Doncaster Rovers Belles had a keen interest on last nights results in the Continental Tyres Cup, particularly the match being played in the Select Stadium in Widnes with Group Two rivals Liverpool Ladies and Sunderland AFC Ladies going head to head a favourable result putting them right back in contention to fight for a place in the quarter finals of the competition. Liverpool Ladies won the match 2-0 to move to the top of the group and secure their place in the quarter finals.
That result means that Sunderland AFC Ladies stay 3rd in the group with 6 points after 4 matches played. Doncaster Rovers Belles lay a place back in 4th with just 3 points from their opening 3 group matches have 2 games left starting with tonight's game against Durham Women FC, win that and they go level on points with Sunderland AFC Ladies and then the 2 sides meet in their final group match at the Hetton Centre.
Durham Women FC in contrast travel to the Keepmoat Stadium having lost their 1st 3 matches in the group have no points have been drawn in a tough group know they face another tough challenge against Doncaster Rovers Belles tonight. Below is the table showing how things stand going into tonight's game.
| Group Two | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Liverpool Ladies | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Manchester City Women | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| 3 | AFC Sunderland Ladies | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Doncaster Rovers Belles | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 3 |
| 5 | Everton Ladies | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 0 |
| 6 | Durham Women FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0 |
Few dark clouds around on the way up to the Keepmoat Stadium by the time I arrived though the skies were clearing still a warm evening as the teams warmed up on a lush looking pitch.
Doncaster Rovers Belles starting XI - Nicola Hobbs, Lyndsey Cunningham, Lauren Cresswell, Leandra Little (C), Rhiannon Roberts, Kasia Lipka, Jade Lorton-Radburn, Emily Simpkins, Nicole Dale, Emily Roberts & Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.
subs - Sue Smith, Sophie Barker, Beth England, Ashleigh Mills, Hope Knight, Emily Batty & Jodie Langstaff.
Durham Women FC starting XI - Anna Moorhouse, Lauren Jordinson, Gabrielle Banks, Julie Nelson Sarah Wilson (C), Chloe Macek, Beth Hepple, Natalie Gutteridge, Jordan Atkinson, Amelia Pereira & Nicki Gears.
subs - Jess White, Meg Lawson & Erin Kelley.
Doncaster kick off the tie wearing yellow shirts and socks with blue shorts against Durham lined up opposite wearing red shirts with black sleeves, black shorts and white socks. On the right of attack Doncaster have Nicole Dale making her 1st start for the club whilst manager Glen Harris names 1st team regulars Sue Smith, Sophie Barker & Beth England amongst the subs with recent signings Jade Lorton-Radburn and Emily Simpkins teaming up in midfield in a 4-3-3.
Durham in contrast looked to have lined up with five across the back when they lose the ball with Nicki Gears (left) and Jordan Atkinson (right) looking to join Amelia Pereira playing through the centre in attack when they win back possession. Doncaster look to get the ball up the pitch quickly play out on the right the through ball is sent forwards looking for Courtney Sweetman-Kirk to make the run, arrives at Durham goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse who clears before Sweetman-Kirk can pounce.
A fairly even opening both sides playing the ball long Doncaster looking for their wide players Dale (right) and Emily Roberts out on the left, Durham looking to get it into the feet of Pereira. Dale wins the 1st corner of the match, from the right the ball is sent in towards the near post Atkinson heads it behind for a 2nd corner this one comes in high is dropped by Moorhouse, thankfully for the keeper it is one of her defenders who gets to the ball 1st to launch it out of the box.
Jade Lorton-Radburn is alert in the middle latches onto a loose pass and looks to set Sweetman-Kirk in behind the Durham defence, Moorhouse is alert to the threat and races out to intercept the ball. Winning the ball back Doncaster feed it out to Sweetman-Kirk moving into space on the right her cross into the area is cut out before Doncaster get a 2nd chance to fire it in with Emily Roberts coming in from the left having her 1st time shot blocked at close range from 10 yards out.
Sloppy at the back from Doncaster sees Pereira pounce stealing the ball to take it beyond, giving chase to it, Nicola Hobbs in the Doncaster goal is out gets onto the ball 1st clearing sets up a counter attack that ends with Doncaster winning another corner. Put into the centre of the area from the right both Emily Roberts and Sweetman-Kirk jump for the ball, just over both is put behind for a corner on the left, played out to the edge of the area Rhiannon Roberts is making the run to get onto the end of it powers her header wide of goal.
Durham captain Sarah Wilson plays a great ball out of defence picking out Jordan Atkinson making the run into space on the right takes on left back Lauren Cresswell to get into a crossing position, sends in a low ball Hobbs is down to wrap her gloves around the ball at her near post with Nicki Gears closing her down 15 minutes gone.
A free kick is awarded to Doncaster on the right 20 yards out on the corner of the area Cresswell is the player to swing the ball into the area, is looking for Leandra Little making the run, Moorhouse keeps her eye on the ball composed takes it with the Doncaster captain bearing down on her. Simpkins on the ball in the centre looks to release Emily Roberts on the left, a good tackle from Durham's Lauren Jordinson denies her a run at goal.
Durham are backing off giving Doncaster time and space on the ball in their own half. Give Sweetman-Kirk too much time as the striker looks to line up a shot from 35 yards out, Moorhouse has time to get across cover the top corner of her goal, the ball swerves away and narrowly wide. Dale is doing well on the right looking to take players on drive forwards and cross puts the ball behind from a tight angle. Sweetman-Kirk does the same after a good passage of play in the middle by Doncaster, with the ball going from left to right before she is set up making a run into the right channel a tight angle inside the box to shoot from the attempt goes behind.
Cresswell travels over the halfway line with the ball, head down she takes on the player in front of her shifts the ball between her feet and 40 yards out lines up the strike getting plenty behind the ball, Moorhouse has time to get a across might have been sneaking wide of the top corner, the keeper takes no chance knocks it down and gathers.
Wilson puts in a vital tackle inside the area to deny Sweetman-Kirk a shooting opportunity as she tries to turn with the ball after a great pass into her from Lorton-Radburn. Played in high again from the right Moorhouse claims well despite the attentions of Rhiannon Roberts.
 |
| Emily Roberts |
Durham look for an immediate response winning a free kick in a central position 35 yards out have Beth Hepple over the ball she goes for goal is a good strike which dips late on, is straight at Hobbs who keeps her eye on the ball see's it into her gloves on the line. Doncaster scoring seems to have spurred Durham into action as they attack again good work on the ball from Pereira she plays it out to Chloe Macek making the run on the right gets the ball into the area, Hepple is tearing forwards to get into the box gets hold of the ball shoots, fires her effort over the bar.
GOAL! It's a penalty to Doncaster! Finding herself out on the left as Doncaster break Dale slides the ball forwards for Sweetman-Kirk to chase, Moorhouse comes racing out slides in to make the challenge attempt to cut out the ball, Sweetman-Kirk just manages to toe it wide of her away from goal but her intention is to go after the ball goes down over Moorhouse's outstretched leg. Right on the corner of the area not sure if it's inside or out, free kick or penalty? The referee is certain points to the spot as the Durham players converge to argue the decision. It's Sweetman-Kirk to take opts for power Moorhouse is sent the wrong way the ball is buried into the back of the net 2-0 with 42 minutes on the clock.
Half-time Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-0 Durham Women FC
Doncaster and patient seem to be a common theme in any report I write covering one of their games tonight no exception have come up against a stubborn Durham side who got ten players behind the ball looked to be hard to break down were doing well Doncaster kept coming and eventually the goal was scored the penalty making it a more secure score-line going into the break.
Doncaster make a substitution at half time with Ashleigh Mills returning to action after a long injury lay off, Lyndsey Cunningham the player giving way as Durham get the 2nd 45 under-way. Pereira and Gears link up in attack win an early corner on the right, the ball is played in Julie Nelson up from the back flicks the header on before Doncaster clear the threat.
Doncaster push Durham hard for the ball at the start of the 2nd half have them pinned in their own half. Mills bursts forwards from the right back position lays the pass out for Sweetman-Kirk the right she looks to get the ball into the box has Emily Simpkins making up the ground to support latches onto the ball right of goal a couple of yards inside the box Durham block and clear.
Doncaster win it back Emily Roberts on the left with the run has the ball at her feet looking to go inside pulls the trigger from 20 yards out hits it against the defender in front of her the loose ball runs back to her feet looks to loft her 2nd attempt in towards goal can only pick out Moorhouse between the sticks. Simpkins is looking to make more runs from the midfield in the 2nd half forces Durham into conceding a corner as the receives the ball from Dale on the right. It's Simpkins who gets on the end of the corner attempts the flick between her legs inside the six yard box Durham cut it out on the line.
Durham's Gabrielle Banks does well as Simpkins and Emily Roberts link up in front of the Durham area with the former putting Sweetman-Kirk away to the right, Banks gives chase manages to win a goal kick as she plays the ball off Sweetman-Kirk. Cresswell surges forwards from the back her determination sees her claim the ball lays it back to Simpkins who rolls it back to Kasia Lipka the holding midfielder not afraid to shoot hits her effort from 30 yards out but is over the crossbar.
 |
| Doncaster's Emily Simpkins with Durham's Amelia Pereira |
2nd change on 61 minutes is by Doncaster as they bring on Sue Smith for Dale. Smith is soon in the thick of the action, playing the ball in to Sweetman-Kirk on the left the attacker drives into the area takes on the shot with Moorhouse coming to close her down gets the ball past her beyond Nelson can see the ball roll wide of goal. Doncaster corner won on the right the ball is flicked on comes to Smith unmarked in the centre has the header directs it wide of goal. 3rd change for Doncaster on 69 minutes with Beth England entering the action for Lipka.
Driving forwards on the left with the ball Emily Roberts sets up a chance for Lorton-Radburn as she receives Roberts pass 20 yards out goes for the shot is narrowly over the crossbar. Lorton-Radburn then looks to put the ball over the top for Sweetman-Kirk to attack, however Durham's Nelson reads the pass and gets to the ball 1st.
Chances have been rare for Durham 2nd half on 75 minutes Nelson plays the ball forwards it is flicked on falls to Atkinson 12 yards out hits the volley the ball is straight at Hobbs who makes the save. Have done well to keep Doncaster out for so long in the 2nd half, in the middle Natalie Gutteridge enjoys a spell of possession keeping the ball at her feet before releasing Atkinson on the right her cross is put in too close to Hobbs who makes the claim.
GOAL! 78 minutes on the clock and Doncaster's possession finally brings a 3rd goal. England closes down Nelson as she lingers on the ball at the back getting hold of it she takes it into the area right of goal, needs support has it as Smith racing up to the edge of the area rolls the ball back to her who opens up her body to send the ball across Moorhouse and into the net to make it 3-0.
10 minutes to go Simpkins fancies a shot from 40 yards out, Moorhouse is behind it makes the save. Chance for England as the ball comes to her left side of the goal outside the area hits the shot with the outside of her boot, the ball wide as it strikes the outside of the post. Durham make a triple change with Pereira, Atkinson and Gutteridge coming off, Jess White, Meg Lawson and Erin Kelley on.
GOAL! It's 4-0 to Doncaster as Simpkins scores her 1st goal for her new club. Smith and England combine as Smith crosses the ball in from the right, comes to England who flicks the ball on Simpkins is there to get onto the end of it 3 yards out to turn it home to give Doncaster a 4-0 lead with 3 minutes left of normal time.
GOAL! 4 minutes later and Simpkins has a brace scoring her 2nd goal following great work from Sweetman-kirk down the left taking the ball to the byline looking to get the shot away, Moorhouse coming out to close her down dives to make a great save unfortunately as the ball pops free behind her in the centre of the box, Simpkins is racing forwards as she has done all 2nd half and it there to put the ball away and make it 5-0.
Full time and Doncaster run out 5-0 winners a result that sees them go level on 6 points with Sunderland in the Group Two table wipe out their -5 goal difference in the process and both are level on goals scored and difference going into the match at the Hetton Centre still need other results to go their way as teams in the other 2 groups are in a better position going into the final round of group matches, all both sides can do is try an win the game.
Created plenty of chances scored 5 times a good performance on the night from Doncaster giving them the chance of progression from the group into the quarter finals. Durham will feel hard done by conceding 5 goals held out for 32 minutes in the 1st half even longer in the 2nd but ultimately the pressure Doncaster put on them brought the goals.
Final round of group matches in this years Continental Tyres Cup takes place at the weekend when we will find out who the 8 sides are who have reached the quarter finals.
No comments:
Post a Comment