A Word from the Zak!! - Women's Football Academy Round Up

Hartpury’s 3 and a half hour journey was made even longer when halfway Worthing received a phone call asking if they had a spare kit for the visitors as someone had manage to pick up the wrong kit back leaving Hartpury with no kit. Worthing could provide 14 shirts but did not have shorts or socks meaning the Hartpury bus had to divert to sports direct.

This in mind, the opposition turned up only 20 minutes before kick-off but were still ready to go on time. Worthing settled straight in to the game, with Hartpury struggling to come to grips with the sheer size of the pitch. Worthing moved the ball neatly from side to side waiting to penetrate and using the full width of the pitch. Worthing broke the deadlock not long after starting with a cross shot from the right hand side being pounced on my Amy Potkins who only needed one touch to neatly finish into the top corner from the edge of the area. 1-0.

Worthing were now into their rhythm and doubled their lead when Lucy Somes was played through and calmly moved the ball onto her right foot before slotting the ball passed the keeper. 2-0. Worthing were making Hartpury work very hard off the ball and were almost faultless at the back with Lauren Binfield not having to make a save in the first half.

Worthing were gifted their third goal which pretty much killed off Hartpury with only 30 minutes played. Naomi Robinson’s speculative effort from 25 yards was kindly dropped into the net by the stand in Hartpury keeper. This was the start to a good day for Robinson who was recently chosen to go to the England Colleges Training Camp. 3-0. Worthing finished off the half with a fourth again from the Worthing right winger. Robinson jinked passed a winger before striking goal wards the keepers parry fell straight back to the feet of Robinson who passed the ball into the net. 4-0.

The word at half time was to not let Hartpury off the hook and to not take our foot off the pedal. A Binfield clean sheet was on the agenda of things to keep hold of. But in typical Worthing fashion this is exactly what they did, only 5 minutes into the second half a straight long ball over the top of the defence was all that was needed to get the Hartpury striker in on goal and she put the ball passed Binfield and gave Hartpury a lease of life. 4-1.

Worthing were still comfortably in control of the game and conceding just woke them up again as they started to ease off. Worthing had put together some well-crafted attacks with Sophie Frost at the centre of almost all of them and again neat football saw Somes put through only to be chopped down by the full back who had got on the wrong side. At exactly the same end and ground that Robinson missed her last penalty, she passed up the opportunity for a hat-trick to let Danni Lane step up, she comfortably slotted the ball home and Worthing were back in the ascendency. 5-1.

The Worthing manager then decided to rest players; Lane who is just back from a shoulder injury was replaced by Chloe Lamley, and Somes who had a game for Brighton that evening was replaced by Stacey-Leigh Johnson with Meg Cave moving into midfield. With this re-shuffle came a bit of confusion at the back at times with Fleur Charman and Johnson not quite on the same wave length, and the Worthing midfield became a bit lazy but they were still in control.

The spectators were then treated to what can easily be described as one of the best goals this season and a fine way to top off a hat-trick. Robinson who had been moved to the left hand side when Chloe Debaes had gone off early in the game, picked the ball up by the halfway line and travelled infield as well as forward, from 30 yards she hit and absolute screamer which curled away from the goalkeeper and in to the far top corner. 6-1.

The scoring was completed when Jemma Kendall put Robinson through on goal who smashed the ball into the back of the net to celebrate her 4th goal of the game. 7-1. Worthing then had to defend quite a bit for the last 15 minutes of the game but by this time were happy with the performance and result which got them back on track in the ECFA league after not playing in that league for quite a while due to cup games.
Worthing were really impressive in this game and have started to up their standards in the last couple of games after a bit of a dry patch. Worthing face Priory next week in a must win match in the ECFA league to start to secure second place behind an impressive Filton side, who Worthing face on the 9th march in the greatly anticipated national semi-final.

Player of the Match – Naomi Robinson, it would seem harsh not to give it to the winger who ended the game with four of Worthing’s seven goals. She worked tirelessly and this week was rewarded for her efforts. If she can keep up this form then she will be a danger to any team, especially whilst scoring goals like her third today.

Zaki