It's always a good thing to try and let clubs know that you are coming prior to a match and twitter has made that interaction even better. If I hadn't I'd have ended up going to the New Lodge home of Billericay Town FC and Billericay Town Ladies and found there was no one there, and that wouldn't be the 1st time I've turned up at a ground to watch a women's football match and found no one there!
The venue change was passed on to me however and I headed instead for Ramsden Heath's Nursery Sports Fields, a sporting complex run by South Hanningfield Parish Council. Haven't travelled into Essex as much as I'd have liked to this season to watch women's football so this Sunday I took the opportunity to watch 2 teams I haven't seen play yet.
Billericay Town Ladies were one of the favourites to win the ERWFL Premier Division this year. Have finished runners-up in recent seasons. All the teams in the division though have been unable to stop the Lowestoft Town Ladies juggernaut as the Suffolk side undefeated with a100% win record to date clinched the title with 6 games left to play. Billericay Town Ladies currently lay in 3rd place with 2 games left to play are 3pts behind 2nd placed Colchester Town Ladies, however their fellow Essex side have completed all of their fixtures a win today coupled with a Stevenage Ladies loss, who were playing Gt Shelford Ladies today, would seal Billericay 2nd place again.
Their opponents today Barking Ladies were the early season pace setters, but having started well have steadily fallen away from the top are safe in the middle of the table in 7th place, have lost a number of players to rival teams over recent times and are looking to recruit new faces over the close season to help maintain their status as a Premier Division side. Today was their final match of the season.
The Nursery Sports Fields a tidy sporting facility with the playing field surrounded by woodland, the pitch surrounded by a metal railing looking in pretty good condition. Was a mild but overcast day, dark clouds above but the rain never arrived.
Billericay Town Ladies starting XI - Hollie Dimambro, Charlotte Hopwood, Sarah Bovington, Nicole Farmer, Katie Whitehead, Marie Barker (C), Helen Alder, Paris Smith, Stephanie Poleykett, Lucy Wyatt & Hayley Piggott.
subs - Layla Prior, Vanessa Wilson, Stacey Smith, Lisa Robins & Frances Murphy.
Barking Ladies starting XI - Olubusola Shoneye, Lucy Allen, Anna Wyatt, Elizabeth Allen, Ashleigh Bhatt, Claire Brooks (C), Leanne Russell, Abbey Dell, Sammah Shariff, Lucy Jamieson & Carly Vigors
subs - Liane Prior.
(roll on roll off substitutes)
It's the visitors to kick off the match, Barking are kitted out in yellow shirts and socks with blue shorts, with Billericay lined up against them in an all blue strip. Billericay win the ball off Barking early on to go on the attack with their captain Marie Barker getting on the ball in the centre of midfield and looking to thread the pass through to her strikers beyond, Barking's defenders intercept as they back track.
Billericay are pushing Barking back early on piling players forwards keeping them penned in their own half the visitors are finding it hard to get the ball out to their attackers. Possession down the right of the pitch brings Billericay a corner, played into the near post area it is headed on drops into space, everyone has been attracted to the near post however and it's a Barking defender that reaches the ball 1st.
Sarah Bovington brings the ball over the half way line for Billericay is allowed to travel with it, reaching the edge of the Barking area goes to shot, left of the goal she pulls her effort wide of the mark.
GOAL! 10 minutes gone and Billericay's early pressure tells have a corner on the left fired into the middle of the area the ball is cleared comes back to Billericay's Hayley Piggott standing 30 yards out from goal in a central position, she flicks the ball up and sends her shot arrowing in towards goal, on the rise Barking goalkeeper Olubusola Shoneye throws an arm up but too late the ball is past her flying in under the bar to give Billericay the lead 1-0.
 |
| Billericay Town Ladies Hayley Piggott opened the scoring |
Winning a challenge in the Barking half it's Barker who comes forwards with the ball has team mates Paris Smith and Lucy Wyatt making runs for her both to the left of the Barking goal sends the ball into Wyatt, she controls then shots, in front of her Barking's Anna Wyatt makes the block.
When Barking do manage to get the ball forwards they are looking to play it into space for attacker Abbey Dell to run into, getting it out to the right Dell is right of the goal looking to take the ball into the box, Billericay goalkeeper Hollie Dimambro comes rushing over to dive for the ball at her feet makes the save preventing Dell a shooting opportunity however she takes a knock in the process.
Billericay have the ball up the other end of the pitch quickly send Smith through on goal takes the shot on early outside the area again pokes it wide. Not long after she has another chance to shoot with Lucy Wyatt on the left hustling the Barking defence stealing the all and getting the cross into the box, Smith stabs the ball over.
Barking haven't had many set pieces, awarded a free kick on the right, Anna Wyatt plays the ball long into the area, in front of the penalty spot it's Carly Vigors who rises above everyone, can't quite make the necessary contact with her head to turn the ball goal wards.
Billericay are having the majority of the attacks bringing the ball forwards the final pass is being hit a little too early into space rather than looking for a run giving Barking the chance to retrieve it. Have another corner on the right, coming into the near post Shoneye is up to punch the ball, slices it past her towards the far post area where Lucy Wyatt gets onto it 1st and fires the ball back in, strikes the cross bar, before being knocked out of play for a goal kick.
GOAL! It's Smith who doubles Billericay's lead, is running in on goal arriving on the six yard line as the ball is crossed in from the left, coming into Smith her 1st touch is heavy ended up knocking it against Shoneye, but as it spins off the keeper Smith is quickly onto it and hitting the shot on the spin has a 2nd bite of the cherry to send it home 2-0.
Shoneye does well to save as the ball is fired in from the left again swooping in low she can see Smith racing in on her, knocks the ball up and away from the attacker, before racing after the ball and claiming it before anyone else can latch onto it inside her box.
Stephanie Poleykett is hurt as she is send crashing into the metal railings running along the side of the pitch a back injury Billericay manager Kim Coster brings her off so the injury can be assessed Lisa Robins is the player that comes on.
Late attack from Barking the attackers struggling for time on the ball 1st half Dell closes down Bovington outside the area nicking the ball off her and darts into the area, takes on the early shot sends the ball spinning wide of the goal.
Half-time Billericay Town Ladies 2-0 Barking Ladies
Billericay deserve their 2-0 have been the dominant team in the 1st half had more of the ball and created chances, have also been wasteful with the final ball too could have added more goals with a little more composure. Barking have been on the back foot for much of the half have defended well putting bodies in the way of shots, just need to get it into their front players more if they want to get back into the match.
It's Billericay to kick off the 2nd half have made a triple change at half time with Dimambro coming off suffering from her 1st half injury in goal, Layla Prior comes on in goal. Out field Frances Murphy and Vanessa Wilson come on with Lucy Wyatt and Helen Alder rested.
The home side winning the ball back from a Barking clearance the ball is played out to Smith on the right, she fires it back into Barker 25 yards out from goal, central she looks to hit it on the spin, turns the ball wide of goal.
 |
| Barking Ladies Ashleigh Bhatt |
Vigors looks for Dell as she knocks a header forwards from the left of the pitch the ball is won by a Billericay head, but Dell is after it as it drops outside the box hits the ball in at goal, Prior throws her gloves up knocking it over the bar for a corner. Played in from the right the ball drops to Barking's Lucy Jamieson gets the shot in from 12 yards out, Billericay block and launch a counter attack.
Playing in a more advanced position in the 2nd half Bovington on the ball has Barking's Vigors and Bhatt closing her down gets out of the way just in time as the Barking pair clatter into one another, leaving Vigors on the ground, Bovington's run forwards is halted by the referee so that Vigors can receive treatment.
Barker wins another tackle in the middle and looks to send Bovington away as she makes a run to the right of the area sends in a shot pulls it across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.
Smith comes off for Billericay with Lucy Wyatt returning to the pitch. She gives chase to a ball played into the right hand corner of the pitch, getting it turns inside and fires the ball into Barker on the edge of the area she shoots, Anna Wyatt is behind it to block again. Barker comes off to be replaced by Alder.
Vigors brings the ball out from over the half way line plays it up for Dell to chase she hustles the Billericay defence well forces an error the ball coming loose for Vigors she hits the shot from distance 1st time, Wilson heads it clear.
Poleykett has recovered from her 1st half knock returns to the pitch with Katie Whitehead coming off. Soon after she is joined by Stacey Smith. Poleykett is fouled 35 yards from goal on the left by Elizabeth Allen, the referee has tried to play advantage as often as possible during the game but brings play back now, it's Poleykett over the ball looks to send it in on goal an easy save for Shoneye.
Stacey Smith looks to peel off her defender and take the ball into the area, can't shake off Anna Wyatt that easily the centre back keeping with her pushes her to the right before making the tackle putting the ball out for a throw.
Lucy Wyatt for Billericay then looks to get onto the end of a long cross played over from the left by Billericay retrieving the ball on the by line spins it back into Bovington who plays it back to Piggott tries another strike from distance, this time Shoneye can see it run past her out of play.
GOAL! Late into the 2nd half Billericay add a 3rd goal possession is won down the left as Poleykett is given the ball, shoulder to shoulder with a defender she runs into the area, puts her foot through the ball, Shoneye falling back throws out a leg as it heads for the near post, doesn't get it as the shot goes in 3-0.
 |
| Barking's Sammah Shariff & Billericay's Stephanie Poleykett |
Into injury time and Billericay are on the attack winning a throw wide right the ball is played into Piggott again, hits the shot into the box again bounces wide as the final whistle blows and Billericay secure the 3 points with a 3-0 win to move into 2nd place in the Premier Division table.
A scrappy game but Billericay were the dominant side scored the necessary goals to win the game, created plenty more chances too with better finishing could have doubled the score line. Barking though defended doggedly at times whilst never getting the ball to stick up top enough to give them more of a chance to get back into the game.
Billericay secure 2nd spot in the league with one game left to play as the only team that could catch them Stevenage Ladies lost 2-1 at home to Gt Shelford Ladies today. In the other match leaders and champions Lowestoft Town Ladies won 4-0 away to Leverstock Green Ladies.
Billericay Town Ladies have one more league match left a home game against Lowestoft Town Ladies on Sun 3rd May.
My thanks to both teams for their welcome today and help with the team details.
No comments:
Post a Comment