Unlike last week the ladies had a full complement of players
and even some substitutes to call on. sadly none of those available were
recognised goal keepers and even central defender Carly Charlesworth who has
taken one for the team by playing between the sticks on a few occasions this
season was missing due to a family illness so it was down to “fourth choice”
‘keeper another central defender Kirsty Woolley to reluctantly pull on the
gloves, for this game against Sheffield Rangers who sit one place above Staveley
in the table but 8 points clear....
Trouble with the one way system and the sat nav confusing
street layout in Oughtibridge meant that most of the Staveley Miners Welfare
Ladies fans (including yours truly) arrived twenty minutes after kick off which
almost certainly were the best twenty minutes of the season, but luckily the
scores were still tied at 0-0.
This is the left you want and i'm still not having it that block paving is an acceptable material to use on a proper road ;)
After half an hour Sasha Lowe broke down the right hand side
and found Gina Benjamin who won a throw in off a Rangers defender, from that
throw-in Karla Burton swung in a cross with her trusty left foot which just
went out of the reach of Carly Rowlands.
Rowlands was theny the victim and then beneficiary of some
dubious offside decisions but to be fair to the referee who was actually a
Sheffield Rangers official / fan who had reluctantly taken up the whistle,
without assistants they are impossible to get 100% right and the one that was
given as offside looked on as Rowlands was about to race onto Gina Benjamins pass,
and on the one that wasn’t given she looked a mile off but in any case Rangers
regained possession and broke at speed through the middle only to be thwarted
by an onrushing Kirsty Woolley who got down well to smother the through ball.
HT: Sheffield Rangers 0 – 0 Staveley MW Ladies
What was seen of the first half gave hope for a decent
result and the ladies started the second half well, with Karla Burton breaking
down the left but with there was no one in the box to finish her cross and
Sasha Lowe fell victim to another offside decision that would require several
replays to prove.
Rangers had their chances though and Kirsty Woolley superbly
tipped a shot over the bar for a corner which was eventually cleared by Gina
Benjamin and was on hand again just a few minutes later to flick a freekick from
outside the box onto the bar and was fouled in follow up.
Not long after, Carly Rowlands turned on halfway to ping a
ball over the top of the defence which just skipped off the surface and into
the arms of the home sides ‘keeper as Gina Benjamin was about to pounce. And by
now Anya Taylor in her first game since before Christsmas was on the field and
her presence in midfield allowed the Staveley Ladies to surge forward knowing
that the centre of the park was safe in her hands.
And with twenty minutes remaining they got the break through,
Gina Benjamin went back then forward outfoxing her marker and clipped an inch
perfect ball over the top for Carly Rowlands and she just got to it before the
onrushing ‘keeper who was left stranded. Rowlands though still had a lot to do
as covering defenders blocked her path to goal and her shot cannoned off one of
those defenders but fell nicely to Karla Burton who made no mistake from six
yards out…
Sheffield Rangers 0 – 1 Staveley MW Ladies
The home side committed players forward in their attempt to
get an equaliser but they left themselves open at the back and Gina Benjamin
received the ball from a throw-in won after an
excellent run out of defence from Elle Johnson and sent Carly Rowlands
through on goal where she stabbed Staveley into a two goal lead, with the
‘keeper routed to the spot. Which made things a little bit more comfortable
with ten minutes still left on the clock.
Sheffield Rangers 0 – 2 Staveley MW Ladies
If it wasn’t over by then It certainly was five minutes from
the end when Anya Taylor sent Carly Rowlands through again with the same ball
but this time she slotted it under the onrushing ‘keeper.
FT: Sheffield Rangers 0 – 3 Staveley MW Ladies
Starters: Kirsty Woolley, Laura Poole, Danielle Taylor,
Teresa Oliver, Cheryl Smith, Georgia Lowe, Carly Rowlands ,Elle Johnson, Sam
Kirk, Gina Benjamin, Karla Burton.
Rolling Subs (all used): Anya Taylor, Leanne Millington,
Laurie Summers, Sasha Lowe.
Elsewhere in the division “game of the day” saw the two top
sides in the division Beighton Magpies and Dronfield Town take a point each
drawing 3-3 at Stonelow Road. That result sees the magpies still at the top but
being just three points in front and
having played three games mre than their championship rivals it’s hard to see
them staying there.
Dronfield will be pushed all the way by Sheffield Wednesday
Reserves who having only played one game up until Christmas seem to be getting
the fixtures played now and are 100% with five wins from five so the games
between the two clubs on 27th March and 4th April will go
a long way to deciding the outcome of this seasons division one title race.
Staveleys next game is at home against Beighton Magpies on
the 20th March.
