North Shields v Bedlington Town Wildcats

20 September 2011

After the disappointment of the Pumas game, we were back in action three days later against a North Shields side which had won their under 12s league the previous season, winning all of their games into the bargain. So far this season North Shields had scored 48 goals in their three games and had conceded none, so it would be a good test for our girls on a pleasant evening with little or no wind and ideal footballing conditions.

Mazie was not available for the game, but the rest of the girls were there including Lauren and Alice who had done very well in the Junior Great North Run the previous Saturday and another player with a painful foot who was willing to play through the agony!

Before the game, Monty had decided to set up the girls in a slightly different formation in an attempt to counter the strength of North Shields, with two diamonds playing in front of Moley. The defensive diamond was made up of Ellie as sweeper with Caz and George as full backs and Amy (captain for the evening) sitting in front of them. The attacking diamond had Erin at the back of it, Demi and Bella on the wings and Lauren as centre forward. Alice was held on the sideline for the start of the match.

The game started with a Wildcats kick off and we were straight on the attack with Bella winning a corner which was cleared as far as Caz who saw her shot saved and the ball was cleared. We then won a second corner which again was cleared, but this was an encouraging start, especially when Lauren collected the ball on the left wing and her shot was good enough to beat the North Shields 'keeper to put us in the lead.

This shock to the North Shields system, seemed to galvanise them into a period of attacking play which first of all required some strong defending by George and then a long range shot was very well pushed over the bar by an acrobatic Moley. Two North Shields corners followed, the second of which was headed well clear by Erin who was back helping out her defence. We were defending well as a team and there was always the threat of very quick counter attacks by our girls which meant that North Shields could not throw everyone forward for fear of being caught on the break.

We were being entertained by some good football from both sides when North Shields got the reward for their pressing by scoring from a corner to level things up. Moley was then unlucky to see a parried clearance fall to an opposing forward who was able to shoot into the Wildcats net. From being one goal to the good, we were now trailing by the odd goal in three in a very short period of time.

Wildcats heads did not go down at this point and although a lot of the play was in our half of the pitch, we were still dangerous with the speed of our forward players being a constant threat and this was very well illustrated when Lauren latched on to a goalkeeping fumble to force the ball over the line for our equalising goal.

The game continued to be played at a blistering pace with end to end football and a lot of skill and determination from both teams. Two consecutive North Shields corners were defended well then Demi took the ball down the right wing with opponents left in her wake before the ball was won back and returned to our half again with Ellie in the thick of things to break up another attack. It was Bellas turn to show a clean pair of heals down the left and she won a corner for her efforts. This corner was met by a very strong header from Demi which flew into the net with the goalie helpless to do anything about it; Wildcats were in the lead again by 3 - 2 and it was an excellent goal which drew very appreciative applause from the whole crowd.

We were fighting hard to hold on to this slender lead and Moley was forced into a couple of saves before Demi produced another good run and crossed the ball for Lauren whose shot was deflected away for a corner which was subsequently headed off the line at the end of some good Wildcats pressure. We continued to push forward and the half came to an end as Bella lobbed the ball once again into the North Shields net to increase the lead to 4 - 2 when the whistle blew for the end of a very good half of football contested by two teams who were prepared to work hard and fight hard for supremacy.

For the start of the second half, Alice came on in place of Erin in a straight swap and we won an early corner and then another excellent bit of wing play by both Demi and Bella saw a centre headed wide by Lauren at the end of a good flowing move.

North Shields were soon back on the attack, (not being used to being matched on a football pitch) but again the sweeper system worked to our advantage when Ellie was on hand again to snuff out the threat. We were having to defend for longer periods and the defence was being strengthened by Amy taking a slightly deeper position, when first a Shields forward shot wide of our goal from a good position and then we were relieved to see a shot come back off the post with Moley beaten. The pressure was relieved for a short time when Bella was able to collect, run and win a corner. The corner was well defended and this then allowed a North Shields defender to run almost the length of the pitch with the ball at her feet, and to finish off this run with a fine shot to reduce the arrears; this was another excellent goal well appreciated by the spectators who were enjoying a well fought game between two well matched teams.

Erin was re-introduced in place of the hard working Amy and this co-incided with another period of Wildcat pressure, before the scores were levelled following a fairly scrappy goal which was forced over our goal line in the increasing murk as we were now playing well after sun set and it was getting darker by the minute.

Both teams were now trying to win the game and after another Demi shot, we thought we had won when Erin just managed to get something onto a cross but her effort was agonisingly over the bar.

Amy was brought back into the fight in place of Caz

Alice and Demi combined only to be thwarted by the off side trap; George set up another Wildcats attack; a North Shields counter attack was saved very well by Moley; Wildcats were back on the front foot with some good pressure; North Shields attacked again, and again Ellie was there to stop their progress; Everyone was in our goal area for a couple of North Shields corners and they then shot over the bar with only Moley to beat, phew!!!!!

What a nervous last few minutes for both teams and sets of supporters with opportunities at both ends to win the game being squandered or well defended. it was almost too dark to play when the final whistle blew to end a most enjoyable game with honours even at 4 - 4. The girls were given a very good reception at the end of the game from everyone involved. It had been a hard but fair encounter between two teams looking to gain the advantage, and at the end of the day a draw was a fair result.

North Shields awarded girl of the game to Demi for her non stop running and controlled wing play, and Monty's girl of the game was given to Ellie for her determination and fearless display at the back of our defence.

Each one of the girls performed well in the game and while there were errors at times, these only added to the excitement. Wildcats had done something which no team had accomplished for over a year by preventing another North Shields victory and this is the sort of performance we can take a lot of pride in and it should encourage us for the rest of the season.

What an excellent evenings entertainment, thank you again girls and we can all look forward to next Saturday when we are at home to Alnwick.