Storm Force 6 in Surrey

South Park (0) 0

Herne Bay Ladies (2) 6

Harriett Chapman 29
Carly Farrow 34
Isabella Tulett 67, 83
Vicky Holness 70
Emma Brown 80

at South Park Sports Ground

SECWFL League Cup Premier Division
Sunday 29th March 2015.

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Peter Guise – Emma Brown scores Bay’s fifth.)

Wet, wild and windy; that was the weather and once that was tamed, Herne Bay Ladies set about storming a second half to set up a showdown for Easter Sunday. “Conditions were horrendous but once we started playing the ball along the floor with short passes, chances became more and more”, said Herne Bay Ladies manager Anthony Deer.

Indeed it was a tough opening to a match that Bay Ladies knew they had to win to heap pressure on league leaders Dartford Royals and once they had come to grips with the conditions the game was never in doubt. At first it was a struggle to string passes together in a swirling wind and with several players out through injury or unavailability the opening quarter was often disjointed. Harriett Chapman calmed the nerves with a looping lob in the 29th minute and 5 minutes later natural order was restored when Carly Farrow’s long range effort sailed over the home ‘keepers head and into the net.

After the interval, Bay either missed or were denied a hatful of chances that would have led to a cricket score. Rachel Tracy, in the 55th minute, saw here effort cleared off the line. 4 minutes later Harriett Chapman’s strike slid agonisingly wide of the right hand post and Carly Farrow’s powerful diving header from a right wing cross flew wide. But Bay were not to be denied. Isabella Tulett curled her shot in off the right hand upright in the 67th and 3 minutes later Carly Farrow saw Vicky Holness in space in the box and the latter tapped home the Bay’s 4th of the afternoon. With 10 minutes left, Emma Brown, playing in a midfield role in this fixture, squeezed the ball home with a shot across the ‘keepers body and Isabella Tulett completed the rout 3 minutes later with a clean strike from the edge of the area. Bella Smith started the game at right back today and thoroughly deserved the travelling supporters nomination for player of the match. She kept things simple, did the basics right, controlled the ball well and invariably found a blue shirt with her passes.

“Although scoring six and all strikers getting on the score sheet I felt today we wasted many golden opportunities”, said Deer, “but good preparation for next week with the focus on not losing, but we need to make sure we are more clinical in front of goal”

Herne Bay Ladies Match Squad: Sarah Cooper, Emma Brown, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Carly Farrow, Emily Brown, Isabella Tulett, Vicky Holness, Rachel Tracy, Bella Smith, Harriett Chapman.

Herne Bay Player of the Match: Bella Smith