Potters Bar 1s v Old Loughtonians 2s

20th February 2010

On Saturday Potters Bar Ladies 1s travelled away to play a rearranged game against top of the league, Old Loughtonians in Chigwell, Essex. Unfortunately, Potters Bar were missing a number of their regular players for this week’s game.

The game began with the fast paced, young Old Loughtonian’s team dominating early possession and pushing high into the Bar’s defending 25m. Bar were able to keep the attacks at bay and after a couple of close misses by the opposition Bar were becoming more confident in defence.

A break out of defence found Anna Walker playing on the right midfield who played an early ball out to Laura Pointing on the right wing. Pointing dodged a couple of defenders and with support from Sarah Jowett in the middle was able to run into the circle and produced an excellent strike on goal that just went wide of the goal post.

Bar were becoming more and more confident in their game play despite playing a team that were well ahead in the league and had only lost one game so far this season. A break up the left side of the pitch involving Caroline Stanners and Vanessa Porter provided a cross into Bar’s attacking circle which found Jo Spinks who played a quick ball to Jowett, who received the ball with her back to goal. She was able to turn quickly and smashed the ball past the Old Loughtonians’s keeper to give Bar a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after Bar won a long corner from the right which Sue Richardson took and played a quick ball to Walker who provided a strong cross into the circle which Jowett pounced on and took a first time shot on goal that unfortunately just clipped the post and rebounded away.

At half time Bar were still 1-0 up and had seen more attacking opportunities in the first half than their opposition, however, they needed to keep up their hard work to maintain the lead.

At the beginning of the second half Old Loughtonians pilled on the pressure and were obviously determined to bring the game back. Bar spent most of the early stages of the second period camped in their defending half. Bar’s goalkeeper, Mo Gough played another fantastic game and pulled off save after save to the frustration of the Old Loughtonians’s attackers.

With about 10 minutes to go, Bar were beginning to make some mistakes in defence which allowed Old Loughtonians to win a few short corners. Gough once again pulled of a fantastic save but unfortunately Bar’s defence were slack on tidying up in the circle and the opposition’s attacker was first to the ball and managed to push the ball past Gough to level the game.

The game finished 1-1, even though Bar lead for most of the game and worked very hard throughout they came away happy with their overall performance.

Team: Mo Gough, Claire Moore, Ruth Spencer, Viki Ayres, Caroline Stanners, Anna Walker, Sue Richardson , Jo Spinks, Laura Pointing, Sarah Jowett, Vanessa Porter.

Goal: Sarah Jowett