Having suffered reversals in our previous three games – conceding 19 and only scoring 5 – it was a great feeling to be back at The County Ground and preparing for the next instalment of the County Women’s season. This afternoon saw us hosting our old friends from Blackburn Community Women’s Reserves and having trained well in the week, the girls were definitely up for this one. The weather had held out and although a bit grey, it was a good afternoon for a game of football – so as the players and the supporters started arriving, there was a cracking atmosphere around Radcliffe Road before kick-off…
With the women warmed up and getting themselves ready, the coaches’ message was simple. Get back to doing what we are good at – working hard for each other, passing the ball well and making sure that when the chances came, we made them count. So with those words still ringing in their ears, they were quickly out onto the field of play and with a sharp intake of breath, the referee blew his whistle to start proceedings…
And right from the off, the County women showed they meant business – because within a minute we were really unfortunate not to take the lead. The ball was fed through the gap and there was our Faye to slam her shot goal-wards – only to be thwarted by the Blackburn keeper low to her left. From that moment on we were creating chance after chance – but a mixture of some inspired goalkeeping and some snatching at opportunities meant that we couldn’t break the deadlock – and as the minutes went by, nerves started appearing. This in turn led to some rushed passes and although we were still dominating in the good areas, we just couldn’t get off the mark. As as the half-time break approached, it looked like we were going to go in level – but our Amelia had other ideas about that! She had received the ball out wide and as she dropped her shoulder and cut inside her marker, she lofted a great cross in – that evaded everybody including the Blackburn No.1 and ended up dropping in the back of her net. At last! Our dominance had paid dividends somewhat fortuitously but that never matters in football. The important thing at the end of any game is the score-line and for now it was 1-0 to County. We were off and running…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY WOMEN 1-0 Blackburn Community Women Reserves
The girls came in and despite being in front, they all knew that this game could be over already. All we needed to do was relax, keep plugging away and making sure that when the chances arrived, we tucked them away. We had done everything right so far apart from put that ball away so if we could change that, then there were three points here that would be staying in Bolton. The girls gulped their drinks, refilled their lungs with the fresh Darcy Lever air (!) and before we knew it, they were back out there ready to go again…
But right from the re-start it was clear that the visitors had received a stern talking-to from their coaches and they seemed to regroup and came out looking for a quick return to parity. And that duly came when a good move through their midfield saw the ball fed into their striker Millie Riley and she managed to squeeze her shot past our Becky from close range. All that hard graft in the first 45 minutes – and we were back all-square. 1-1 and it was Game On again…
There was no need for panic though because right from the kick-off, we were back in front! The game re-started and Amelia was put through from the right. She took control of the ball and although the angle was tight, she produced a marvellous finish to put us back in the lead. 2-1 and hopefully that goal would enable us to settle down on the ball and play our stuff now…
We did settle down and the confidence in our players began to shine through – as we were now playing in a more assured manner, with better possession of the football and some good flowing moves happening all over the pitch. That said, we were really grateful for Becky in goal as she superbly tipped a great effort from Blackburn over her bar from about 20 yards. A stunning save and the home supporters made sure our No.1 knew about it…
That save was made to seem even more crucial when only minutes later we increased our lead. We had won the ball well in the middle and some neat inter-linking saw it sprayed into the feet of our Amelia and in the hot vein of form she is, we all knew what was going to happen next. She waited for their keeper to come out to narrow the angle – and simply played it through her legs and into the back of their net. Our Amelia’s hat-trick and more importantly, we had a cushion to defend now. 3-1 County…
Despite being two goals behind, the visitors had not come here to simply make up the numbers – and they continued to threaten us whenever they could. But some solid defending from our backline was stopping them in their tracks and all over the park, the County girls were playing their part in this performance. And we soon grabbed our fourth goal of the game when a great move saw the run of Faye on the left and as she took hold of it, she looked up and cracked a stunning shot at goal that ended up nestling in the far corner and gave their keeper no chance of stopping it. That was 4-1 now and surely the points were going onto our tally now. Her team-mates rushed to congratulate her and the look in her wry smile showed that she knew how good a finish that one was. 4-1…
We were starting to knock the ball around with panache now and although they were behind, credit must go to today’s opponents as they never gave up and continued to fight until the final whistle. But the quality was in the team in blue and when we scored our fifth, it probably caused the biggest cheer of the afternoon. Faye had took hold of the ball and spotting the run of Beth, she unselfishly fed it into her path – and Beth did the rest by smashing the ball towards goal, hitting the underside of the bar before landing in the back of the Blackburn net. Her first goal for County and surely that was that. 5-1 and we were flying now…
The scoring had ended there either. Because there was still time for Faye to grab her second – and our sixth – of the game when the ball was played through to her and as their keeper rushed out to try and get there first, our Faye coolly lobbed her and as the ball bounced over the line, we all knew that the points were secured now. 6-1 to Bolton County and this was definitely more like the County we know and love..
Not long after the referee decided that he had seen enough and as he blew his whistle for the last time today, it was us that were back to winning ways and this victory pushes us up to 7th in the table and with the trip over to the team directly above us next Sunday – Preston North End Women – another performance like this over there would do nicely. The handshakes were done with pride and as both teams left the pitch, they were quite rightly given a warm round of applause from the gathering supporters. It was really nice to get back to playing football in a lovely environment against a team set up with a similar mindset. Better than recent weeks anyway. Massive respeck’ to Blackburn Community Women Reserves for making the trip over and we wish you all the very best for the remainder of the season. Safe journey back people…
The Girls of the Game today were awarded to Becky for her superb display between the sticks and to Lucy – who played her best-ever game in defence and provided that solid base for our more attacking players to do their ‘ting. And as the dust settled at Radcliffe Road for another weekend, this win meant that of all our senior squads, we won 10 points out of 12. We’d take that every weekend please…
See you in Preston next weekend then yeah?
#UpTheCounty!
