Match Report: 14th December 2024
W4/5 vs Sunbury & Walton Hawks W2
EH Women's Tier 4 KO Championships Round Two.
Another cup week, another TOTW award for the W4/5 Cup Team. Round two oppo Sunbury & Walton Hawks and a late home game at DC stood between THD and round three of the cup.
With a few admissions of post-Christmas Party hangovers, some niggly injuries and the return of the W4 captain after a month off, the team got the speaker out, started pumping the tunes, warmed up and got their heads in the game.
With the light fading and the temperature rapidly dropping, the whistle goes and we’re underway, THD started with an intensity which instantaneously pushed Sunbury & Walton back into their defensive 23 and with them struggling to find a way back towards the halfway line, our midfield were pressing high and contesting every ball, it was only a matter of time before the ball was on the end of Jess Jones stick and heading swiftly towards the D, with a textbook ball into the D, it was seen off by Izzy, 1-0 up and raring to go!
Not content with just one goal, THD kept the intensity up throughout the first half and was rewarded for our hustle with a second goal. With an expertly timed run from KP, our dynamic CM, the ball was fired into the D, finding Amy on the P spot, who swiftly slotted it around the keeper and into the bottom right of the goal.
2-0 up as the halftime whistle went.
After a rousing halftime talk, we were ready to keep building on our lead, a blitz of attacking play saw us awarded a short corner in the first minute, bringing a moment's panic for our forward line, who does what & where - not that our oppo would have been any the wiser! Short corner defended, we continued to press, Becky plucked a questionable aerial from the night sky, and laid it off to Eloise who found Amy in the D, who was once again perfectly positioned on the P spot & just like that THD are 3-0 up!
However, Sunbury and Walton were not down and out just yet, taking advantage of our cold defensive line, they pressed forward and the ensuing confusion in the defensive D led to the awarding of a short corner - no need to panic, we cleared it expertly. But what’s that a second short corner - not so expertly cleared off the line by a defender's foot. P flick awarded. Fear not. Anna our Jnr goalie watched the ball trickle down the outside of the right post. Clean sheet kept.
However, this temporary excursion into our defensive 23 was not to go unpunished, THD turned and attacked again. In a blink of an eye we were back in the attacking D and awarded a short corner. Straight to top D, slipped left and expertly slotted in by Izzy.
As the clock wound down, a searching ball down the pitch and into the Sunbury D looked to be going off the backline, but we’d underestimated Sophie's speed, at full stretch she guided it through the keeper's legs. Full-time whistle. 5-0 win.
It was a slightly different team from round one, but the same result, a big win, and through to Round Three.
POTM: Cara (second time in our cup run!). It was a solid game as a halfback, with excellent defensive skills and feeds into the D. Standout utility player.
Shoutouts have to go to our mids, Eloise and Jess Jones, who both had great games, creating play and driving the ball up the pitch and into the D, and to Izzy for strong play up front and bagging a brace.
DOD: Cara - the double whammy, for flooring players and winding herself.
Goal Scorers: Izzy x 2, Amy x 2, Sophie x1
THD 5 - 0 Sunbury & Walton Hawks
Round 3 here we come.