The Staveley ladies took part in an entertaining game away
at Phoenix Park the home of table topping Dinnington Town Ladies.
Dinnington got things underway kicking towards the
bowling green end of the ground and held most of the early possession. Their play
though did not resemble a side that are top of the league and still in the
league cup and Lorna Wakem in goal for Staveley was able to deal with
everything thrown at her, and five or so minutes in Staveley began to get a
foothold in the game with the front two of Lauren Hardy and Carly Rowlands
aided and abetted by Leanne Millington and Karla Burton in midfield were causing
no end of problems for the home side...
...Burton threatened down the left before being fouled and then
Leanne Millington fed Carly Rowlands who dinked a ball over the top of the
defence for Lauren Hardy to chase but Hannah Jasper in goal for the home side
came out to claim.
Dinningtons main threat all afternoon came from Dawn Cripps
and she showed exactly why she is up at the top of the scoring charts this
season in the eighth minute when she broke the offside trap and raced clear
only to be thwarted by some great defensive covering from Kirsty Woolley.
That warning was not heeded however and just two minutes
later Cirpps was not to be denied...she got the benefit of the doubt from the
referee who had no assistants to help with the offside decisions and a long
ball forward bounced nicely for her to volley over the onrushing Lorna Wakem who
had no option but to come out to narrow the goal.
Dinnngton L 1 – 0 Staveley MWL
Staveley soon went back on the attack and this time it was
Laura Poole who found Lauren Hardy with her back to goal, she turned and
knocked a through ball to Carly Rowlands who unfortunately found herself the wrong
side of the defender who got in front of her and the ball and was able to
shield it back to Hannah Jasper in goal.
Much as the attacking play was now being done by Staveley
they still had to be alert to the danger that Dawn Cripps posed and Lorna Wakem
did well in the 11th minute coming out to smoother a shot from
Cripps which crept wide.
Ten minutes after Carly Rowlands had a shout for a penalty
when she was collected by Hannah Jasper after sidestepping the ‘keeper
following a through ball from Karla Burton, Dinnington extended their lead when
a shot from an impossible angle on the byline hit the outside of the post and
landed kindly for Gemma Garbett to lash home.
Just before halftime Carly Rowlands had a golden opportunity
to reduce the arrears as she was put clear one on one with the ‘keeper by a
ball over the top from Leanne Millington. Rowlands however perhaps had too much
time to think about where she was going to put it and blazed over – she has
been top scorer though for the past few seasons so we’ll allow her that one.
Ht:Dinnngton L 2 – 0 Staveley MWL
Sasha Lowe returned to the field after time away from football
(becoming a parent) and her return gave the Staveley Ladies that extra bit of
quality and seemed to lift the whole team, and for pretty much all of the
second half the ball only went in one direction.
Straight away she slipped past the left back but her cross
was cut out by the centre back, and then after Lauren Hardy flicked a ball into her path she
strode into the box and fired a shot across goal which was well saved by Hannah
Jasper.
Just after the hour Lauren Hardy hit a hopeful looking long
range effort on goal which Hannah Jasper juggled and nearly dropped right at
the feet of Sasha Lowe but she was able to hang on… Just.
Dawn Cripps was now a relative passenger thanks mainly to
Kirsty Woolleys defensive work and as Staveley, who by now were down to the
bare bones having lost Danielle Taylor and Laura Poole to injury, piled forward,
a goal to bring them right back into contention would follow…
With 12 minutes left Karla Burton had similar chance to
Dinningtons first goal but she volleyed over but in the 80th minute she
hit a sublime left footed freekick from wide right which looped high and over
Hannah Jasper, dropping nicely in at the far post.
Dinnington Town L 2 – 1 Staveley MWL
The momentum was certainly with Staveley and in the 83rd
minute a penalty claim which looked every inch the proverbial “Stonewall” when
Hannah Jasper came out to claim a through ball to Karla Burton from Carly
Rowlands, flattening Burton in the process, was turned down.
A last minute corner was smashed straight into the mixer but
it just wouldn’t drop for Staveley and in the end they got nothing out of a
game that had all those little things you need to go your way fell into place
would have won by 3 or 4.
FT:Dinnington Town L 2 – 1 Staveley MWL
Team: Lorna Wakem, Teresa Oliver, Lauren Hardy, Kirsty
Woolley, Carly Rowlands, Georgia Lowe, Leanne Millington, Laura Poole, Karla
Burton, Danielle Taylor, Cheryl Smith.
Rolling Subs: Sasha Lowe, Ele Johnson.
