Ladies 3rd XI vs. Upminster 23/10/17

Sally DaltonMatch Reports

The Ladies 3’s kicked off the season with a lively, very eager, mix of ages team, ready & raring to go. Aware that the opposition were going to be tough, didn’t prevent our display of determined faces,  all set in from the start.

With the unfortunate loss of our Vice Captain Wilkinson called upto the 2’s we were lucky to have the return of Dalton, and the expertise of Cooper. A debut game for Hornsby & Gordon too, welcomed by all the team.

The game began with Chelmsford holding possession of the ball & the team tightly supporting each other as a unit. The defensive line worked well together with Gordon settling in perfectly supported strongly by Bacon & Kitchiner. Midfielders Neave & Drohan worked hard chasing the ball & the centre midfielders distributed the ball with great pace. With the team driving the ball up the field allowed Pryor to position herself perfectly in the D. Followed by a fantastic pass from Murray. Pryor was able to slip the ball into the corner of the net 1-0. Phew!
As the sun continued to beam down, the heat imposed a slight ‘foot off the peddle’ approach which resulted to Upminster creating a fast break & equalising.
Half time, Goodridge delivered wise words, requesting angle of passes & how the forwards needed to adjust positionings. The team were determined & wanted to win! Chelmsford again worked hard demonstrating some strong passages of play. Hornsby continued to drive the ball down the right wing at speed, beating several players into the D & chipped the ball into the net. A fantastic executed goal!
Tiredness was beginning to set in, however May defended the goal clearing some fantastic balls, keeping the goal at bay. The team were desperately working hard to retain possession of the game with Kam tackling successfully on the right. After an unfortunate slip up in defence, Upminster equalised 2-2.
The game was tight & Upminster were beginning to break our press.  With Dalton & Cooper working hard
In the centre distributing the ball, the ball was once again driven up front. Passes were accurate & the ball was being worked within the D. After a lovely pass from Hornsby, Guy positioned herself on the left post to push the ball into the left corner. 3-2 to Chelmsford.
The remaining tense moments of the game were nail biting, however Bacon worked like a machine in Defence clearing the ball widely.
The final whistle 3-2 was a superb win for The Greens! A fantastic performance from all the players & a promising start for an exciting season ahead. Player of the match trophy was jointly awarded to Bacon & Hornsby. Clearly well deserved!