Ladies 2s win crucial play-off match
Posted by Matt Gausden-Walker on 3 April 2011
Ladies 2nd XI 2-1 Birmingham University The ladies secured their place in the midlands feeder league next season with this 2-1 win over Birmingham university at Leicester Grammar School. Full match report to appear here shortly.....
Ladies 2ndXI 2 -1 Birmingham University Ladies 4thXI
Goals: Ness Kingston, Clare Noble.
Facing relegation into the Northants County League Saints 2s finally fulfilled their potential. In this ‘do or die’ game Saints faced a young, fit Birmingham side.
The first half was largely played in the middle of the pitch with both sides midfields cancelling each other out. Clare Noble worked tirelessly at centre midfield showing both discipline & determination. Lottie Tulley at left midfield provided most of Saints penetrating runs. Laura Wychgel continued this when she replaced Tulley. Solid tackling from Ferne Sanders and Nicky Milford kept Birmingham at bay.
At half time coach Jon Noble urged Saints to keep up the intensity and press Birmingham higher up the pitch. Saints did as they were told and the second half began with much more pace and determination. Becca Wilkinson’s pace at right midfield and Ellie Bleech’s tenacious running began to cause Birmingham some problems. Claire Dale made full use of the 5 metre rule, tempting the opposition into tackling her before releasing Nikki Stringer to expose them with real skill!
Goalkeeper Claire Leech dominated her D and managed the team well in their defensive duties. With ten minutes to go Saints were starting to tire. Birmingham’s youth and fitness dominated resulting in a goal.
Coach Noble decided to take drastic action and resorted to two at the back. It was an inspired decision. With seven minutes to go Sanders played a long ball to KJ Wilkins on the edge of the D. Wilkins, with her back to goal, played a sublime square ball to Ness Kingston who fired the ball in to the back of the net. 1-1, game on!
A revived Saints side then pressed Birmingham looking for the victory. With four minutes to go intelligent play from Molly Ogden resulted in a short corner. Noble injected to Kingston who played it back to Noble. The goalkeeper committed to the ground and after a bit of a scramble, and screams of ‘lift it’ from Wilkins, Noble managed to find the back of the net.
An exhausted Saints managed to hold on for the remaining few minutes despite a determined effort from Birmingham.
Man of the Match: Ferne Sanders
DOTD: Becca ‘safe’ Wilkinson
Squad: Claire Leech (GK), Claire Dale (c), Nicky Milford, Ferne Sanders, Sally Adlen, Clare Noble, Nikki Stringer, Laura Wychgel, Becca Wilkinson, Ellie Bleech, Lottie Tulley, Molly Ogden, Ness Kingston, KJ Wilkins.
