But spare a thought for poor Lindsay Vaughan, who spent the last half an hour of the game laying under a pile of coats, trying to keep warm on a bitterly cold afternoon, with a suspected broken arm. After she had fallen heavily on her elbow on a hard surface. It would seem if you need the use of an ambulance in this neck of the woods, you need to book it several days in advance. Thankfully Lindsay’s injury wasn’t quite as serious as it originally looked, but she’ll be out of action and wearing a sling for a while. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from everyone who knows you at Staveley Miners Welfare FC, take care Lindsay.
With prolific striker Carly Rowlands out of action today, a reshuffle of the pack was required … but Staveley still came flying out of the blocks as per usual and inside the opening two minutes,
Lauren Hardy picked her run through a gap in the United defence and drilled the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out.
The Community Ladies had lost 16-0 last week against Oughtibridge, but said that they hadn’t fielded a full team and that “five of the goals had been offside!”. Today they definitely had a full compliment of players, including four first teamers who had been drafted in to bolster their line up.
Those senior players definitely gave Staveley’s defence a few problems to solve at times, but the Welfare Ladies went toe to toe with them and emerged with the spoils. Sasha Lowe forced a corner down the right flank and took a short one to Billie Gordon who turned and shot, but saw her effort cleared off of the line.
Lowe bustled her way into the box through the right channel and saw her cross / shot bounce wide of the left hand post. Karla Burton came close to doubling Staveley’s advantage, when her volley from the edge of the post was tipped around the post by the Blades keeper.
A trademark long throw in from Jade Tollerfield, was flicked on by Anya Taylor into the path of Billie Gordon, but the keeper was positioned well to block the shot.
Lorna Wakem in goal, ran from her line to block the angle as United counter attacked, the Blades number 19 lobbed the ball over her but a combination of a slashed shot, a strong wind and a huge slice of luck saw the ball go harmlessly wide. Phew!
Coran Wright battled her way down the right flank and swung in across that caused chaos in the United ranks as Gordon saw another effort cleared off the line. Lowe’s shot was turned behind at the expense of a corner, that Burton picked out Tollerfield with, but the midfield livewire headed just wide of the upright.,
In the 42nd minute, Gordon fed a slide rule pass into Lowe out on the right hand side of the area, Sasha squared the ball to Burton who teed the ball up perfectly for Lowe to finish from close range.
Half Time Sheffield United Community Ladies 0-2 Staveley
Business as usual at the start of the second half as Staveley got stuck into their hosts in an attempt to consolidate their lead. Billie Gordon, who undoubtedly has got the talent to play at an higher level, rode two challenges but put her shot wide of the post.
One of the home sides ‘guest’ first teamers, thumped a shot against the cross bar, but Lorna and her defence were digging in and defending resolutely. United’s keeper came to the rescue when Sasha Lowe left her marker flat footed and got through into the 18 yard box, yet again.
Sadly, play was held up for around 15 minutes, while the Staveley management team and her concerned team mates, did all they could to help their injured team mate Lindsay Vaughan. When play did resume, their were some visibly shaken players out on the pitch, from both sides. But Staveley still finished the game on top and with a bit of a flourish.
Sam Kirk in particular was pulling the home side defence all over the place out on the left flank. The first effort she had went straight to the keeper who saved easily, but having worked out her range, Kirk cut in past the Blades right back and she finished well from just inside the box, 0-3 and game over on 76 minutes.
Sasha Lowe, soon to be unavailable because she is getting married during the football season, almost added another goal in the last minute when the lively Kirk, broke down the left flank again and played a square pass across the box.
But the Sheffield side held on and at full time the score was:
Sheff Utd Community Ladies 0 v Staveley MW Ladies 3
A work(wo)manlike shift today, where the SMWFC Ladies showed they had goals in them from all quarters. Every single one of them did the football club proud today :-)
