County Under 18 Ladies 4 Macclesfield 1
`Championies......Championies.
They just
needed a point but goals from Megan Rowe and Georgia Vernardakis, before the
break, and Sarah Mitchell and Vernardakis again after made it a handsome
maximum pointer, with Lorraine Bailey replying for Macclesfield.
It was a
decent game, and if Stockport via Demi Noon, Hannah Mitchell, and the live wire
Georgia Vernadakis , generally had more fire power than their Cheshire
neighbours......... in Katie Franks, Louisa Wade, Macc posed a threat
themselves a time or two, and in Tia Barker had a defensive linchpin to be
proud of , and a heroic keeper as well in Zena Walmsley, who had a fine game.
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| Macc warm up pre match. |
County
surged forward from the whistle and Hannah Mitchell was unlucky to see a snap
shot climb inches over the bar. Then Macclesfield replied through Hannah
Davies, after excellent work from Katie Franks, but her volley went wide. If
County had attacking thoughts at this early stage, they had to be put on hold
as Macc came back at them again as Melanie Forster went close. I was not
expecting to see this at all, and it threatened to get more irksome as County got themselves in a bit of a tangle
at the back, and a goal looked distinctly on for the visitors, but Charlotte
Mathers was just unable to force the ball home as it bounced this way and that
on the line.
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| Hannah Mitchell in the thick of it.... |
Phew.....that
was too close for comfort, but when the going gets tough....etc
.....etc......and for a couple of minutes it had been, but County replied like
champions as an awesome effort from outside the box by Megan Rowe sailed over
keeper Walmsley`s head into the net. Less than 5 minutes had gone and County
were one up!
Macclesfield
tried to reply via Franks, who already was looking a real handful, but Georgina
Corser was up to the challenge, and with help from Jess McNair the threat was contained,
enabling County to hit their opponents on the break ......twice.....but both
times they were thwarted.....first by Walmsley who made light of Charlotte
Hislop`s challenge from Mitchell`s cross, and then by Molly Jones who produced
some good defensive work to stop Rowe from adding a second.
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| Wade breaks up County raid. |
A free kick
then briefly put County under pressure, but after Nyemh Johnson had seen that
off, the blues went looking for that second goal, and one seemed about to
happen as Jess McNair darted through the middle at speed. It was a
chance....and Jessica`s shot was a good one, but Zena Walmsley brought frowns
to the brows of the home contingent with a diving save that saw the ball pushed
around the post.
County were
now pushing forward with regularity, and Megan Rowe might have thought she had
another chance to make it 2-0, until the hard working Louisa Wade got a
blocking tackle in and brought the move to a rapid conclusion. It went on with
Walmsley breaking Stockport hearts again by tipping a shot from Rowe around the
post.
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| Zena Walmsley- in prime form! |
There had
been a fare bit of attacking from the blues thus far...Macc were not cowed
however and only excellent work from Charlotte Hislop stopped a neat pass from
Jess Shepherd reaching Melanie Forster in a decent position. Johnson had to be
on her toes as well a time or two, but she coped well and never really looked
in trouble, Faye Smith and Lydia Henshall at centre back offered solidity and
grit, Henshall doing particularly well to stop Lauren Bailey on the charge at one
point.
Past the 20
minute mark we went with County back on the attack thanks to Mitchell and
McNair who carried on some more good work by Henshall, to carve a cavernous
hole in the left side of the Macc defence. The final ball saw McNair in and
onto the ball, but Walsmsley chose this moment to produce another important
save, snatching the ball off McNair`s toes bravely. Unfortunately the County forward
then fell awkwardly and sustained an injury that forced her from the game,
which was a blow.
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| Jessica McNair receiving treatment. |
It became
somewhat processional after this with County piling forward as shots from Sally
Stringer and Hannah Mitchell went narrowly wide. Onto a cross by
Mitchell....Shauna Miller, who had replaced McNair, then looked about to put
County back on track, but again Walmsley denied County with a brave bit of
work! On it went with Miller teeing Rowe up for another near miss one moment,
and then unlucky to see a shot drift just wide the next.
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| Walmsley ...busy but holding firm. |
County were
certainly trying to double their advantage, it was just that their opponents
were unobligingly difficult to dispose of, none more so than Walmsley who made
another crucial save to stop Demi Noon as she charged clear through the middle!
Louisa Wade
was emerging as a force for Macc....stopping Shauna Miller with a neat tackle,
and then pushing County back with a free kick that saw her inches from getting
the equaliser.
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| First half action. |
Sure......County
were doing the lion`s share of the attacking, but they had to watch out for
Macc on the break. No matter....the blues pressed on- the lively Hannah
Mitchell being kept out by good work from Hannah Davies. Demi Noon joined in being stopped first by Davies
and then by the excellent Walmsley who again produced the goods in shed loads
as the County forward hurtled through the middle at a rate of knots.
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| Noon and Walmsley vie for control..... |
It looked
like a second goal would never arrive, and then with seconds left of the half .....it
did .
Tia Barber had just added to the growing list of County woes, with some `bites
yer legs’ defending, when Macclesfield`s progress was abruptly halted by a
thunderously good intervention from Sally Stringer. She set the move up
brilliantly, and it was finished with polish and aplomb as Georgia Vernadakis caressed
a fantastic effort over the advancing keeper`s head into the back of the net.
That was simply excellent....it was half time too, and 2-0 was a pretty good
return for County for 45 minutes hard work.....could they now build on that in
the second 45 though?
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| Vernadakis on the charge......... |
Macclesfield
opened the second half brightly with Charlotte Mathers and Lorraine Wade to the
fore, but the stand out moment in the first 10 minutes came with County
pressing, when a poor challenge on Shauna Miller, looked like ushering in a
penalty to County. The referee gave a corner, and battle as the redoubtable
Georgia Vernadakis did, she could not keep her shot down and Macc had survived.
County were
however starting to build momentum now and Tia Barber was earning her corn with
some decisive action at the back for the visitors. Even so Hislop and
Vernadakis were able to make some headway, and the former`s cross landed nicely
for one of either Shauna Miller or Sarah Leonard to deal with. Leonard it was
who had the honour, but the shot went just wide and Macc breathed easily once
again.
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| Noon burst clear tracked by Barber. |
On....on it
went with Miller shooting wide on the turn, and Noon going close not long
after. Again it looked like that elusive third would never come, until the hour
mark arrived with Miller winning her team a precious free kick. It soared into
the box from the foot of Lydia Henshall, and although Walmsley looked at one
point as though she had it....faced with challenges from Miller, Leonard and
the predatory Vernadakis, she suddenly hadn`t and Vernadarkis pounced slotting
the ball into the net to make it 3-0.
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| Vernadakis ready to pounce........ |
Macclesfield
rallied after this and it took good work from Faye Smith and Charlotte Taylor
to keep them quiet, as Wade and Barber urged their team mates on.
County still
had their moments midst this Macc revival.....Mitchell going close, and then
closer as her shot took a deflection off Miller and went into the net for what
I saw as the fourth goal. The referee did not however and ruled the `goal’ out
for......err.....I`ll get back to you on that.........
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| Confident Nyemh Johnson, saved a pen ! |
Almost
immediately Macclesfield took heart and ran at County, and Henshall did well to
keep Franks out. Vernadakis did even better ....... tracking back to get a
fantastic tackle in to stop Caitlin Wilson as she powered forward. It was a
corner and this soon became a penalty as the ball struck a blue arm in the box.
Up stepped Barber to do the honours and she hit it well, but Nyemh Johnson`s
dive saw her keep it out. County wellied it clear , but only to Lorrain Bailey
who whipped it straight back in again, and Johnson had no chance as the ball
flew into the net, making it now 3-1.
Macclesfield
deserved that, but County were in no mood to dwell on that fact and within 5
minutes their 3 goal advantage was re-established, as a lightning break out
from defence saw a sublime finish by Hannah Mitchell make it 4-1. Mitchell had
threatened that for some time, and it was well deserved!
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| Mitchell about to put the fourth away! |
County were
in prime form in the games dying embers ....Mitchell inches from a
fifth.....Rowe unluckily ruled offside moments later , but Macc had their
moments too ....Mathers doing heroics at the back and Bailey not far away from
doubling her goal tally.
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| Late action. |
The game was
nearly over, as Vernadakis pulled out another prime cut tackle to deny Shepherd,
and Henshall a slider to rob Bailey. It only required Leonard and Rowe to give
Walmsley some angst and that was that.....uncork the shampoo.....County were Champions!
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| Cue celebrations............ |
The team have
one game to go now of course, but this was an authoritative way to get where
you want to go, and they are worthy Champions!
County line
up(inc subs)
Nyemh
Johnson, Olivia Lockett, Faye Smith, Lydia Henshall, Georgina Corser,Sally
Stringer, Megan Rowe, Hannah Mitchell, Georgia Vernadakis, Charlotte Hislop,
Jessica McNair, Shauna Miller, Sarah Leonard, Charlotte Taylor, Catherine
Eastwood, Demi Noon.
Macclesfield
line up ( inc subs).
Zena Walmsley, Molly Jones, Jess Jones, Hannah
Davies, Katie Franks, Lauren Bailey, Melanie Forster, Louisa Wade, Charlotte
Mathers, Jess Shepherd, Yazmin Howell, Caitlin Wilson, BeckyAdditional Gallery;-
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| With apologies Nyemh...a brilliant save badly photographed! |
Ian Brown
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