Bedlington Town Wildcats v North Shields

7 January 2012

It seems like a lot more than four weeks since we last played, but after a postponed game and the holiday period, we were at home to North Shields in the league. Shields are arguably the best team in the league, and we had a great game against them at the start of the season which ended four goals each (We were awarded the game 1 - 0 because of an admin error)

North Shields have conceded only five goals so far this season (including the one we were awarded for the win) and they have scored a hatful of goals, so we would need to be at our best to take anything from the game. We are capable of beating any team on our day even allowing for the difference in ages, size and strength against the other league teams and with only George missing from the squad, we were ready to blow away the cobwebs and run off the extra Christmas pud on a soft pitch (indeed a very clarty pitch in the goalmouths) and a fairly warm day (for January!!).

Monty sent out Moley in goal with Ellie in front of her as sweeper and Mazie, Amy and Erin making up the defence. Demi was centre midfield with Alice and Bella on the wings and Lauren up front. Caz was on the sideline waiting for her chance to get involved.

North Shields started the game on the front foot and Moley was quickly into action after a defensive mix up allowed a forward to sight goal and this early sniff at goal started a period of North Shields pressure when we were hardly able to get out of our own half. It was taking us a while to get into the game and it seemed like the lack of playing time over the last month was telling. With Monty encouraging (!), we gradually started to get into the game and although our first attack came to nothing, at least we were playing a bit further up the pitch in less dangerous areas. Our first real bit of positive football saw a great passing movement up field and it seemed that we were competing better and getting a bit more belief in ourselves.

This belief was dented when Ellie found herself exposed at the back and she was unable to prevent two forwards advancing on goal and they took advantage of the situation to open the scoring. We were almost immediately back on equal terms when Alice was able to find Lauren inside the goal area and she was able to take her time and slot the ball just inside the left hand post to equalise.

Alice again won the ball well down the right wing and got the ball to Lauren who saw her shot blocked and pushed away for a corner. The corner kick was sent to the far post and was just too high for a headed chance at goal. Then game was more even now and it was the turn of Demi to run with the ball at the North Shields defence to win a throw in. Lauren won another tussle and produced a great shot which the Shields 'keeper just managed to push over the crossbar for another corner. With our forward players becoming more prominent, the bigger North Shields defenders were coming under more pressure, but they always had an 'out ball' by kicking long to their forwards, and it was from one such kick that the second Shields goal was scored (probably against the run of play)

The game swung again and our defence was back under pressure. Erin lost her boot in clearing one attack before Moley was called upon again to clear and we were all pleased to see the ball cross the bye line for a goal kick to relieve the pressure. As the half was coming to an end, Ellie was replaced by Caz just before we conceded again when we were not strong enough in the tackle to get the ball from the oncoming North Shields forwards.

We were almost immediately further behind, but this time Moley was able to get to the ball first and clear the danger just as the whistle blew for the end of the first half.

It had been a difficult first half and the score line was a fair reflection on the play, but we had shown that we were capable of testing our opponents if we could get our passing game together and play with a bit more pace. The conditions underfoot were not the best for fast flowing attacking football, but the girls needed to push themselves just that little bit harder if we were to get anything from the game.

We began the second half with the same formation as finished the first, and almost got the half off to a flying start when Alice gathered the ball on her wing and sent a cross over which Demi caught on the volley, but sent the ball just over the bar for what would have been a fantastic goal. This was a great piece of skill and was well appreciated by the supporters of both teams. The ball was cleared up field by the North Shields girls and a shot smacked against Moley's cross bar and on to the waiting head of a forward player to put us three goals behind.

We were losing 1 - 4 and were being put under a lot of pressure; we were unable to get the ball out of our defensive areas for long as any relieving kick was soon returned as our midfield players were back helping out and were therefore not available to pick up the clearances. We managed to see out this constant pressure however without conceding further, and began to fight our way back into the game. Moley saved low down to her left and set up an attack from the clearance which Demi latched on to and produced a shot which the North Shields goalie was not able to gather properly and the ball slipped away from her and over the line for the second Wildcats goal.

We were back on the attack shortly after the re-start of the game when Bella was able to run with the ball down the left and shoot; although the shot was just wide of the goal, the goal keeper carried the ball over the line for a Wildcats corner which came to nothing. We were putting the 'keeper under a bit of pressure now and another Demi shot was parried by the goalie into the path of Lauren but she was off balance and unable to make anything of the chance.

The pressure did pay off however when Demi collected a pass from Bella and got behind the defenders and crossed the ball from the bye line to find Lauren who made no mistake and we were then only one goal behind.

The wind got up and the sun disappeared behind a cloud, reminding us that it was January.

The game was on a knife edge now and North Shields made a double substitution to bring on some fresh legs and try to apply more pressure on our defenders. Moley was called into action again and again, and we were fighting hard to stay in the game. Erin was on hand to break up a couple of chances down the North Shields right, when the ball was switched to their left wing and a speculative cross sailed over Moley's head and into our net off the far post. We deserved better luck than this, and it was compounded when a North Shields winger ran through our defence to give Moley no chance at all to score a fine goal.

For the first time in the game, it was looking as if we were going to lose only our second game of the season but we were not going to lie down and surrender. Bella collected a ball from Erin and ran to the edge of the box from where she found Demi who was able to take full advantage and score to get us back within touching distance. It was too late in the game however to push on looking for the two goals we needed to draw level and the final whistle blew to end the match with the score of Wildcats 4, North Shields 6.

North Shields girl of the game was Demi for her second half performance and that great attempt at goal from the volley just after half time

Monty's girl of the game was Erin for her performance at left back. She was out of position all match and stuck to her task well despite a lot of pressure.

Well done both of you.

Monty was very pleased with the way the girls performed in this match. Everyone worked hard and we played some very good football. The North Shields coach was also complimentary, suggesting that if both of our teams can beat the Pumas, then we could all tie for top spot in the league at the end of the season and that would be a great achievement.

We can take a lot of positives from this match; we were not at our best and still managed to give North Shields a good game; in the league, North Shields have conceded only nine goals in their twelve matches and we have scored five of these (actually we have scored eight of the twelve they have conceded when taking the correct score from the last game into consideration); we seemed to get better as the game wore on; we are not intimidated by bigger and stronger girls; we do not give up and……………….we have a great group of girls.

We remain in second place in the league on equal points with North Shields and six points behind Monty Pumas who we are not due to play until 3 March (but this is likely to be postponed due to three Wildcats being away on a school trip), after next weeks game against Alnwick and then the derby match against the Tigers the week after, we should have got back into winning ways.

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