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Under 16 Team Match Reports Coventry City Ladies 1 - 9 Leicester City In the First half the Sky Blues started slowly but made a game of it taking the lead with a well worked goal from Catherine Harris. Leicester equalised due to some sloppy defending but at half time City were holding the league leaders 1-1. But as the saying goes its a game of two halves and this game certainly lived up to it. In the second half Leicester were first to every ball, and City were just awful. The Sky Blues did not compete on any part of the field and defended appallingly, leaving our keeper open to a free for all. Leicester proceeded to fill their boots running out 1-9 winners. Goal Scorers: Coventry City 1 (Catharine Harris) Leicester City 9 (R Woodhouse 1, S Bradley 1, S Smith 1, L Turner 1,N Mead 1, L Cresswell 4) Coventry City Ladies 4 - 1 Walsall The Sky Blues started there cup campaign at home with a useful Walsall team looking for a a cup upset. It was the Sky Blues who started the better with the defence well organised and the team playing with confidence and authority. The Sky Blues forced two good early saves from the very impressive Walsall keeper but after 20 minutes City were forced into making a change when Catherine Vernon damaged her ankle and was rushed to hospital, x-rays confirmed a broken ankle. Shurker replaced her and after a quick reshuffle of the Sky Blues line up the game continued. Good quality football and lots of pressure lead to the Sky Blues breaking the dead lock with a good move down the left which saw the ball rolled back for "women of the match" Catherine Smith (Smithy) to strike the ball into the top corner 1-0. 1-0 was quickly turned into two when another great Sky Blues move saw Sarah Gichrist (Shurker) score a stunning second turning her marker to strike a superb left foot drive into the top corner and it was no more than the Sky Blues deserved. 2-0 up and the Sky Blues continued to carve out more opportunities and the Walsall keeper was saving their blushes. As the game was drawing to half time a ball was played into the city's box and a half clearance feel to a Walsall's Kirsty Griffiths who neatly finished into the bottom corner 2-1. The second half city produced the kind of quality football that supporters would pay to watch with city creating more chances. 10 minutes into the second half saw the Sky Blues retain there two goal advantage with a superb right foot drive from fully 20 yards by Joane Ryan (Jo), which ended up right in the top corner. Three superb individual goals by the Sky Blues. That was the last kick of the game for the ever running Jo and saw a debut for Kelly Willis who was coming back from a serious injury. A fourth goal came soon after, another shot from the outside of the box from Smithy saw the very impressive Catherine Harris following in and having the easiest of tap ins. 4-1 could easily have been 8-1 if the Sky Blues had not come against a Walsall goalkeeper having the game of her life. On another positive note city were without two influential players in Sigourney Gowlett (Ziggy) and Ally Forbes but still looked very impressive with the Sky Blues also having the luxury of using all five substitutes. The Sky Blues will have harder games in this cup but could this be the year for the Sky Blues? Goal scorers: Catherine Smith ,Joanne Ryan , Catherine Harris ,Sarah Gilchrist Coventry City Ladies 5 - 2 Shrewsbury Town The game started with Shrewsbury attacking and they forced an early corner. The ball was whipped in to the near post where there striker got a toe on it to force the ball into the top corner. 1-0 Shrewsbury. Coventry then took the game to the visitors but lacked ideas up front and the killer pass in front of goal. A quick break away by the visitors caught the Sky Blues defensive ball watching and a sweetly struck strike by the left midfielder at the near post and it was 2-0 Shrewsbury. This seemed to spring life into the Sky Blues who now began to play. Ziggy cut in from the left side and beat two defenders and was unlucky to see her effort rebound off the post. Two minutes later and Ziggy was through on goal onto to fire the ball just over the cross bar. The Sky Blues where now camped in the Shrewsbury half but another sloppy piece of defending saw Shrewsbury awarded another corner. As the ball was whipped in the centre forward got above everybody else but luckily a city defender was on the line to clear it away. From the resulting corner a neat exchange by lefty and Ally saw the ball at allys feet from eight yards out 2-1. After half time saw Shrewsbury down to nine ladies for a spell of about 15 minute this was where city seized the initiative and score two quick goals by Kyra from a corner and Jo with a superb finish. A further goal by Charlene and Catherine wrapped up a very impressive second half by the Sky Blues. Overall the final score line was convincing a very powerful display from Helen and Ally in the middle. A quite but effective game by Rash at the back but the Sky Blues will need to tighten up defensively if they are to live there dream of winning the league West Brom 2 - 7 Coventry City Ladies A very wet and windy Saturday morning greeted the players, not ideal conditions for football. Both teams looking for their first win so this game had all the ingredients to be tough encounter. A sloppy start by Coventry gifted W.B.A an early free kick on the left-hand side of box. A sweetly struck free kick went in off the bar giving the goalkeeper no chance, 1-0 to the Albion. The worse possible start for the Sky Blues but this seemed to spring them into life and a neat move was ended with a fierce strike into to the bottom corner by Ziggy, 1-1. W.B.A continued to attack and take the ascendancy to the Sky Blues and seemed more likely to go infront again themselves. An indifferent ten minute spell was changed when a good one two exchange by shucker and Jo, left Jo through on goal to finish and make the score 2-1. The Sky Blues should have gone on from there and took the game to W.B.A but the Albion took the game to the Sky Blues and were rewarded 10 minutes later. Good work again down the left-hand side saw a deep cross into the box. The ball seemed to go in the wind and loop into the top corner, there was nothing the keeper could do again and we were all square again at 2-2. The remaining 13 minutes of the half were mainly dominated by W.B.A and they could have gone into the break with a first half lead. W.B.A seemed to be coping with the weather conditions better than the Sky Blues who were relieved to hear the half-time whistle. At the break the Sky Blues decided to make two changes down their right hand side. Both Sam Sheridan and Chantel where replaced by Sammie and Catherine respectively. It was the Sky Blues who started the second half more positively and began to put W.B.A’s goal under some serious pressure. The first 10 minutes the Sky Blues where camped inside their opponents half and it seemed like it would not be there day, Until a great burst from midfield by Ziggy and a Cracker Jack of a shot inside the post giving the goalkeeper no chance and restoring the Sky Blues lead. The Sky Blues now started to play with confidence and stretched there lead soon after with a good solo effort from the substitute Catherine. Further goals from Ziggy, Catherine and Lefty made the score 7-2 and a deserved first win for the Sky Blues. Overall it was a game of two halves, which in the end the Sky Blues fitness and skill won them the game. |