Aylsham Town Ladies v Thorpe United Ladies
Game 1 of the day saw me travelling to Alysham's Recreation Ground where Aylsham Town Ladies play their home matches. Had been the venue for my 1st game of the year and where the (SWF Blog 50) challenge got started. The Recreation Ground is home to a number of sporting activities and the pitch used in that 1st match has given way to the cricket outfield. The new pitch being set at the bottom of the site, the grass lush and with a generous covering of dandelions making it a pretty picture on a warm sunny morning perfect for football.
The match was of huge significance to both teams. The last of the season for both teams both stood a chance of clinching the Norfolk Division One title. Wymondham Town Ladies held that coverted top spot having gotten 31pts from 14 games played, they had however played out there season's league matches and could only wait todays results....
| Norfolk Division One | |||||||
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Wymondham Town Ladies | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 31 |
| 2 | Thorpe United Ladies | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 30 |
| 3 | Alysham Town Ladies | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 28 |
Thorpe United Ladies whom I saw clinch a final spot in the Norfolk Women's League Cup Final this coming Sunday 4th May against Wymondham Town Ladies were in pole position sitting in 2nd spot with this one game remaining on 30pts with a superior goal difference just required a draw to claim the title. Aylsham Town Ladies having had a good 2nd half to the season and with UEA WFC pulling out of the league found themselves in 3rd spot on 28pts after 13 played with just a single digit in the goal difference separating them from Wymondham Town Ladies a victory by 2 clear goals gave them an outside chance of pinching the title.
Even with the early start at work I was cutting it fine to make kick off and had barely gotten to the side of the pitch as Aylsham in their orange & blue shirts, blue shorts and orange socks got the game under way. Thorpe in their pink shirts and socks with black shorts won possession broke and scored through captain Rebekah Lake with barely 10 seconds on the clock. The perfect start for the visitors the home side were shell shocked 0-1.
Thorpe with the early advantage settled the quicker, have been one of the donimant teams in women's football in Norfolk in recent years used to contesting matches at the top of the table. Lake is through again this time bursting into the box scuffs her effort allowing Aylsham's keeper to scoop the ball up.
Aylsham have a free kick out on the right the effort is dragged heavily and screws towards the near post allowing Thorpe's keeper to pluck it down and set up a break, this results in a free kick being awarded to Thorpe just ouside the Aylsham penalty box, Becky Russell to take the tall midfielder hits a low shot towards the far post no one makes a move to block, too easy the score line is doubled 0-2.
Aylsham are restricted to pops at goal from long range one goes close but curls away from the post to go behind. A long throw from thier captain comes into the box she shot is blocked deflected for a corner. The break is always on for Thorpe Lake holding her position well with good support from Charlotte Groves who plays the ball out to her on the right, Lake shoots from the edge of the box the ball flashing dangerously across goal.
Minutes later Lake through the centre is in on goal slots it to the keepers right low to make increase the their lead to 3 nil. At the other end Aylsham have a couple of efforts on Thorpe's goal their keeper parrying the ball away for the 1st strike the rebound sent wide.
Thorpe are rampart their 3 goal lead becomes 4, Lake completeing her hat-trick in the 1st half as Groves plays her through once again she breaks into the box Aylsham's keeper attempts to close her down falling at her feet, Lake with good feet smuggles the ball wide to her right inside the six yard box and shoots the ball beating the covering defenders on the line, 0-4.
From a Thorpe corner defender Laura Wiseman is pushed over in the box seen by the referee the penalty is awarded, up steps Becky Russell, to smash the ball home to make it 5 to Thorpe.
Half-time Aylsham Town Ladies 0-5 Thorpe United Ladies
With a 5 goal lead Thorpe have a commanding grip on the Norfolk Division One title, Aylsham's manager has a job on just to lift his team, the message to not let your heads drop and win the 2nd half.
They start the stronger Thorpe have made changes. All over the pitch Aylsham are winning the ball back and then looking to get extra bodies forwards. Win a free kick on the right just outside the box delivered in Thorpe's keeper has to be alert to punch it behind for a corner. Another free kick further out is sent wide of the far post.
When in possession the midfield is prepared to break in support of the strike force. A free kick on the half way line is floated in Aylsham have four inside the box the ball comes in is headed down and the shot comes from Aylsham's Gina Atherton who scores sliding the ball past the falling keeper into the net to get the home team on the score sheet 1-5.
Thorpe are giving away silly free kicks each giving Aylsham with an opportunity to create a goal. A well delivered kick from the right is a good hide inviting a touch Thorpe's keeper comes out to claim strongly. An Aylsham corner is cleared at the near post, another corner from the other side is punches clear by the keeper.
Thorpe though still have a 4 goal cushion can be patient are soaking up the pressure the break is one a good run down the left see's a cross put into the penatly box Gemma Sanders gets on the end of it but her effort goes over the bar. Sanders has another effort on goal further out this time that brings a good save.
Late on Russell has an opening to attempt a lob at Aylsham's goal, get's it wrong as the ball goes high and wide. In the closing moments Russell again with a long range pop that Aylsham's keeper drops down well to save the final whistle blows and Thorpe win 5-1 to clinch the Norfolk Division One title. Final standings...
| Norfolk Division One | |||||||
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Thorpe United Ladies | 14 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 33 |
| 2 | Wymondam Town Ladies | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 31 |
| 3 | Alysham Town Ladies | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 28 |
Well done to Thorpe United LFC on becoming Norfolk Division One Champions
Sprowston Ladies v Red Rose Ladies
With the 10:30 kick off to the 1st division title decider, it meant I had an opportunity to see another match in Norfolk if their were any on in the regular Sunday 2pm slot. As it turned out there was the Norfolk Division Two clash between Sprowston Ladies and Red Rose Ladies just 12 miles up the road, one of the 2 million or so women's football matches that had been called off due to the miserable wet weather at the start of the year.
Played at the Open Academy in Sprowston, Norwich the pitch was a little hard to find but I fell back to my trusted methods for finding a grassroots game sooner or later you're going to spot a group of women footballers kitted out and then follow, turned out the pitch was over the road. The weather still bright and sunny this was the last game of the league for Sprowston and Red Rose and after 17 played a piece were level in 6th and 7th place on 26pts a victory for either side would lift them above Bohemians in 5th.
Red Rose were up against it from the start turning up with just 10 players they lined up in there red and black vertical striped shirts, black shorts and socks as Sprowston in there orange shirts, and black shorts and socks kicked the match off on what was a fairly firm playing surface.
The numerical advantage was most telling on the flanks the home side able to use the extra player out wide, the hard surface and a lively ball meant it often ran away from the attacker before she could get onto the ball to cross. When they did get on the end of it the attempted cross was too strong for anyone to run onto or Red Rose's keeper was out quickly to clear.
Despite being a player down Red Rose were working extremely hard and keeping a good shape especially at the back were getting the ball forwards had a good spell of possession out on the left which resulted in a cross being delivered in to the box actually cannon's off the post and out straight into the path of Red Rose's Emma Talmadge who slots it back past the keeper at the near post to make it 0-1 to the visitors.
A Sprowston free kick delivered from the right is brought down inside the box the shot is cut across the ball screwing it behind for a goal kick. Soon after a Sprowston corner is headed on at the near post Red Rose's keeper jumps to claim the ball well in the centre of her goal.
There are shouts for hand ball inside the Red Rose penalty box but only a corner is awarded. The ball drops into the box from the resulting kick and is cleared off the line by the Red Rose defence.
The pressure is building Sprowston have run clear of the defence a number of times beating the offside flag, each time Red Rose's captain has recovered well with pace to make a tackle. This time she is beaten however Sprowston's Natasha Robson chases down an over the top ball and slips it past the diving keeper to level the scores 1-1.
Half-time - Sprowston Ladies 1-1 Red Rose Ladies
Red Rose kick off the 2nd half, start the brighter win a corner that coming in from the right the keeper misses, there is a goal mouth scramble Sprowston smuggle the ball away. Sprowston enjoy good possession down their right flank get a shot away the ball goes behind the goal.
Red Rose have a shot 20 yards out that swerves narrowly wide of the post. Try their luck from further out minutes later the low drive getting pushes behind by the keeper at her near post for a corner. Red Rose are enjoying good possession higher up the pitch with a player short they are doing well to match Sprowston for effort. Have an effort sail narrowly wide has the Sprowston keeper worried as she dives to her right.
Sprowston are through on goal with only the keeper to beat the shot is blazed over the bar the attacker having more time that she realised. Sprowston then have another effort at Red Rose's goal cleared off the line at the near post. Approaching the last 10 minutes Sprowston are pushing Red Rose back Natasha Robson is through on goal charging in from the right tried her luck at the near post finds the side netting.
Pushing players forwards in the final minutes a ball is played into the box from the left flank closing in on it is Sprowston's Jo Davey getting a foot to it she scores sending the ball past the keeper into the roof of the net 2-1.
Turns out to be the winning goal as Sprowston celebrate getting the 3pts and clinching 5th place in Division Two. Tough on Red Rose who had worked hard with just 10 players even more so when I learnt after the match their goalkeeper was playing despite having a broken wrist.
A long, but great day of watching grassroots women's football in Norfolk I'm already looking forwards to the new season.
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