other end for Eboni to hit a fierce strike over and across the keeper to level the scores.

1 – 1

69 mins. Charlotte had a run on the left and played in a cross but good defending saw Eboni just squeezed out.

The last few minutes were just shaded by Withy. The twins, Issy, and Ellie M all, at some point, playing out of position but helping to defend around Lauren who mopped up well while others got forward and caused problems at the other end.

70 mins. Eboni took a direct free kick and,  in almost a mirror image of what had happened a few minutes earlier at the Withy end, saw the Halas keeper in the right position to palm the shot away well.

FULL TIME

Extra time flew past. In the first period Eboni put in a cross just over Charlotte’s head – and I think she would have headed it! Charlotte was only 2 or 3 yards out and it as agonisingly close. Withy had the best of the pressure in the first period.

However, Halas shaded the second period and had a good attempt go just over five minutes in. Then in the last minute they had a penalty shout for hand ball which would have been very harsh followed immediately by a shot on goal which Lottie blocked with her legs.

END OF EXTRA TIME.

Penalties, they are character building.

It doesn’t matter who scored and who missed, credit to all that tried and those that stood in goal. For those that didn’t want to take one, maybe you could have done better who knows? Just remember though, if it had been level after five penalties each, it would have gone to sudden death and that’s even more nerve jangling.

I remember Jan Molby saying to me in similar circumstances after I hit the bar with a penalty in front of The Kop at Anfield, ‘Don’t worry, John Aldridge has missed one at Wembley’.

Do you know, that didn’t help a bit.

 Credit to Halas as their penalties were better. Good luck in the next round. Can we have our ball back please?

A thoroughly enjoyable game played in good spirit by well matched sides. Withy can take a lot of positives from the game which rounded off a stop start season.