Banter with Bridges - Week 6

Southfields 1 Worthing College 6

Worthing arrived in South London with not much knowledge of the opposition and only knowing that they were playing in the Chelsea third strip. After a walk from the changing rooms, over a fence and across the road to the pitch, the girls came to find the state of the pitch slightly beyond be-leaf! The girls were chatty and bouncy during the warm up but perhaps could have concentrated more rather than watching the other team warm up and let complacency kick in.

It was a very scrappy start to the game with the main battle coming from the middle of midfield and being won early by the hard working Southfields midfield. The entertainment was mainly provided by a by-passing lorry which had to try and avoid the ball that had been kicked over the fence and into the road; this all ended in a loud bang and with the ball in pieces but kept the spectators amused during a dull period of the game. But after Naomi Robinson began to get on top of the Southfields left back and Worthing started to battle a bit harder, Amy Potkins opened the scoring after leaving her marker for dead to score what was a very well taken goal.

This in no way lifted Worthing and very much lifted the opposition, apart from a few dangerous moments provided by the Worthing wide players, the game was being controlled and played at a Southfields tempo, Worthing were looking complacent and slightly lazy, but just on the stroke of half time, Chloe Debaes steamed away from the defence and finished well.
2-0 Half time.

Worthing were told at the break to learn that teams weren’t just going to roll over because individually they were not as good as them and effort was just as important as ability, so with a slight reshuffle they took to the field and played with a bit more conviction. And with this came the third goal when Danni Lane slipped through Maddy Emmerton who scored her 5th goal of the campaign. This goal seemed to make Worthing think the tie was over and Southfields hit back strong and if a brave bit of goalkeeping from Lauren Binfield to stop the Southfields striker in her tracks wasn’t enough of a warning, then the goal certainly was. Worthing missed several opportunities to clear the ball, and a shot from outside the area was parried by Binfield with only the Southfields striker reacting and with 4 Worthing defenders standing and admiring the finish. 3-1.
Worthing were not to be caught again and conceding the goal spurred them into life. With Danni Lane and Meg Cave now in the middle of midfield, Worthing were starting to dominate the game, and were helped put the game out of sight by a distraught Southfields defender. After a Debaes effort was parried by the keeper the defender managed to slot the ball into the bottom corner whilst trying to clear her lines. 4-1.

And if that goal was enough to put the game out of sight then another gifted goal was to come soon after. A Naomi Robinson free-kick was spilt into the Southfields net by their keeper to make it 5-1.

The game had started to lose its tempo at this point as Southfields looked beaten and Worthing were just pressing for more goals, there was a last goal in the game for newly 18 and hidden pop sensation Emily ‘Power’ Hale as she volleyed home from the edge of the area to round off the game.

Final Score 6-1.

Player of the Match – Chloe Debaes, came on and did not stop working the whole time she was on the pitch, scored a good goal at a crucial time before half time and held the ball up very well.