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Under 11 Team Match Reports Coventry City Ladies 0 - 5 Corby Cougars Today’s game is against another Northamptonshire side like us preparing to step up into the 11 a side arena. Corby Cougars come with quite a record this season scoring plenty of goal s over 150 and being unbeaten at 7 a side like ourselves. With a much depleted squad due to holidays and hospitals we called on support from Alan’s under 12’s and David under 10’s to plug the gaps. The first half started with quite a flourish of activity and we fought well for dominance of the midfield. The first real attack of the game came from Amy Pezza when she broke down the left but her cross was deflected wide for a corner. The throw in taken by Pezza went to the feet of Deanna who managed to find Beth with a neat pass. Beth too k the ball on but her shot went wide of the far right hand post. Corby’s number 10 had been causing problems earlier on and this time she picked up the ball wide right she beat two defender’s and fired in a shot which Nadine got her fingers to but couldn’t keep out, one nil to Corby. Nadine then makes a good save forcing the ball for a corner from a stinging shot from their striker. Meanwhile we are still having a go and Lou holds the ball up well and slips a good pass to Deanna but her shot is straight at the keeper. Pezza picks up the ball on the left and advances on goal putting in a good cross which is met by Beth who shoots at goal which is saved .It wouldn’t have counted had it goner in as Lou was flagged off side. Nikki then directs a long range effort at goal but it is easily collected by their keeper. Our next effort came from their goal kick being intercepted by Beth who then puts in a good cross, little Amy has a stab at goal then Pezza has a go as well but her shot goes wide. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 1 Corby Cougar With the change of ends comes a change in formation and we are now playing with three at the back. Nadine collected the ball with ease then her clearance from her hands makes no distance. The ball is then collected by their striker who goes between two defenders and lobs a sot goal bound which sneaks in under the cross bar, two nil Corby. Then the heavens open and with the already gusty winds making conditions more difficult. Corby’s third goal came from a corner which we didn’t defend very well. The ball went straight across the face of the goal and Corby reacted quicker and one of their players stuck out a foot and deflected the ball goal bound. The ball rolled into the net before a defender could hook it clear. Our best chance of the game came from a throw in which was flicked on by Kelsey to Amy who runs at goal and shoots the keeper saves but fails to hold and gathers at ht second attempt. Kelsey and Pezza again link up when Kelsey chips into the area and Pezza forces another save from their keeper. We then make more defensive errors when not defending our own goal kicks. This one taken by Alice is collected by their influential number 10 who is then given chance to tee up her shot which she puts into the bottom left hand corner. Corby then scored their fifth from a throw in which three players were left unmarked. The attacked the goal and Nadine came out to meet them but the ball was slipped past her into the net. We had been out played in the second half and also had made some mistakes but this is why we are playing these friendly. Well played also to the Cougars who played some very neat football and scored some good goals. Thanks go to all the stand in’s from Big Al’s squad and Daves 10’s. Great Yarmouth Under 12s Mayday Weekend Tournament Game One - Coventry City Ladies Vs Flitwick Under 10's On paper you would have though this our easiest fixture against an under 10’s side. This under 10’s side were unbeaten this season and had scored over 110 goals this season alone so wouldn’t be a push over. Straight from the kick off our girls applied all the pressure and our first chance fell to Abby who received a pin point pass from Lucy but Abby’s shot went narrowly wide of the right hand post. We continued to create chances and Lucy’s shot was pushed wide by their keeper. Beth picked up the loose ball and crossed back into the area unfortunately Amy headed wide. The first goal finally came from some fine link play involving Amy and Lucy with the final finish coming from Abby. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Flitwick U10’s We carried on in the second half where we left off and brought the game to Flitwick. The next goal came as surprise especially to the girl who scored it. Kelsey cleared the ball from inside her own half with a well struck lofted ball into the Flitwick penalty area. The ball took a big bounce on the hard pitch and sailed over the keeper’s head into the net. Meanwhile Kelsey who was completely oblivious to all this, she had turned away after playing the ball to return to her position in defence. This sparked us into life and Abby put in a good cross to Beth who just couldn’t manage to get the ball down to get a shot in. With Lou now on she managed to hold the ball up well and slipped the ball to Abby who lost her marker but pulled her shot across the face of the goal. Our next effort was a fierce drive from Lucy which their keeper managed to save but not hold on to and Abby reacted quicker and tapped in the ball for our third of the game and Abby’s second. Abby then thundered a shot against the bar and Lou had her shot cleared of the line. Although Flitwick didn’t create a lot of chances our score line didn’t do them justice as they played very well. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 3 - 0 Flitwick U10’s Game Two - Coventry City Ladies Vs Norwich City This game against Norwich City under 12’s Academy side was going to be a completely different affair. We were expecting a tough game so fielded our strongest available line up. It wasn’t long before we created our first chance on goal and it fell to Amy. The move started from a cross field pass from Abby to Beth whose pin point cross finds Amy at the far post who slotted the ball into the net. From then on its all City, Abby looses her marker with a little flick and her long range shot is saved by their keeper. Kelsey then gets in on the action and slips the ball Abby whose shot beats the keeper for our second of the game. Norwich do have some chances one when Nadine comes off her line but miss times her run luckily Kelsey is there to clear the ball off the line. Our final chance of the half came from Lucy and Beth linking up well passing between themselves and finally releasing Abby her shot produces a fine save from the Norwich keeper. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 2 - 0 Norwich City The second half proved to be a tight affair with few chances. Norwich tried to find away past our solid defence of Laura and Kelsey but were finding it very difficult. At the other end their keeper was doing her best to keep us at bay. A cross field ball from Amy finds Beth in acres of space. She travels forward and slips the ball to Abby her shot is well saved by their keeper. Another pin point pass from Lucy finds Beth in space; she slips her marker and takes the ball on. Her shot forces the keeper to make another save but she spills the ball. Their keeper then reacts quicker than Abby and recovers the ball. Beth again puts in excellent cross from the right this time their defence clears up field. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 2 - 0 Norwich City - End of Day One. Day two - Game three - Coventry City Ladies Vs Flitwick Under 12's This game was going to be another test for the girls a nine thirty kick off after very busy day yesterday and a bit of a late night. Flitwick’s side made up of mostly Academy girls from Bedford and Luton looked well up this game. After yesterday’s results we knew one win from two of today’s game and a place in the final was ours. Straight from the word go we attacked the Flitwick goal and put them under tremendous pressure. Our first chance fell to Amy who attacked down the left and rifled in a shot which the Flitwick keeper was happy to see go wide a she turned expecting to see it in the net. It wasn’t all one way traffic Nadine produced a fine save and received a kick for her troubles from their striker following the shot in. Amy again had another shot on goal which went wide of the goal. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 0 Flitwick U12’s The first half proved a very tight affair and the second followed a very similar pattern. City looked for any opening in the Flitwick defence. Amy had a super strike on goal which brought out an equally good save from their keeper diving to her right. Then disaster as the referee awards a dodgy penalty for hand ball. After the game even their manager said it looked more like ball to hand. Up stepped their penalty taker against Nadine, she makes a valiant effort to save it but the ball ends up in the net. From then on a little fatigue sets in and we go off the boil. Nadine produces another save from a cross come shot but we couldn’t find the equaliser. That was our first defeat this season in open play at seven a side but a very entertaining game. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 1 Flitwick U12’s Game four - Coventry City Ladies Vs Bungay Our final group game was against Bungay and our girls knew win this and they were in the final a few hours later. The girls set there stall out very early and took the game to Bungay. The first chance fell to Abby who forced her way through a sea of Bungay defenders only to see her shot saved by their keeper. Beth then has a go and weaves her way up field and releases a fantastic effort on goal which their keeper parries and Abby is there to tap it in. The ball is then stolen off the defender’s toe by Abby who hurries her shot a little as it sails over the bar. Beth again puts in a super cross which finds Lucy in the box who is crowded out and unable to turn. Beth continue to create havoc down the right putting in cross after cross but we can’t seem to put the ball away. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Bungay In the second half we continued to create chances the best of those came when Lucy released Amy who took the ball on into the area but her shot went straight at the keeper. Amy also put in a good cross to Abby whose shot went agonisingly wide. Bungay did have one effort on goal which was easily collected by Nadine. The resulting long kick down field by Nadine was flicked on by Lou to Abby who went between the two defenders but her shot went wide of the left hand post. With the final whistle a large cheer went up as we had made the final and a chance for revenge against Flitwick 12’s. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Bungay The Final - Coventry City Ladies Vs Flitwick Under 12's We knew what to expect and the tension was building. The Flitwick management must have been impressed with our set up as they copied our warm up and prematch preparations exactly. I think this annoyed Darryl a bit but some of the parents thought it quite amusing. With them watching us closely and knowing who to mark closely we switched strikers. As the game kicked off we attacked and had most of the possession but with them packing the defence chances were few and far between. The only real chance for both sides came when Abby on the break put her shot across the face of the goal. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 0 Flitwick U12’s The game continues in a similar fashion with most of the play coming from us Abby working hard up front gambled well chasing what looked a lost cause only to flick the ball across the goal mouth and the ball struck a back peddling defender and went narrowly wide of the goal. It now looked like one goal would settle this game and we were applying all the pressure Abby beat her tight marker and crossed to Beth whose effort goes wide. Another long clearance from Nadine bounces kindly for Abby and her shot produces a fine save from their very busy keeper, as the final whistle blows it’s the heart break of a penalty shootout. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 0 Flitwick U12’s The Penalty Shoot out Possibly the cruellest way to finish a Tournament but they were the rules. The five girls were chosen to take the penalties and Nadine as in goal. We lost the toss and they opted to shoot first. Flitwick player one stepped up and to our delight Nadine saved. Our first penalty taker was Abby but her penalty was saved. Up stepped Flitwick player two and as with the first Nadine saved, our next taker was Kelsey who struck her penalty hard but their keeper also saved, so with two taken both keeper’s had saved. The next penalty taken by Flitwick player three Nadine managed a hand to it but in it went one nil to Flitwick. Our third penalty taker was Lucy but she also had hers saved by the Flitwick keeper. Their fourth kick was saved by Nadine and our taker Amy blasted it into the net so we were now all square again. The final penalty taker for Flitwick walked forward placed the ball a shot straight at Nadine who saved it. This now meant Beth had to take the last penalty and if she scores we win. The poor girl walked forward with her head bowed like a condemned man. Her Dad couldn’t watch, she placed the ball with tears streaming down her face her shot rifles into the bottom corner GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Final Score: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 0 Flitwick U12’s Coventry City Ladies 3 - 0 Humberstone Rangers At last our final game of the season, with the league won our 100% record was now on the line. The management had a full strength squad to choose from and were definitely setting their stall out for a win. With the girls finishing their season in bright sunshine all we needed now was a win. Straight from the kick off we put the Humberstone defence under pressure. Our first few attacks came to nothing as we appeared to be trying to hard. On one attack on goal Abby collided with the Humberstone keeper and had to come off and rest this brought Lou into the game earlier than usual. Our first real effort on goal came from a superb defence splitting pass from Beth. She picked up the ball wide right and slipped a fantastic pass straight through the Humberstone defence to Amy whose shot went narrowly wide of the left hand post. With us now applying all the the pressure and at times Humberstone were struggling to clear the ball it was just a matter of time before we found the net. Our first goal came from some excellent build up play from the midfield and the final cross came from Amy. Her pinpoint cross from the left finds Nikki unmarked on the back post and is left with a simple tap in. Then from the restart Amy picks up the loose ball and travels towards goal and fires in a sizzling shot into the bottom corner of the net. Within minutes we were now two up and looking fairly comfortable. After the second goal went in Humberstone rallied and applied some pressure of there own and were unlucky not to have pulled on back. They attacked our goal and the first striker left fly a shot which Nadine couldn’t reach only to see it thunder back off the bar. They reacted quicker and the follow up shot from another Humberstone player rattled the bar and came back into play but this time our defence managed to clear. The play then returned to the other end of the pitch and we won ourselves a corner. From the resulting corner Amy scored her second of the game and by my calculations her 24th of the season. Humberstone were still a threat even at three nil and as one of their striker’s forces her way through on goal. Nadine came off her line to force a save with her legs. Meanwhile chances were still being created at the other end of the pitch. The best of these came when Nikki wins the ball wide right and crossed into the box and finds my whose shot goes inches wide of the left hand post. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 3 - 0 Humberstone Rangers With the start of the second half the only noticeable change was the introduction of Emma in goal replacing Nadine who came off for a rest. With regular chances being made the second half lacked a bit of cohesion but we still played some pretty neat football and all the girls got a good run out. With Lou playing up front anything could happen and she turned her defender with some style and released Abby with a super pass. Abby took the ball on but just couldn’t keep the ball down and her shot sailed over the bar. This really summed up our second half really we huffed and puffed but just couldn’t put he ball away and finish with true style. At that Humberstone didn’t roll over and kept battling to the end forcing Emma to make a few saves. So with the game finally won and our season over we managed a 100% perfect league season. As back to back champions our last league defeat came way back in November 2003 and that was an away game our home league status remains unbeaten. So a big CONGRATULATION’S to all the girls who played this season it’s very much a team game and a fantastic team achievement. Also a big thank you must go to the Management (Darryl and Dave) for their excellent leadership qualities also head coach Smithy needs a little mention. Finally I must also thank all the parent's for their support especially the Welly Brigade and their lucky wellies. Moulton Fields U12s 4 - 2 Coventry City Ladies With our league season all but over a friendly had been arranged to assess our potential at the eleven a side game. With an away fixture at Northampton’s Moulton Fields FC who like ourselves were stepping up to eleven a side next season. Their season had mirrored ours with winning their league and barely conceding a goal and finishing unbeaten. Unlike them this was our first outing at the full game where they had three previous games. The dynamic duo had brought in a few extras as we had player’s missing but it was a new experience for most. The first half started with Moulton applying all the pressure as our girls tried to come to terms with the size of the pitch and the pace of the game. With play going from end to end it was Moulton who settled first and after a spell of heavy pressure we conceded a goal. The Moulton attack had been allowed to put in a cross which Nadine failed to collect leaving a simple tap in. We then countered with some fine passing and managed to push play deep into the Moulton half but just couldn’t find the finishing move. All the while our defence was under pressure from one corner Kelsey rose to head clear only to see one of their players fire in a sot which brought out a fine save from Nadine. Moulton’s second goal came from a one on one situation where Nadine forced the shot high against the bar only to see their second striker bundle the ball into the net. Their third of the half came from a fine move by their tall No 10 who beat two player’ to deliver a cross which was pushed out by Nadine. Their in rushing striker reacted quicker than our defender’s and was left with a simple tap in. At three nil down you would have thought we were being out classed but that was no where near the case. Our girls were passing the ball well but struggling a bit with the sheer size of the pitch and not making the ball work for them. That changed when a long goal kick from Kelsey was flicked on by Nikki into the path of Abby who finished with her usual style. At three one this was not quite a true reflection on the effort the girls had put in. Half time: Moulton Fields 3 - 1 Coventry City Ladies With a half time pep talk from the Dynamic Duo the girls started with a spring in their step as if the score line was back to nil-nil. With both sides now near cancelling each other out and no side really dominating the start of the second half proved quite a battle. With our side looking most likely to score Moulton broke free and sent a ball into our penalty area Nadine came out to meet it as their striker rushed in to score. Nadine managed to deflect the ball but received a knock in the process. With our girls playing well Lucy managed to find Nikki with a pinpoint pass. With Nikki in a bit of space she slipped a lovely pass through to Abby. She took the ball on and with a superb cross field pass find Amy P in space but her shot is deflected wide for a corner off a Moulton defenders out stretched leg. With our girls searching for a second it finally came when D shot came back off their keeper’s knees and Amy was there to finish a fine move. With us now within a whisker of tying the game and playing some good football in the process things were looking up. The biggest problems now was tiredness as we were now in unfamiliar territory, playing on a big pitch and for a lot longer than our girls were used too. But Moulton weren’t finished either and still looked dangerous especially on the break. Meanwhile Amy P picked up a loose ball inside her own half and travels into their half where she slips the ball through to Abby who in the end gets hustled away from goal. Then the killer blow Moulton break through the middle and their player shoots at goal Nadine parries the shot to her right only to see another Moulton player slip the ball into the back of the net. With the final score at four- two perhaps not a true reflection of the hard work put in by ALL the girls. There are plenty of good things to take from this friendly and also some things to put right if we want to make a good go next season. But all the girls can hold their heads up high after a very entertaining baptism at eleven a side. Coventry City Ladies 4 - 0 Oadby & Wigston
Dynamo The time had finally arrived for the show down for the league title. With Oadby only having lost one game (against us) and our side currently unbeaten the pressure was more on Oadby to come looking for the result. With a full strength squad to choose from and the conditions being good it looked set to be a very tight and exciting game. The game kicked off and both side played at quite a frantic pace. With Oadby playing a more counterattacking long ball game as they had in the first game our defence would certainly be very busy. We set our stall out from the off with a very attack minded formation and Abby starting up front. The first quarter of the game was a very tight affair with both sides pressing for any opening they could find. The first real effort on goal came from an Alice free kick awarded for handball. The resulting kick was struck well but sailed wide. We then went on to create plenty of other chances. Lucy slipped a lovely pass through to Abby in space who hurried her shot a little and it went wide of the right hand post. Abby again finds herself with the ball, she steps inside the defender but only to see her shot rise over the bar. We are now playing with quite a bit of composure and reducing Oadby to scraps and over hit long balls which defenders Alice and Laura are coping with easily. Nadine so far in goal has only had to come out and collect over hit passes. With our midfield playing well we continue to create chances and pass the ball well. Beth picks up the ball and puts in a pin point cross to Abby whose shot agonizingly goes wide of the left hand post. Then Abby this time find Beth in plenty of space she fires in a shot which sails wide of the goal. With all these chances is it going to be our day? Beth again puts in a quality cross which finds Abby but her weak shot is straight at the keeper. With a change of personnel on came Nikki. With a throw from Alice which finds Nikki, she turns well to release Abby whose rocket shot goes over the bar. With Oadby countering on the break our defence dispossess their striker. The resulting pass from defence finds Lucy in space, she brings the ball on and gets within shooting range and finishes with style. Finally the goal has come after all the chances but the half still not over. Another free kick from Alice this time her thunderous shot comes off the under side of the bar and into play. Luckily for Oadby their keeper reacts first and drops onto the loose ball. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Oadby & Wigston Dynamo After such a frantic and hard fought first half could the second be as good as the first? With Oadby having to go in search of the equalizer and also the winner to keep their chances open in the title chase all was to play for. Straight from the start Oadby put us under tremendous pressure. With us now looking to counter on the break and ease the load on our defence. Oadby kept us pinned in our own half and forced a series of corners. One of which produced a fantastic reflex save from Nadine as she dived and flicked the ball away to be finally cleared up field by Alice. This half our chances were few and far between and shots on goal were limited. Our best of the half fell to Beth which forced a good save from their keeper. Meanwhile our defence were awesome with Laura in total control, coping with everything thrown at her. By far her best performance this season and a match winning display. With the final whistle blown and the game won we were now CHAMPIONS ELECT with one game to play. An excellent team performance crowned off with a fine winning goal by Lucy. So now our final league game against Humberstone in a fortnight’s time is for our 100% winning season. Well done both sets of girls for a very entertaining and enjoyable game to watch. Coventry City Ladies 4 - 0 Nuneaton With the season in its final few weeks the tension in the City camp is slowly rising. With three games to play and only five points required to secure the league title for certain The Management are getting edgy. Today’s visitors Nuneaton are on a bit of a roll and present quite a challenge to our unbeaten girls. So with Trev refereeing in his official gear (what a sight to see) we kicked off. The first quarter was an extremely tight affair with both teams cancelling each other out. But the first real goal scoring chance fell to Nuneaton with a hurried shot from outside the area. The shot had Nadine diving to her right to force the ball for a corner. The game continued to see saw from one end to the other. First blood to us came when Abby fired in a shot from the outside their area the keeper attempted to save it but the ball trickled into the net. With the first goal scored we started to settle and the game swung more in our favour. With more chance s now being created the best of these a deflected shot from Amy which narrowly missed the net after coming off the advancing keeper. This didn’t mean Nuneaton were beaten by a long shot and their pacey front players were proving to be quite a handful. Our defence certainly had to be on their toes even Laura was being given the run around. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Nuneaton The second half continued as the first half finished with our tails up and piling on the pressure most of Nuneaton’s attacks were on the break. But with our second goal you could feel the tension on and off the field drop. The goal scored by Abby her 30th of the season came from a shot /cross which came off the far post and into the net a nice way to bring up your 30th goal. Before I had chance to write the score down Nuneaton had lost the ball from the restart. Abby then lobbed the keeper for her third. Abby had now scored her fifth hatrick this season and possibly broke the hearts of the Nuneaton side. More chances fell to our girls Nikki had a superb effort deflected wide. Alice took a short corner to Lucy whose shot beat the keeper but went agonisingly wide. Our fourth came from Lucy breaking out of defence. She slipped the ball to Abby who took the ball to the edge of the area and rifled her shot past the diving Nuneaton keeper into the bottom right hand corner. This brought about a spate of substitutions and on came Cory, Louise and Emma to see out the game. The chances still kept coming one fell to Beth who took the ball wide round the advancing keeper only to see her shot hit the far post from the tightest of angles. If it hadn’t been for the heroics in the Nuneaton goal the score could have been higher their keeper made some great saves. Well played to all the girls, in a very competitive match played by two very talented teams. But even the well wishes of the Oadby manager to Nuneaton couldn’t stop the mighty Coventry City under 11’s steamroller. So with Oadby the opposition next week and our chance to finish the league with a game in hand BRING IT ON!!!!! Stanton United 0 - 7 Coventry City Ladies At last, our final trip into Leicestershire for our away tie against Stanton United. With a full compliment of players and no one getting lost on route (thanks mainly to Lee’s local knowledge) could we finish our away campaign unbeaten! With the pitch in reasonable condition if on a bit of a slope everyone was hoping for a grandstand finish. With us playing uphill and against what little wind there was it was always going to be difficult to create chances. The slope proved quite a leveller in the first few minutes as Stanton could clear their lines by using the slope and breeze. Slowly our girls adjusted their game plan and forced the pace of the game. The first real chance fell to Amy whose fierce drive went wide of the right hand post. Some excellent passing from Nikki put Amy into space and her cross avoided everyone except Beth at the far post her final shot went agonisingly close. Finally we did manage to break the deadlock. Abby picked the ball up deep in her own half, running forward she released Amy with a superb pass. Amy then takes on and beats her marker to deliver a cross to Nikki who finds the back of the net with a strong shot. The second comes after some neat juggling in the area from Nikki and a shot from Abby which rebounds off a defender into Amy’s path for a simple tap in. The chances are coming thick and fast and the next came off a super long throw from Laura which was flicked on by Nikki into the on coming Abby who finished with her usual style. With Stanton countering via the slope the defence was kept busy if not really troubled and Nadine back in goal had very little to do except pick up the odd through ball. Our final goal of the half came from an Alice corner which found Nikki unmarked on the far side. She controlled the ball well and finished even better for her second of the game. Half time: Stanton United 0 - 4 Coventry City Ladies With the start of the second half changes were made and on came Paige and Lou. With us playing down the slope in this half it was going to prove more difficult for Stanton to clear their defence and also test our girl’s ball control. As in the first half we struggled briefly adjusting to the pace of ball off the slope and some passes were being slightly over hit. With our girls camped in the Stanton half several shots went so close. Our first of the second half came from a sweet corner taken by Alice which saw an unlucky Stanton defender turn the ball into her own net. It wasn’t long before Alice delivered another telling corner which pinged around a crowded box but eventually falling to Lucy. She fired her shot into the top left hand corner for a well deserved goal. Our final goal came from a super through ball from Beth to Nikki, her shot finding the bottom corner and so completing her hatrick, that’s back to back hatricks well done Nikki. After the final whistle the own goal was credited to Cory as there is no slot on the score card for own goals, well done Cory. So with our travels over, we played nine and won all nine what’s better was the fact that the last eight games were without conceding a single goal and in the process we notched up in excess of Fifty goals. For all you stat freaks out there our last away defeat in the league was way back in November 2003 in fact that was our last defeat. Let’s hope we can now finish our home games off with the same sort of commitment and determination. So well done girls lets finish the season off with some style. Asfordby Amateurs Gems 0 - 9 Coventry City Ladies Here we are again back in Leicestershire on our travels to a ground we’d all been to before, some of us more than once. Why is it then that we still managed to lose a couple of cars on the way! Back to the football and with a near full squad to pick from and their pitch in excellent condition considering all the terrible weather of late we were looking forward to good game. With the game kicking off in SUNSHINE for a change we started the stronger of the two sides. The girls who hadn’t trained or played since their last game started well passing and moving and creating chances. The first goal came from a cross from Beth which found Nikki who played the simple ball to Abby. She turned on the ball and slipped a lovely pass through to Amy whose well struck shot flew past the keeper. The second came from some good work by Nikki she released Amy her shot beat the keeper. Not just a finisher but a provider as well Amy’s cross finds Beth, her well struck shot rebounds off the keeper straight to Nikki who calmly strokes the ball into the empty net. With all the girls playing well and creating chance after chance most of which were shot straight at their keeper more goals were to come. Lucy, not to be out done took on their defence and slipped a through ball to Abby, her shot went in off the post (she doesn’t miss them). With time running out in the first half Abby doubled her tally after a good long throw from Laura found Abby in space, she ran at goal and slotted past the keeper with ease. Half time: Asfordby Amateurs Gems 0 - 5 Coventry City Ladies With plenty of changes and the half time disruption the first spell in the second half went a bit flat. The girls struggled to get any real momentum going, the passing was still crisp and neat but the shooting went a bit astray. The Gems had created very little threat and the desire to attack seemed to wane a little in our girls. With the last quarter of the half approaching that was about to change. A neat pass from Nikki found Amy in acres of space and with a left foot shot drove the ball high into the net scoring her third of the game. Then there came a heavy spell of pressure in which Nikki thundered a shot off the post and the follow up shot from Beth also hit the woodwork. With Amy working hard down the right chances kept coming. One paid off when Amy crossed into the box to find two unmarked players, one of which was Nikki who coolly scored passed the advancing keeper. Nikki scored again with a simple tap in from a cross from Lucy this was Nikki’s third of the game and our second hatrick player of the day. The final goal was a pure solo effort from Abby who took on the defender and scored with ease her third of the game. So all in all a comfortable win, with three hatricks, another clean sheet and three points in the bag the gap at the top of league is maintained. A little mention to Alice who picked up the gloves and stood between the sticks as Nadine was away (she didn’t touch the ball all game). Humberstone Rangers 0 - 3 Coventry City Ladies What a trek half way round Leicestershire via Seale Enterprises Travel Company to find a pitch in poor condition. With all the elements conspiring against us this was always going to be a difficult fixture. After some consultation with their manager the first choice pitch was definitely unplayable. With some quick thinking a second pitch was brought into action and the fixture was on. This second pitch’s slope wasn’t quite as bad as the first and the pitch nowhere near as muddy. So with the odd snowflake in the air and our decision to play uphill with the wind in the first half, we were off. With the wind blowing hard and the pitch very heavy chances proved very few and far between, in the first five minutes or so. With us applying all the pressure and Humberstone struggling to clear their lines it was just a matter of waiting. After some heavy attacking pressure and a couple of strikes at goal, poorly cleared by their defence up popped Abby to score the first goal and settle a few nerves. With us squeezing the Humberstone defence and them failing to clear the ball more and more chances developed. One fell to Nikki whose defence splitting pass found Amy who hurried her shot a little and fired wide. With changes made to keep the side fresh, on came Cory. She’d not been on long when the ball came to her and she rifled in a long range shot which was goal bound until deflected by an outstretched defender’s leg forcing a corner. Our second goal of the half came from a corner. The ball driven into the box passed through the mass of players and fell to Abby who struck her shot past their keeper. We did have another good chance from a corner when the ball eluded everyone except Lucy, who in space managed only to fire her shot over the bar. Half time: Humberstone Rangers 0 - 2 Coventry City Ladies With us changing ends we now had the wind in our faces. The Management had instructed the girls to try and keep the ball on the ground and play as good a passing game as possible. With us carrying on where they left off in the first half all the pressure was on Humberstone to play themselves back into the game. With Amy playing down the left and Beth down the right their defence was constantly being pulled one way and then the other. This created for space for Abby and Nikki to try and get off as many good shots as possible. The first decent effort of the half fell to Beth who pulled her shot wide. With Humberstone using the wind to clear their defence and counterattack defenders Laura, Lucy and Cory were kept busy chasing back. Even Nadine was called into action on the odd occasion with long range passes coming into the box. The game flowed from end to end with us countering ourselves with the pace of Amy. One such chance involved Amy, Beth, Nikki and the final shot from Abby went straight at their keeper. Our third of the game came from a precise cross from Beth who found Amy in space whose shot squeezed through their keeper’s legs. This proved to be the last goal of the game and overall not a bad performance considering the pitch and windy conditions. I’m under orders to mention all the valiant parents who cheered the team along in the freezing temperatures. There were a few complaints about lack off welly washing facilities but you can’t have everything can you. After all we are top of the league and currently unbeaten with not many games left. Hinckley United 0 - 3 Coventry City Ladies With all the recent rain the pitch looked very muddy which wouldn’t help our normal passing game. With the ball holding up on the very muddy surface and the pitch cutting up this was going to be heavy going for the girls. Straight from start the girls were passing the ball around well considering how difficult the conditions were. It didn’t take long for the girls to open up the Hinckley defence and with some slick passing and a fine finish from Beth. The girls were then pretty much camped in the Hinckley half of the pitch but for all their effort just couldn’t beat the keeper Half time: Hinckley United 0 - 3 Coventry City Ladies As in the first half all the play was in the Hinckley half of the pitch. The girls just kept peppering the Hinckley goal with shots but they just wouldn’t go in. Even changing strikers hadn’t helped as on came the Poacher Lou only to see her shot hit the post. How long could Hinckley hold out, the goals just had to come? Finally we did mange to double our goal tally. The attack started in our own half with a good clearance from Laura in defence. Our midfield then passing between themselves worked their way up the pitch. With Abby delivering a good cross for Nikki to finish the move off beating the keeper with a fine shot. Our third goal came from a poor clearance by Hinckley’s keeper which was collected by Abby who finished with her usual style. For all our huffing and puffing the score remained at three nil but could easily have been more. The Hinckley defence and keeper played well but with the heavy pitch and one or two easy chances being missed we made hard work of it. It’s one more victory in the locker for the girls and one step closer to glory. Coventry City Ladies 3 - 1 Harborough Town This was always going to be a difficult fixture our first encounter away had produced a nail biting 2-1 victory was this going to be the same. With all the midweek rain the pitch was a bit soft but very much playable and thankfully there was very little wind. The Harborough game plan in the first game was very much long range so no wind suited our passing game more. With referee Trev (sporting a fine pair of legs pity we had no camera) blowing to start the game we were off. The first few minutes were very much both teams testing each others defences. The first decent chance fell to a Harborough striker whose long range shot forced a fine save from Nadine. This was not going to be a stroll in the park we were going to have to work very hard for a result from this game. With both sides pressing hard clear chances were few and far between. Abby found herself in front of goal but was brought down for a free kick. The kick taken from the left hand side of the box by Alice was driven in hard and low but a deflection sent it out for a corner. The resulting corner was taken by Alice, the delivery was perfect and Abby headed the ball into the top right hand corner. First blood to us but would it be enough. The game continued to see saw with neither side managing to dominate. This didn’t stop Harborough from equalizing with a well struck shot from outside the area which left Nadine with no chance. We went straight back on the attack trying to force errors from the Harborough defence. Nikki found herself with her back to goal with a super drag back and turn she fired off a shot only to see their keeper produce a good save. Our second goal of the half was a bit of magic from Amy who beat one defender to put in a lofted cross/shot from the left which deceived all including the goalkeeper to fly into the right hand corner of the net. This stirred up the girls who kept up the pressure till the half time whistle. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 2 - 1 Harborough Town Could the second half be as tight and hard fought as the first? The game started at the same break neck tempo with us trying to press our advantage home and Harborough coming at us on the counter attack. With Alice and Laura doing well to contain the Harborough strikers especially the threat down the left helped out by Lucy most of their shooting was long range. We carried on playing to our normal game pattern. This paid off when some fine interlinking passing with Abby, Lucy and Nikki put Amy into space whose stinging shot was saved by Harborough’s keeper who had so far kept her side in this match. But so was ours as Harborough broke one of their striker’s found herself in acres of space and fired at goal only to see Nadine pull off a fine save diving to her right. The third and possibly the killer blow came from a lovely one two with Alice and Lucy. With Lucy then taking the ball to the line before lofting in a precise cross allowing Abby to steer home her second of the game. The game seemed in the bag but Harborough hadn’t read the script and battled on. Most of their remaining chances were flick on’s and shots from way out some coming quite close!! Just before the end one such chance brought another save from Nadine who tipped it round the post. This proved to be a difficult match with Harborough fighting it out till the end and troubling us all the way to the final whistle. Well played to all the girls from both sides for making it an entertaining game to watch. Just before kick off a stranger to Sunday’s turned up as her game was off so a big HELLO to Gemma Smith the girls coach on Wednesday’s hope you enjoyed it. With two thirds of our fixtures played and one of our possible rivals beaten things are looking good in the City camp tonight Lets hope the girls can keep their heads and go all the way!!! Oadby & Wigston Snipers 0 - 5 Coventry
City Ladies With the season now in full swing today’s game could have been a tricky one. Having beaten the Snipers in our opening game of the season they were out for revenge and were also trying to take points off us to help their other team the Dynamo’s. With a ten o’clock kick off on a crisp and very chilly Sunday morning what more could you want! With us starting with possibly our strongest line up and playing down a slight slope referee Trevor blew this whistle to start the match. The first few minutes were a tight affair with our girls passing the ball well looking for weaknesses in the Sniper’s defence. It wasn’t long before a precise through ball from Beth found Nikki in space. She turned well and shot for goal only to see it blocked by the Sniper’s defender the loose ball was then coolly tucked into the net by Abby. The second goal game from some rather neat passing and was finally put into the net by Nikki after a goal mouth scramble. With our tails up and the Amy and Beth creating havoc down the flanks with some fantastic runs and excellent crosses more goals were going to come. This time Beth’s pin point pass found Abby in acres of space who cool as you like took the ball on and finished like a pro. With a three goal lead the Management brought on the sub’s .It didn’t take that long for one of them to get on the score sheet. With a well worked move involving the midfield which was finished in style by the poacher Louise driving the ball home past their keeper. Louise had another superb effort not long later cruelly denied to her as she crashed a cracking volley off the right hand post. Our last goal of the half was another well worked move involving the midfield and crossed into the box by Abby. In the box was Lucy who smashed the ball past the advancing keeper. That first half performance was possibly our best yet this season every girl played well and the passing, movement off the ball, tackling and our all round general play was brilliant a pleasure to watch. Half time: Oadby & Wigston Snipers 0 - 5 Coventry City Ladies After a first half like that it was always going to be difficult for the girls to raise themselves to the same level. Having now changed end’s we were playing up the slope which didn’t affect our passing game at all. With Paige operating on the right hand wing and Amy on the left we continued to create chance after chance. The best chance fell to Louise who skied her shot over the bar. Another was the ever reliable Abby who for once failed to beat the keeper. All this must have renewed the Sniper’s who really made a game of it. They did make the occasional skirmish into our half but as in the first half they found Laura waiting for them. She didn’t give them an inch and along with fellow defender’s Lucy and Cory kept them in check. The one time they did manage to get past, out came keeper Nadine who blocked the shot with her legs sending the ball out for a corner. Although we didn’t score in the second half the play from girls was equally as good as the first. Chances were still being created, their keeper made some important saves and at the other end we kept another clean sheet. So well done to all the girls that played today another win and our 100% record is still intact. Over the next few week’s we have some very tricky fixtures but if we continue as we have done - BRING THEM ON!!!!!!!!!!! Coventry City Ladies 6 - 0 Asfordby Amateurs
Diamonds In the reverse to last week’s fixture we found our selves at home for the first time in 2005. With the weather ten times better than last week (no gale force winds), we were hoping for a good encounter. With a near full strength squad to choose from and home advantage and Captain Cory in charge how could we loose. As in last week’s game we attacked from the very start forcing three corners in quick succession but with out causing their keeper to make a save blazed the chances high and wide. It wasn’t until Lucy flicked the ball across the face of the goal leaving Amy a simple tap in that we really got anything on target. The midfield passed the ball around well but against a heavily packed Diamonds defence it proved difficult to create any clear chances on goal. Amy popped up on the left with plenty of space for a change and delivered a pinpoint through ball. This left Nikki one on one with the Diamonds keeper, Cool as you like Nikki slid the ball pass the keeper for a deserved two goal lead. It didn’t take long for Nikki to repay Amy with a delightful through ball of her own. With Amy in space she saw her shot blocked by the defence but the rebound fell kindly for Lucy who put the ball into the net. It wasn’t over yet a well placed corner from Alice found Amy at the far post she fired in her second of the game Half time: Coventry City Ladies 4 - 0 Asfordby Amateurs Diamonds With the second half under way we continued to dominate the play. The girls were creating plenty of chances but we just couldn’t get them on target. With changes being made at regular intervals to keep all the girls active we lost a shape and direction. They were still doing all the right things, passing, moving of the ball but we just couldn’t get the ball into the net. The Diamonds blanket defence just smothered out our attacks. It couldn’t last and it didn’t a super cross field ball from Beth found Amy in space. She took the ball on and with clinical precision found the top corner with a fierce left footed drive her third of the game (hatrick hero). This seemed to spark the girls into life. A fizzing clearance from defence found Amy who took the ball forward with new found belief. She ran at the defence and let a cannonball shot loose that went straight into the net for her fourth of the game. That finished off our goal scoring exploits for the day but poor Alice came very close with a fine strike which thundered against the post. The Diamonds were again camped very much in their own half but did mange one strike on goal a free kick. The kick proved easy for our in form keeper Nadine who has only been beaten once this season. This result now leaves her with seven clean sheets but with out her fellow defenders especially Laura (The Rock) it could be a lot different. Thanks to all the parents that wee there to support the girls even the Bright Welly Brigade. Asfordby Amateurs Diamonds 0 - 10 Coventry City
Ladies Another trip into deepest darkest Leicestershire and what a wonderful journey it was!! With the wind blowing hard and straight across the pitch this was always going to be a fun encounter. Right from the start our game plan was to attack. The girls put the Diamonds defence onto the back foot with some fine passing .This created space and the Diamonds defence were struggling to clear their lines. One such attack resulted in one defender slipping the ball past their stranded keeper for our first goal of 2005. From then on we dominated the first half with the Diamonds occasionally managing to get the ball out of their own half. The second goal came from some fine passing and finished with some style from Amy. We then scored our third from a mazy run down the right from Beth (the Hat) beating a defender to slot in a fine low drive. Then on came Abby having been waiting patiently on the side lines for her chance to get into the action. For the first couple of minutes she was a blur running everywhere but not really doing anything. That was until she latched onto a through ball from Laura and calmly fired past the Diamonds keeper. The last goal was probably the best of the first half .The build up involved most of the midfield and a pin point cross from Beth was easily tapped into the net by Abby. Half time: Asfordby Amateurs Diamonds 0 - 5 Coventry City Ladies. The second half started much like the first with City applying all the pressure. Our first decent attack of the half resulted in a free kick on the right after Abby had been tripped. Up stepped Alice to fire in a well stuck free kick only to see it hit the far post and rebound into play unlucky Alice. Our midfield, were now running the show picking up the loose balls and using both flanks to pepper the Diamonds goal. Our first goal of the half came from a well struck Alice corner neatly poked past the keeper by Lucy. Amy then picked up a loose ball just outside our penalty area. Seeing space in front of her she sprinted off down the field. Beating one player she then delivered a superb cross to Nikki who simply slotted it past their keeper. The Diamonds rallied and had possibly their best spell of the game. They created some good chances and forced Nadine to make some timely saves. Having survived the spell of Diamonds pressure Amy scored her second of the game after the ball bounced around the penalty area like a ping pong ball. Then it was back to Abby who grabbed another hatrick with a well taken goal. Our final goal of the game came from some fine link play which left Abby with a simple tap in for her fourth of the game. A fine performance from the girls considering they hadn’t played together for a month. So we start 2005 with an away win and some vital goals for our goal difference. On the match report cards there is no space to record the Diamond’s own goal. After a short discussion the own goal has been changed to read a goal to Nadine .So Happy Birthday Nadine your first goal for the team. (I had nothing to do with that) Coventry City Ladies 5 - 1 Asfordby Amateurs
Gems This game was very much back to business after last weeks hic up in the cup. The Management had a full squad to select from with all girls present this meant five subs. The pitch looked in good nick and with the weather starting to get a little wintry it was very much game on. We set our stall out from the off, it was going to be attack and apply as much pressure on the Gems defence as possible. With Nikki leading the line and width being supplied by Amy and Beth the Gems were struggling to cope with all our attacks. Within the first few minutes Amy struck a shot off the crossbar, Beth hit the side netting and Abby shot wide. It was going to be one of them games, the girls created plenty of half chances but most of the decent shots were saved by their Keeper. For most of the first half the Gems packed their box with defenders and made life very difficult for our attackers. Finally we did manage to break the deadlock with some fine passing and a shot, come cross from Beth which hit the base of the post only to come back out for Amy to tap in a simple goal. We then increased the lead to two when Nikki fired in a shot from the edge of the area which the keeper spilled and Beth was on hand to stroke the ball into the net. We had the game under control the Gems had hardly crossed the half way line. The Gems did make one excursion into our half and their midfield player travelled with ball into space and struck a fine shot at goal from outside the area. Emma in goal had no chance, at full stretch she just couldn’t reach it and into the net it went. The score line at half time didn’t reflect the amount of pressure we put the Gems under. Their keeper had definitely kept them in the game with a string of saves to deny our players. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 2 - 1 Asfordby Amateurs Gems The second half started with only a few minor changes, Nadine was now between the sticks. The game then seemed to pan out very similar to the first with us piling on the pressure and the Gems struggling to keep us out. The Gems had also switched keepers at half time and had to spring into action near enough straight away. The Management made changes at regular intervals this resulted in our front line changing several times. The midfield was totally dominating the game pushing the ball around and supplying some excellent crosses. One such move resulted in a one two involving Paige who then dibbled the ball into the box and finished the move with a quality strike past the stranded keeper. We created chance after chance only to see the shot saved or more often blocked by a Gems defender. The fourth goal game from a pinpoint cross from the left by Beth, the ball flicked passed the keeper off the HEAD of Abby. A goal scored from a header, we have been waiting a long time for it but today it finally happened, well done Abby. The final goal came from some excellent passing and moving involving nearly the entire team. The delivery into the box was inch perfect from Beth and the finish came from Abby. The final score could have been higher but for a defiant Gems defence and keeper, so well played girls 100 % record still intact. Welcome to new keeper Emma who played her very first game last week in the cup and has now got her first league game out of the way. We now have a break for a few weeks. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR Coventry City Ladies 1 - 1 Oadby & Wigston
Dynamo The under 11s entered this game unbeaten all season. Today was the day when something might have to give. Oadby & Wigston Dynamo are one of the best teams in the league. This was also the quarter finals of the cup and I said to the ref before the game this will go to penalties. Coventry started the game the brightly but soon Oadby & Wigston Dynamo were pressing hard and Coventry were struggling to cope with the pressure. Emma Wanczyski starting her first game in goal was the more busier keeper. When Oadby & Wigston Dynamo took the lead there was not a lot Emma could do as the ball was rifled into the top of the net from outside the area. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 0 - 1 Oadby & Wigston Dynamo Coventry Slowly came in to the game and started to make a few chance but the Oadby & Wigston Dynamo keeper was having a great game. City equalizer came when a shot from Beth was cleared off the line by a defender with their hand. Nikki stepped up and slotted the ball in to the back of the net. Both side had chances to finish the game off but the full time whistle went. Full time: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 1 Oadby & Wigston Dynamo Now into extra time the game went from end to end and the commitment and effort from both sides was immense. At the end of both periods of extra time the score was still 1-1. Penalties; Oadby & Wigston Dynamo won 4-2 on Penalties. There is no easy way to lose a game of football. This has to be the worst. The girls showed a great TEAM SPIRIT right to the end. Nuneaton 0 - 3 Coventry City Ladies With an away day trip to Nuneaton, an afternoon kick off and Lucy and Alice unavailable it could have been a potential banana skin. But with Paige making her debut we all hoped for a good result. After all the recent rain and snow the pitch was heavy and quite uneven. With the game under way we started passing the ball around from the off. In the first few exchanges we looked slick. The first goal was a corker, after some fine link play and a brilliant turn from Nikki. The end result was a fierce strike from Abby. With Nuneaton looking to attack on the break our defence had to be sharp. With some timely challenges from Laura and Cory they were kept at bay. As the game went on the girls played better and better. The passing was excellent and movement was good, we continued to create chances, but Nuneaton’s defence battled hard and their keeper played well. A second goal did finally come from a super cross from Amy which left a simple tap in for Abby. With every player contributing so well we put in possibly the best first half performance yet. Half time: Nuneaton 0 - 2 Coventry City Ladies What with such a solid first half, would the second live up to the first. With the management making changes at regular intervals the team remained fresh. The girls carried on where they left off, pushing the ball around and keeping Nuneaton on the back foot. Not long into the half Abby came off second in a challenge for the ball. She needed to be carried off and took no further part in the game. After shuffling round the team we carried on. With Louise and Paige taking it in turns to play up front, we still could not turn all the pressure into goals. Amy fired in a super shot only to see Nuneaton’s keeper dive to her right and make an excellent save. The third goal came from a precise through ball from Nikki and Louise (the poacher) was there again. With her first shot blocked she reacted quicker than the keeper to stab it home. The defence had been busy but with Cory, playing her first full game and in fine form we coped with anything they threw at us. She harried and tackled her socks off and with Laura there to help her if things got tricky. This meant another clean sheet for Nadine and also another win, our 100% record remains intact. Abby having had her ankle checked by Dr Seale should hopefully recover (legs grow back eventually I think) Well played girls and welcome aboard Paige it’s a bumpy ride but the 11’s juggernaut is picking up speed. Coventry City Ladies 11 - 0 Stanton United At last our first home game and with it a nice day for football. With the pitch finally in a playable condition we took on lowly Stanton United. After observing the minutes silence the game kicked off. It didn’t take long for the goals to come, a through ball from Laura found Abby in space to fire in off the post. The second was a simple tap in for Abby from Nikki’s corner. With us creating plenty of good chances and moving the ball around well more goals were to come. Next was Beth who took her chance well to drive home from the right side of the box. Followed by a near identical shot this time struck in by Amy from the left. At four nil changes were made and on came Louise, Cory and Alice, it took a little while for the players to settle. But the goals kept on coming, the fifth a shot from Nikki was blocked only for Abby to tap in her third. Now it was Nikki’s turn she tapped in for her first of the season after Louise’s shot came back off the keeper. The last goal of the first half was a shot struck by Nikki from the edge of the area. There were plenty of other chances created but blocks, timely tackles and saves by the plucky Stanton keeper kept the score to seven. Half time: Coventry City Ladies 7 - 0 Stanton United More changes were made at half time and one was to see Laura start up front. We started the half a little slowly but passed the ball well. Stanton were constantly on the back foot as they had been in the first half. The dead lock was finally broken when the ball was crossed in and struck Laura on the knee and flew into the net off the post. The crowd went wild Stanton must have wondered what was going on. That goal was Laura’s first for the City and she’s also on a handsome goal bonus. For a short spell after Laura’s goal we went a bit flat. Alice lofted in a super corner only to see Amy’s header float over the bar, unlucky we’ll get a headed goal before the end of the season I’m sure. Into the last quarter and Alice fired in a shot only to see Amy flick it on passed the stranded keeper. Alice managed to get on the score sheet in the end with a fine shot from left hit with some venom. The last goal was a typical Poacher special from all of two yards. Nice one Louise after having a few chances saved she steered on passed the keeper. Another well supported game and another win the under 11’s juggernaut thunders on. Oadby & Wigston Dynamo 0 - 1 Coventry City
Ladies Another away day trip to Leicester and this one was a tricky one. With both teams unbeaten and 100% records on the line. After all the recent rain the pitch was uneven and heavy. The first half was a see saw affair with both sides having good spells of pressure. Oadby having opting for a more long ball over the top approach looked threatening. This meant the defence and Nadine in goal had to be on their toes. Meanwhile City played with a bit more style and passed the ball well. Creating chances for Amy and Beth, but with their keeper playing well it was always going to be tight. The first half finished honours even with both sides having chances only to have them snuffed out by the keepers HALF TIME Half time: Oadby & Wigston Dynamo 0 - 1 Coventry City Ladies The second half was much like the first both sides looking for openings but finding chances difficult to create. Finally City seemed to get their passing game right. With some good runs from Amy down the left and Beth down the right Oadby were stretched. Abby brought the ball through the centre and took three attempts to put the ball in the net. The first two parried by the keeper but in the net it went one nil to the City. The last ten minutes were a nail biting affair, Oadby piling on the pressure looking for the equalizer. But with some solid defending from Laura, Cory, Lucy and the rest of the team we held out. There was even time for Laura to go on a mazy run from one end of the field to the other but her shot only found the side netting. Unlucky Laura that goal will come. We have now gone twelve month’s since a league defeat, let’s hope that continues. Again this could not have happened without the loyal support from all the parents. Hinckley United 0 - 7 Coventry City Ladies Another lovely sunny Sunday afternoon and we are on our travels again, Hinckley away. Right from the off, we set our stall out to attack. We should have had a couple of goals in the first five minutes. But with us shooting at the keeper and shots wide, it wasn’t meant to be. That changed with some good link play between Nikki and Amy resulting in good goal from Amy. We applied more pressure and it paid off when Amy fired in a shot which deflected off defender and keeper into the net. The pressure again told after more shots peppered the Hinckley goal and Abby this time was there to finish off. Half time score: Hinckley United 0 - 3 Coventry City Ladies The second half continued much like the first. City applying lots of pressure on the Hinckley goal. All our early efforts were being thwarted by an inspired Hinckley Goal keeper. A long ball over the top found Amy in plenty of space. With only the keeper to beat she rifled in an unstoppable shot for her hatrick. Within a few minutes Amy gain found her self in space this time firing in a low shot that squeezed under the diving keeper. Our midfield was now dominating the show. Battling hard for any lost balls and supplying some good crosses. The girl who benefited most was Amy as she popped up again to score a well taken goal her fifth of the game. Ouch that’s gonna Hurt Dad’s wallet (how much a goal is it Amy) .With the game still not won Nikki saw a fine effort come back off the post with Abby there to finish off. In the dying seconds of the game after a poor clearance from their keeper Amy managed put her shot over the bar missing an open goal. Well played to all our girls especially the midfield Beth, Lucy, Nikki and five goal Amy. Harborough Town 1 - 2 Coventry City Ladies The game was played in good weather if a little windy. We played the first half with the wind. The first quarter was quite an even affair until we managed to string a few passes together. This released Amy who took the ball well, left her marker to thunder a superb left foot shot past the stranded keeper. The game continued much as before with both sides struggling to dominate. Neither keeper had been troubled to much as most shots were long range efforts or wide. Harborough won a free kick centre field, a few yards from the area. Their player stepped up a drilled a low shot into the area. It passed a ruck of players and Nadine stuck out a leg but it crept in past the post. Half time score: Harborough Town 1City 1 The second half started with us playing into the wind. We started with only one substitution Nikki being replaced by Louise. The game then became a battle between the two side’s midfields. Harborough made good use of the wind to clear their lines and turn defence into attack. But we held on and attacked ourselves. One such attack produced dividends with a cross from Beth into a crowded area and up popped Louise The Poacher to prod home. The game swung one way and then the other. Harborough had several efforts at goal and not long before the end were awarded a dodgy penalty. The decision was given for what looked more like ball to hand, than hand ball. Up stepped their penalty taker, only to see it saved by Nadine. We fought hard and played well at times and came away with all the points. Having been warned by The Management to beware the wind assisted shots the defence were excellent a special mention to Laura who put in a solid performance aided by Alice and Cory. Oadby & Wigston Snipers 0 - 5 Coventry City
Ladies The game kicked off in quite windy conditions but thankfully no rain. The first fifteen minutes were quite scrappy. We looked like a team lacking match practise and we were. The girls didn’t really settle into a set pattern until Abby scored her first goal of the season. We then started to move the ball around a lot better and the midfield found a little more space. With better service and more time and space on the ball we scored again through Abby. Up until this point Oadby had offered little in away of attacking. That was about to change. There striker fired a shot at goal only to see Nadine tip it over the bar. Not long after this Louise making her debut came on and within a minute had increased the lead to three Half Time Score: Oadby & Wigston Snipers 0 City 3 The second half continued much like the first with Coventry piling on all the pressure with not a lot coming from Oadby. City moved the ball round well and created plenty of chances but struggled a little in finishing. Eventually Abby found the back of the net completing her hat Rick. Oadby having not created much did have one good effort on goal only see Nadine save diving to her right. Amy finally finished off the game with her first of the season. Well played to all the girls including debutants Lucy and Cory. |