Scorers: Chelsea, Tracey, Sinead
Ding ding ding! It was time to put down the oranges (and caprese salad – Jennah what were you thinking?!) and head back to the field. To face the team we just played. It felt very weird indeed.
As we’d predicted, ELL started the game with all the momentum – they’d scored the last goal in our previous match which has gave them hope for getting at least a point from this one. With their Number 18 making loads of darting runs, it was down to our strong defence to intervene – I can’t even tell you how many times Jean and Harry cleared that ball! We stood firm and rode it out as only the Strongest Defence In The League would do (that’s right!) and waited for our moment to shine.
It wasn’t too long before we started pressurising their goal and the gale-force winds behind us meant it was very difficult for them to clear the area so we sustained the pressure for a long time. In fact, our first goal came from an interception of a wind-affected goal kick! Chelsea nipped in front of the defence, controlled the ball beautifully and unleashed a powerful looping shot to take us into the lead. Nicely done!
I’m not sure exactly what happened between our first and second goals but there was definitely more wind. So. Much. Wind. Even the unicorns were finding it hard to stand upright!
Some excellent play down the left put Tracey in a great position to do some fancy twists and turns on the edge of the area (until she was cynically fouled, that is). We were all waiting in the area for a cross from the resulting free kick but we weren’t needed – Tracey scored an absolute beauty, curled nicely into the top right corner. The keeper didn’t stand a chance.
After half time the wind seemed to pick up more. I know I’m banging on about it but it was really quite brutal. At this stage it felt like we’d been playing this team for 10 years! And then the hail came. Oh, the hail. Some of us couldn’t actually see. But that’s not important!
We had a strong, fast breakaway. We like these. Tracey got the ball in the middle and passed it out to the right to me. One touch took it away from the defender but… oh. She got me. So so late but the super wet ground just helped me slide further forward, I picked myself up and continued the run, put in a cross into the 6 yard box and who was there but the person you’d bet your life on finishing from 6 yards: SINEEAAAAAD.
That made it 3-0 and with only a few minutes to play it was all over.
Job done!
Annika
