Two Goals in Two Minutes Give Bay the Points

Herne Bay Ladies (2)
Carly Farrow 41
Harriett Chapman 42

Leyton Orient (0) 1
Sophie LeMarchono 71

London & South East Regional Women’s Football League (Premier Division)
Sunday 13th September 2015
(at Winch’s Field)

Att: 57

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Steve Barton: Bay go close to adding to their scoreline)

“Three points is three points”, said Herne Bay manager Anthony Deer, “we didn’t start off particularly well, we were second best, once we settled down we started playing some nice football”.

Herne Bay Ladies picked up their second win in three league games with this hard fought victory. Under considerable pressure for the opening quarter of an hour the home defence held firm with the visitor’s ‘keeper not having a touch during those 15 minutes. Indeed, Orient could have taken the lead when Hayley Barton broke through in the 10th and would have scored but for the timely challenge of Harriett Chapman.

Slowly, though, Bay inched their way into the game and Holness might well have put Bay ahead on 21 but her shot went straight at Orient's keeper.

Just before the break, Bay bagged two goals in two eventful minutes. Both came from powerful drives from the edge of the box. In the 41st, Carly Farrow beat the dive of Oguande and 60 seconds later Harriett Chapman repeated the dose low into the left hand corner.
After the interval, both sides enjoyed purple patches. Leyton Orient’s came in the latter stages when LeMarchono finally got the goal their slick passing and technical skill on the ball deserved, although there were not many technical attributes to the scoring of it. The Orient striker was quick to react in the 79th minute, when the ball bounced back off Herne Bay ‘keeper, Sarah Cooper, and she bundled it home. Nevertheless, it was just reward.

The visitors pressed hard for an equaliser and might have got it three minutes later but for Sarah Cooper’s save with her legs at her left hand post.

“The two goals settled the nerves if anything. The girls were pumped after the first goal, they worked hard to get the ball back and strike again”, said Deer, “a lot of big clubs are latching on to women’s football and in the first half hour we were a bit in awe of Leyton Orient, their passing was crisp, one touch, two touch and we’re taking two or three touches to get the ball down and our passing was poor but once we settled down we matched them. I’m disappointed we conceded, goals win matches, defenders and clean sheets win leagues, it was a frantic last few minutes”.

Herne Bay Starting XI: Sarah Cooper, Emma Brown, Alex Roy , Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Amber Guyatt, Carly Farrow, Harriett Chapman, Gemma Sullivan, Vicky Holness. Rachel Tracy

Herne Bay Subs: Mollie Procter, Bella Smith, Emily Brown, Lucy Harrington.

Herne Bay Player of the Match: Debbie Blackmore.

Referee: Kane Dempster