Match Report 22L.1 (15-05-2011)

BMFC

2

vs

SPRINGWOOD

3

Match Report

Signs of the Phoenix rising from the ashes.

Hand balls in the box is the stuff of nightmares for a coach but more painful when it’s the coach having to give what would be the eventual winning penalty to the opposition. More about that later.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning when the team fronted for this week’s fixture against a team sharing the same points as us, so needless to say there was an opportunity for the team to show their metal after last week. Olivia was a real trooper leaving her death bed to don the goalies jersey and thereby handing a full squad plus the illusive sub so far this year for the coach’s disposal. Finally a team to shuffle on the side line or so it was thought.

A brief strategy discussion and warm up and the team was ready to go. With Liv between the sticks we played Meg as the one central defender and Rebecca as a forward sweeper and both were solid as during the whole game. Bri was moved to left back and Zoe to right back and both had an exceptional game in the unfamiliar positions. The problem came when there was no ref and no one to fill in so by agreement I relinquished the coaching role to referee, leaving an eerie silence on the sideline.

This meant the girls would need to sub themselves, sub to position, organise themselves as a defensive and in transition offensive unit, give instruction and communicate all without any guidance by the coach in the field. The girls showed maturity well beyond their years and resolve well beyond their playing years in the way they conducted and handled themselves and, as their coach, I couldn’t be prouder particularly when factoring in last weeks hiding.

The team was under the pump from the word go stopping the opposition getting themselves behind us and thwarting raid after raid with the occasional glimpse of a counter-attack. This went on for about 25 minutes when Emily found Tash in space who set Adele free for a 40 metre run and a one on one with the goalie before slotting the ball for a 1-0 lead.

Springwood again piled on the pressure but now found themselves being put under the pump by constant counter attacking football which decompressed the field and opened up play. This however resulted in an equaliser 15 minutes before half time but the team kept attacking with more vigour. Rebecca and Alex were winning the ball in the centre of the park and a square ball from Taylor gifted Ash with some space and time to drill a second goal just before half time.

At half time I could finally address the girls and refine our play particularly the offside trap.

Team talk over game on.

For the better part of 25 minutes the game opened up and both sided counter attached and finally we copped a equalised while at the other end Adele and Ash hit the post twice and the keeper even more in one on one situations. Nevertheless the score remained 2-2 and with 10 minutes to go a cross found the hapless Bri on the arm resulting in an 11 metre. Liv who normally took them now had to defend one, but picked the wrong way and 3-2 it would stay. Unlucky. We had two more late raids but tired legs in a free flowing game took its toll and ultimately we fell short.

The bright side is that the girls took charge for themselves and their self belief was written all over their faces as they battled even when they went behind. It was a great game to be in the middle off but a little guidance from the side would certainly have read a different tale, I’m sure.

Match Report

Signs of the Phoenix rising from the ashes.

Hand balls in the box is the stuff of nightmares for a coach but more painful when it’s the coach having to give what would be the eventual winning penalty to the opposition. More about that later.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning when the team fronted for this week’s fixture against a team sharing the same points as us, so needless to say there was an opportunity for the team to show their metal after last week. Olivia was a real trooper leaving her death bed to don the goalies jersey and thereby handing a full squad plus the illusive sub so far this year for the coach’s disposal. Finally a team to shuffle on the side line or so it was thought.

A brief strategy discussion and warm up and the team was ready to go. With Liv between the sticks we played Meg as the one central defender and Rebecca as a forward sweeper and both were solid as during the whole game. Bri was moved to left back and Zoe to right back and both had an exceptional game in the unfamiliar positions. The problem came when there was no ref and no one to fill in so by agreement I relinquished the coaching role to referee, leaving an eerie silence on the sideline.

This meant the girls would need to sub themselves, sub to position, organise themselves as a defensive and in transition offensive unit, give instruction and communicate all without any guidance by the coach in the field. The girls showed maturity well beyond their years and resolve well beyond their playing years in the way they conducted and handled themselves and, as their coach, I couldn’t be prouder particularly when factoring in last weeks hiding.

The team was under the pump from the word go stopping the opposition getting themselves behind us and thwarting raid after raid with the occasional glimpse of a counter-attack. This went on for about 25 minutes when Emily found Tash in space who set Adele free for a 40 metre run and a one on one with the goalie before slotting the ball for a 1-0 lead.

Springwood again piled on the pressure but now found themselves being put under the pump by constant counter attacking football which decompressed the field and opened up play. This however resulted in an equaliser 15 minutes before half time but the team kept attacking with more vigour. Rebecca and Alex were winning the ball in the centre of the park and a square ball from Taylor gifted Ash with some space and time to drill a second goal just before half time.

At half time I could finally address the girls and refine our play particularly the offside trap.

Team talk over game on.

For the better part of 25 minutes the game opened up and both sided counter attached and finally we copped a equalised while at the other end Adele and Ash hit the post twice and the keeper even more in one on one situations. Nevertheless the score remained 2-2 and with 10 minutes to go a cross found the hapless Bri on the arm resulting in an 11 metre. Liv who normally took them now had to defend one, but picked the wrong way and 3-2 it would stay. Unlucky. We had two more late raids but tired legs in a free flowing game took its toll and ultimately we fell short.

The bright side is that the girls took charge for themselves and their self belief was written all over their faces as they battled even when they went behind. It was a great game to be in the middle off but a little guidance from the side would certainly have read a different tale, I’m sure.

Goal Scorers

Ash & Adele

Player of the Match

Rebecca