Carly’s Curler Downs The Lane

Herne Bay Ladies (2) 3
Holness 10
Farrow 17, 49

Long Lane Ladies (0) 0

at Winch’s Field

SECWFL League Cup Quarter Final
Sunday 25th January 2015.

Attendance: 45

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Peter Guise – Carly Farrow (far right of picture) curls her free kick in for the third goal!)

League Cup holders Herne Bay Ladies cruised through to the semi-finals of the South East Counties Women’s Football League Cup with a comfortable victory over the ‘auld enemy’ Long Lane Ladies. The Winch’s Field pitch remained heavy after the previous days’ Ryman League game and its overnight frozen state that had prevented it from thawing in time for the morning u18 game.

“After last weeks disappointing result losing to Gillingham in the semi final of the Kent Cup, it was time to put things right and get ourselves into another semi final”, said Herne Bay Ladies manager Anthony Deer, “ We started off brightly on a soft and difficult pitch, but getting the ball wide was key to this game.”

Two goals in the space of 7 first half minutes put the game beyond the visitors reach and a 3rd at the start of the second half sealed Bay’s passage into the last four. The first goal came in the 10th minute when Harriett Chapman went on a run down the right. Her cross was helped on by Carly Farrow and Vicky Holness finished to notch her 18th of the season. Then, 7 minutes later, Carly Farrow was on the score sheet herself when she swept home another Chapman right wing cross.

The game was sealed four minutes after the turnaround with a trademark free kick from Carly Farrow. From the left hand edge of the Long Lane area, Carly curled her free kick over the defensive line and into the net to ensure Herne Bay Ladies progress in defence of the League Cup they won last term.

Nicola Harris made a last gasp clearance off the line in the closing stages to deny Long Lane a consolation goal and preserve the clean sheet.

“Scoring two goals in the first 17 minutes took the sting out of the game early on with some neat inter change passing between the attacking line. But for some of the game we went a little bit flat and started letting Long Lane back into the game”, said Deer, “The next goal was crucial for both teams and when Carly Farrow put the ball into the net early on in the second half, it was only a matter of seeing the game out”.

Herne Bay Ladies will be away to Haywards Heath based Wivelsfield Green from Division One (West) on Sunday 22nd February. Green knocked out Premier Division Burgess Hill Town 2-1 in their quarter-final.

Herne Bay Match Squad: Sarah Cooper, Emma Brown, Nicola Harris, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Kate Foster, Carly Farrow, Emily Brown, Harriett Chapman, Vicky Holness, Rachel Tracy, Isabella Tulett, Bella Smith, Ashley Bantges, Sarah Holmes.

Herne Bay Player of the Match: Emma Brown