Women's Division 1 Match Report
Sunday, August 03, 2008 v Metro @ Lightwood Park
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sarah Cretu 2 Imogen Willis 2 Robyn McCarthy |
Match report :
After last week's washout, I was looking forward to this game at Lightwood, with the 2s playing in front of us, and several players being given an opportunity at our top level.
Jasmine was returning for her second stint and Kirsten, Laura and Hannah were having their first runs with the senior side.
A strange player drought, where only 29 out of 49 registered players were available for the three teams, meant a lot of doubling up - Robyn, Hannah, Laura, Kirsten, Camilla, Emma, Grace and Lilly all played two games on the day.
After refereeing the 2s to their umpteenth 1 goal loss for the year (they are sooo close to being a top 3 side), I got to address an amazingly young side. The squad, in ages, went 33, 19, 18 (x3), 17, 16 (x7), 15 (x2) - average 17.7. As I said to them, it was going to be hard to define our playing style to a team that was full of newcomers. Basically, I asked them to play a possession game.
Now, our opposition were undermanned and not very strong, but the way we played was just beautiful. We played sensible passes and did heaps of running off the ball in order to put the opposition under pressure.
Jasmine and Sarah C quickly got on the board with two goals each, with Sarah T controlling the midfield. Hannah took 10 minutes to get into the game, and then starting dominating on the left wing - it was a real shame she had to go early. Then we starting the revolving door subs....
The second half saw no scoring for about 20 minutes, before the floodgates opened and we piled on another 4. Camilla was given free rein to attack from the backline, and Robyn was looking constantly dangerous up front. Jasmine got a third, Robyn got one and Imogen slotted two away. Lilly (now in goals) played on the halfway line (with my blessing).
And we kept playing a controlled passing game.
Our future is here. All the young players showed they are capable of playing well at this level. Next year we'll move up to Premier League. Sure, we won't win 8-0, but we need a challenge to throw at this talented, exciting, exuberant squad.
Bring it on...