Last weekend’s defeat at home to Euxton was a distant memory as we started arriving at The County Ground for this one today – and thankfully the weather was a whole lot better than it had been all week. Today’s visitors were to be Fleetwood Town Wrens Development and both sides knew that a win today would see the victors finish the day above their opponents – so there was a lot at stake here. The pitch had held up well at Radcliffe Road and as both teams started their warm-up’s, there was a confident mood emulating throughout the Darcy Lever skies…
County started the game well and created a number of half-chances that on a different day would have all ended up in the back of the net. We were passing the ball well and that meant that the visitors had to work overtime to cover all the spaces we were opening up. They did threaten on the break though but we were defending stoutly and the back four simply wouldn’t let them through. However it was the team from Fleetwood that took the lead – with a somewhat fortuitous goal that would never have been allowed had the referee seen it. A ball into our box caused a melee of players to go for it – but what the match official didn’t see was an away player off the field of play come back on and when she received the ball, she was clearly in an offside position. The whistle didn’t blow though – and she slotted the ball home. 0-1 and with our players looking somewhat dumbfounded, we had to get back into the swing of things pretty quickly now…
Despite the setback, the girls in dark blue kept working hard and we were so unlucky not to draw level when Beth received the ball about 20 yards from goal, turned her marker and let fly with a great effort – that the Fleetwood No.1 was equal to and she got across to make a fine save. Evidence that we could get back into this if we really, really wanted to…
But from yet another mass collection of bodies in our penalty area, the visitors doubled their lead when the ball once again fell to their striker who appeared to be standing at least a yard offside. We did have chances to clear it but by the time we reacted, the girl in red had slotted it low and hard into the back of our net. Being behind was bad enough – but the two goals we’d conceded could both have been avoidable. 0-2 and we had work to do now…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY WOMEN 0-2 Fleetwood Town Wrens Development
The pep-talk at the break was all positive – as the Management team rallied their troops and reminded them that all of the real goalscoring chances had come from us. Sure – we had let in two goals that hurt – but there was more than enough quality in that changing room to pull this back. Keep doing the right things and working hard and when the chances came, we just had to put them away. The girls agreed – and as they gulped their drinks and re-filled their lungs with air – they got themselves ready for a really important 45 minutes…
And my word did our girls respond! As soon as the whistle went to re-start proceedings, we were quickly out of the traps and straight at them. And within 5 minutes of the second-half starting, we had halved the deficit. Kelly Brady had won the ball and played an excellent slide-rule pass straight into the path of our Amelia who set off like a greyhound to race clear and slam the ball home into the far corner of the Fleetwood net. 1-2 and as her team-mates rushed to congratulate her, she knew that could be a crucial goal…
We began to dominate possession of the football now and we were peppering their goal with shots on target. So it was no surprise when we did level the scores – and what a goal it was! Some superb passing through the midfield saw us with until the precise moment in time to find Faye in space in their box and she did the rest – jinxing past their defender to stroke the ball home from about 10 yards out! We had done it! We had pulled this back! And now it was time to go for the winner. 2-2…
All the momentum was with us now and Beth was so unlucky not to score when firstly she hammered a shot towards the top corner – only to see their keeper once again come from nowhere to keep it out – and then she had a good header that was cleared before it went in. We were definitely on top now and the faithful County fans were showing their appreciation…
And then it came. All of the pressure finally told when we were awarded a free-kick about 30 yards from goal and Becci Grimshaw went across to take it. She floated it in inch-perfectly to see Faye rise like a salmon to plant her header hard and fast past their No.1 – who had no chance of keeping it out. What a turnaround! From 0-2 down we were now 3-2 up – and this was all about game management now…
Going behind stung the visitors back into action though and they started to up the tempo in an effort not to lose this game. Becky in our net made a couple of world-class saves to keep us in front though and as the minutes ticked away, the home fans started to really believe. But even our Becky couldn’t stop them equalising – because it was a strike that was worthy of a point every day of the week. The Fleetwood player picked her spot from about 15 yards out – and arrowed the ball home past our Becky’s desperate attempt to stop it. 3-3 and it was all-square again…
County were not done yet though and continued searching for a winner – going so close on a couple of occasions as well. Our forward play was really good today and when we did get the ball up there, we had given the Wrens defenders things to think about all game. There was a sad ending to the game though as our Becky suffered what looked like a nasty injury and we really hope that she’s back between those posts before too long. The time simply ran out on this one though and when the referee decided that he had seen enough and blew for full-time, it was a share of the spoils for both sides and in truth, that was probably fair. The handshakes were done with pride and as both teams left the field of play, they were rightly rewarded with a generous round of applause. That had been a great game out there…
As the girls came in, they were patted on the back by the coaches for their efforts out there – and coming back from 0-2 down at half-time is something they should be proud of. Sure – we could have taken all three points in the end – but we would have been happy with one at the break. Faye Whittaker was awarded the Girl of the Game for leading the line well and using all of her experience to bag a brace – but each and every one of them can be proud of their efforts today. We know we are…
Next week sees us at home again – this time welcoming struggling Morecambe Ladies Development to Radcliffe Road – so we’d love to see as many of you there as possible cheering us on. Who knows? We might make it more comfortable viewing for you next week. That was nerve-jangling stuff out there today wasn’t it?
#UpTheCounty!
