Brandon Town Ladies have come into the Norfolk women's football set up having played in Suffolk before, joining Norfolk Women's Division Two they were one of the favourites for the title. Have had a fantastic league season to date, a 100% win record having played 17 games scoring a staggering 141 goals and conceding just the 4! Have 5 league games left to play lay 3 points behind leaders Lynn Ladies but with 2 games in hand. Has been a busy league and cup schedule have reached the final of the Norfolk Ladies League Cup which has seen a back log of fixtures with postponements to and the need for some midweek fixtures late on to squeeze all the games in.
Sprowston Ladies Reserves are a new side to the division this season, with their 1st team stepping up to compete in Norfolk Women's Division One, the club entered a reserves side to the 2nd tier. A clutch of new women's football teams that have entered the division, the club didn't get off to the best of starts to the season losing their opening 4 matches. That all changed at the end of November 2014 going into December with the side seeing a massive turn around a purple patch that saw them win 4 matches in a row and start moving up the table. Since the start of the year results have been up and down currently sit in 9th place in the table.
Brandon Town Ladies play their night fixtures up the road at Thetford Town FC a small stadium on the outskirts of the town, is a tight ground barely room for a stand along one side and the pitch itself which slopes from one side to the other. A little cooler tonight than it has been of late, but bright and clear the setting sun might pose a problem before the floodlights come on.
Brandon Town Ladies starting XI - Shannon Odebrecht, Eleanor Marshall, Laura Grove, Brooke Wickens, Natasha Rutter, Georgina O'Malley, Hazel Shepherd, Tiffany Forshaw (C), Laura Brame, Leanne Sloan & Anna Tarmanowska
subs - Chelsea Paremain.
Sprowston Ladies Reserves starting XI - Tracey Bell, Sophia Charlalambous, Hayley Muir (C), Liz Johnson, Lois Irving, Rebecca Kirby, Keri Boorman, Denise Leahy, Annika Skoog, Jo Davey & Kerry Mortlock.
subs - Laura Jenkins, Louise Aldous & Erica Lakey.
It's Sprowston to get the match under way kitted out in orange shirts with black across the right shoulder and sleeve, black shorts and socks, with Brandon lined up opposite them in yellow shirts and socks with blue shorts.
Isn't long before Brandon are on the attack with the ball being played into Laura Brame up top her back to goal she has team captain Tiffany Forshaw making the run into the right channel slides the ball into her path pushing to the by line she looks to square the ball back into the area comes in low to the near post, Sprowston goalkeeper Tracey Bell has her near post covered and takes the ball.
Brandon win an early corner, the ball being played in from the right, is headed on across the goal face from the crowded near post, Forshaw has a free header coming in beyond nodding the ball into the back of the net, thinks she'd opened the scoring, but the referee indicates an infringement was spotted a free kick is awarded to Sprowston instead.
Brooke Wickens on the right of midfield for Brandon is seeing quite a bit of the ball with Hazel Shepherd in the middle looking to play the ball out to her, Wickens has a couple of opportunities to play a cross into the area both occasions Sprowston defender Sophia Charlalambous defends well.
GOAL! The early pressure eventually tells and Brandon do open the scoring with 8 minutes played, Forshaw strong in the challenge in the middle of the park slides the ball forwards from a central position for Brame to chase down out paces the Sprowston defence and as she entered the area pulls the trigger sliding the ball past Bell and into the back of the net 1-0.
The home side continue to press forwards keeping the Sprowston defence busy, playing up top for the visitor's early on Jo Davey has seen little of the ball, when it does get up to her out on the right, she is a long way out when she looks to shoot, low on target, Brandon's Shannon Odebrecht in goal is behind it to gather.
Has taken Sprowston a little while to sort themselves out with Brandon coming at them are now starting to find some space on the ball and bring it out from the back, Annika Skoog takes the ball over the half way line, looks to play the past inside put Davey in on goal Brandon's defence get to the ball 1st, set up a quick counter attack the ball threaded through to Forshaw head down on the ball she looks to go for goal 20 yards out powers the shot over the bar.
A little confusion in the Brandon defence gives Sprowston an opportunity to strike on goal allowing it to bounce with Odebrecht coming out she kicks the ball straight at Davey charging in, she brings the ball under control on the edge of the box looks to shoot, gets it around the goalkeeper, but off target wide.
GOAL! On the half hour Brandon double their lead winning another corner on the right the ball is fired in at a great height for players to attack the header is just missed in the centre of the six yard box the ball travelling through to Natasha Rutter at the far post hooks her foot over the ball lashing the ball back across the goal and into the top corner 2-0.
More good link up play between Shepherd and Brame, look to play a one two with Brame her back to goal just outside the box spins to turn inside the area as she looks to for the return from Shepherd, Sprowston's Charlalambous is in between the pair makes an important interception inside her area.
Sprowston win a couple of free kicks inside the Brandon half, have Lois Irving over the ball, she plays a good ball into the area both times for her team mates to attack, it's a Brandon head that gets to the ball 1st and away. Triple change for Sprowston with Laura Jenkins, Louise Aldous and Erica Lakey coming on.
GOAL! Into the last five minutes of the half Brame wins her team another corner out on the right this time Forshaw plays the ball out to the edge of the area, the ball is played back out to her wide right, she fires the ball in across the six yard box flying in at a dangerous height, misses everyone, Rutter is again racing in on the far post, but a touch isn't needed as the ball strikes the inside of the far post and rolls back over the line 3-0.
Sprowston are getting more joy on the ball as players look to keep hold of it and bring it out from midfield, Davey is put in on goal on the right again as she finds space the shot from distance again lacks the power to trouble Odebrecht in goal. Sprowston captain Hayley Muir then looks to bring the ball out from the back roll it forwards into the run of substitute Jenkins, is a good ball, Rutter though has kept up with Jenkins puts her foot in to win the ball before she can break beyond and look to attack the goal.
Davey is shoved off the ball giving Sprowston a late free kick half way inside the Brandon half. Irving on the ball looks to float one in try and drop it under Odebrecht's crossbar, looking like it's going to dip in the goalkeeper throws up a glove to palm it around the post for a corner kick. The corner fired into the near post is flicked on by Charlalambous before Brandon head it clear.
Half time Brandon Town Ladies 3-0 Sprowston Ladies Reserves
With the majority of the attacks Brandon have scored 3 times at regular intervals during the 1st half finding space on the flanks to play crosses have found it difficult to beat Muir and Charlalambous in the middle of the Sprowston defence have defended well as a team for good periods have just being doing too much of it.
It's Brandon to get the 2nd half under way have replaced their goalkeeper 2nd half with Chelsea Paremain going between the sticks. Sprowston win an early free kick as they break out from the back, the referee bringing it back when no advantage is forth coming. Irving again over the ball puts another good ball into the box, again it's a Brandon head that gets to the ball, Anna Taramanowska with the clearance.
Shepherd latches onto a loose clearance getting the ball out to Brame peeling off into space on the right, gets the cross into Forshaw inside the D, she shoots pulls the ball wide of the goal. Sprowston are defending better as a team at the start of the 2nd half, are playing deeper though conceding ground, making it harder for Brandon to get in behind and put the crosses in.
Jenkins wide left for Sprowston as she attacks, has Rebecca Kirby in support behind her plays the ball back to her, spins off her marker and makes a run into the area, Kirby attempts to play the pass over the Brandon defence into Jenkins path, just too long gets to Paremain before she can get a foot on the ball.
Wickens and Brame try inking up again out on the right, play the short pass between one another looking to go beyond the Sprowston back line again though Charlalambous is across to win the ball back, when Brandon do get the ball past Charlalambous and get the cross into the box Muir is there to head clear.
Brandon though are building up the pressure keeping the ball and coming at Sprowston winning a corner on the right the 1st delivery is poor but goes behind for another corner, this one fired in high inside the busy six yard box, contact is made the ball turned goal wards, Bell is alert and claims the ball before it can go past her and in.
GOAL! It's a 4th goal for Brandon coming as Sprowston try to get numbers forwards to reduce the deficit, breaking down the right it's Brame who puts the ball into the box running in Shepherd tries a flick the ball goal wards with the back of her heel, Sprowston get it away, not further enough the ball is won back and played into Shepherd again right of the D, 20 yards out she strikes sending the ball with plenty of pace on it arrowing beyond Bell into the net 4-0.
GOAL! Not long after Brandon add a 5th goal, it's Shepherd again on the ball in the centre of midfield, powering forwards on the ball is looking to play it into Forshaw on her left, gets too much on the pass coming through to Aldous at right back she is unfortunate as her clearance is sliced back across the face of the goal finds Brame free on the opposite side, she lashes her shot back across the goal and in to make it 5-0.
Having done well at the start of the 2nd half the 2 quick goals have knocked the stuffing out of Sprowston, doesn't help when a Brandon corner from the left inadvertently strikes the referee on the edge of the area allowing the home side to keep the pressure on the Sprowston box, Aldous heads the ball clear as it is sent in towards goal.
GOAL! Brandon though soon add a 6th goal and it's Brame who nets her hat-trick, the ball is put out into her feet wide on the right, outside the box she looks to send the shot up and over Bell and meeting it sweetly does just that the ball going in at the far post. 6-0.
Is all Brandon now they are continue to attack, Brame has another go from 25 yards out central this time powers the shot over the cross bar.
GOAL! A 7th goal comes for Brandon, it's Forshaw who scores her 2nd goal, Shepherd puts the ball into her is 25 yards out in a central position turns and wraps her foot around the ball sending it in low and hard past Bell before she can react 7-0.
Ragged from Sprowston, a ruthless spell from Brandon to take the match well beyond them. Forshaw brings the ball out of her own half showing a good turn of pace as she travels up the left wing squares the ball into the box looking for Shepherd she attempts to hit the ball on the volley blazes it over the bar.
A great pass from Irving in the middle for Sprowston, sends Kirby away into space on the right, taking the ball into the area she sends in a good cross from the by line has Jenkins rushing in to try and get to the ball, Paremain has it safely in her gloves before she does.
Into injury time Sprowston are awarded a free kick on the right of the Brandon box Irving on the ball plays in great ball to the near post to be attacked, is headed behind for a corner kick, no time to take it though as the referee blows the final whistle and Brandon run out 7-0 winners.
Move to the top of the table on goal difference now a mere +144, played well dominating for long spells scoring 7 goals and continuing their good form in keeping a clean sheet at the other end, look to be well on course to win promotion to division one with 4 games left to play.
Sprowston did okay in patches were up against it with Brandon always looking to attack, did defend well despite the score line the 2nd half goals deflating them, needed to keep hold of it higher up the pitch stay in 9th place have 2 games left to play, can't be caught by the teams below.
My thanks to both clubs for helping me out with the team details today.
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