Woking Ladies vs BSLFC First Team Match Report

A delightful jaunt along the M3 through the aesthetic wonder which is Fleet Services, brought us to Woking College in Woking, against Woking Ladies believe it or not. Sports Ladies arrived in plenty of time to a pukka 3G facility, had a “world class warm-up” according to Marmion and were ready for battle.

Not everyone got the memo about the time though as Bournemouth Sports Ladies self appointed fitness guru (linesman) screeched into the car park at 13:58 exactly, giving him enough time to receive a flag from the referee and take a torrent of ‘friendly’ abuse from the ladies.

The 3G facility itself is surrounded on two sides and with the gale force winds blowing through, it evoked the sound of an approaching storm which as it turned out was an apt description of todays game. Sports resplendent in light blue and Woking in a sort of red white and black.

The game started with some lovely combinations between the defence and midfield with Yeo mopping up like an efficient roll of Plenty. Sports began to look very dangerous when we moved the ball wide quickly with Rosie showing to be a willing and elusive runner against Woking’s combative right back.

The first great chance for Sports came from a great Jas through ball to Rosie which dissected the defence like a surgeons scalpel providing a 1 on 1 with the keeper. Rosie opened her body a-la Thierry Henry but sadly missed the Va Va Voom as the ball struck the post and diverted wide.

There was some more neat build up play from Titch and Yumes as the battering ram of the Sports attack continued to beat at the door of Woking. The deadlock was broken with another great ball through to Rosie who received the ball in the centre of the Woking box and dispatched it home to make it 1-0.

Sports continued to be in the ascendancy in the first 30 mins of the half but started to narrow the play and like Derek zoolander seemed unable to turn left playing into a packed Woking right side who were beginning to display their resilience. Titch fashioned a great opportunity for herself when picking the ball up in the final third and letting fly from distance only to be denied by the Crossbar. There were a few signs that Woking were starting to get a foothold with some forays down our left flank which had been mostly snuffed out by Taylor like a candle in a chapel.

However one slight misjudgment with a square ball in our half surrendered the ball to Woking. A chipped ball to their right midfielder just eluded the head of Taylor and the right midfielder who wouldn’t have been out of place in the NBA, carried on into the box and swept the ball past Becky Clarke. 1-1!

Sports continued to play the ball on the deck but we narrowed like a mint matchmaker and our attacks were not presenting the same chances they had done earlier in the half. Following another attack from Woking down their right side, when closing down their striker Yeo was a touch late catching the player and conceding a free kick around 25 yards from goal on the far right side of the box. Over the din the Woking manager could be heard bellowing “how much do we want it” and want it they did as the free kick was delivered low into the Sports box and fired into the bottom corner with a smart first time finish past Becky in the Sports goal.

The sense of injustice and disappointment was palpable both on and off the pitch for Sports but there was plenty of time left to up the ante.

The half time whistle went and we retired to the changing rooms, with some long faces and mindsets which needed brightening. Marmion came into his own with another Churchillian speech to ensure the girls gave Woking a half to remember regardless of the final score. After prying myself off a somewhat frosty changing room bench, we made our way out for the second half.

The Sports line up started to take a different shape with the introduction of Daisy “Piledriver” Bradford, the ice cool Liane, Sunshine Demi and Poole’s very own Baywatch-er Kitty Norman!!

Sports started the second half well with some good play and positivity flowing through the attack. The big challenge was judging the pace of the ball due to the wind tunnel blowing from our half. This was evidenced after a cultured ball forward from Yeo was taken so fast by the elements that Usain Bolt on a Ducati super bike would have struggled to reach it. Rosie had switched to the right by this point yet like the feverish competitor she is could be found chasing the opponents across the other side of the pitch with some intensive pressing, winning balls and corners she had no right to win. Lauren was picking the ball up in dangerous positions trying her best to find a sight of goal.

When through on goal in the second half, the Woking centre back slipped over the ball in the box and batted the ball away with her hand, as Lauren was about to strike but no penalty was awarded. Sports continued to bash on the door whilst navigating the strong winds and our clearest sight of goal came when a cut back was destined for Stacey and her Lampard-Esque runs yet eluded her at the last with the goal gaping. With Sports in the ascendancy Woking players began to fall to the deck with alarming regularity as the time ticked away. Demi, Daisy and Rosie were making great progress down the flanks but the final ball was not falling to us in front of goal.

At this stage Marmion-Mourinho threw caution to the win with more Sports attackers introduced to the game as we were getting closer to restoring parity. This was achieved with a ball slid through to the rampaging, Tasmanian Devil Rosie on the right side who steered the ball back across the box. Lauren brought the ball down ready to swivel and shoot, but a toe from a Woking player poked the ball away to a waiting Liane around the penalty spot who displayed her poise and predatory instinct with a finish into the bottom corner in the 81st minute. The celebrations and feelings of relief were evident and I swear I saw Marmion do an Irish jig of some description.

We pushed for the winner with some great whipped corners into the box which needed a Sian or Kitty nearby to power the ball home. Sports had some dangerous corners to defend but thanks to Yeo and Becky’s marshalling the balls were cleared with aplomb.

The ref blew up as the points were shared giving us coaches a great deal of pride at the fight back and never say die attitude displayed by the Team. No-one wanted to endure a 90 min journey home after a defeat and the girls snatched a deserved draw with their performances.

Some bits to work on and some things to forget and exile to the back of our minds as we come to the business end of the season.

Players Player went to Rosie Eden for consistent hard work throughout the entire game.

Managers Player went to Kitty Norman for her calmness on the pitch and her positive vibes she brought to the team on a day when emotions were high.

Rory went to Lauren Brewer for her fantastic demonstration to the referee of the girls handball in the box, and for also taking forever to put her boot back on after the Woking defender had knocked it off.