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June 16 D2 Reds 1 Wainuiomata 4 Sonia D3 Blacks 1 Petone 0 April H June 9
D2 Reds 2 (Taryn 1, Kate 1) Victoria A, 0 Another important clash for the Reds, last weeks Upper Hutt team progressed to Div 1 and we faced a demoted and smarting University team. Fortunately we fielded a similar line-up with the addition of Emily Ryan and Jamie Bialy. All featured in the points this week as this was a real battle built on sound defence and relentless pressure. Relatively early in the first half Taryn snatched a great goal from solid build up and University looked a bit shell shocked. Taryn is rapidly proving a talis-woman for the Reds and what a great addition with Alana these past 2 weeks, possibly the strongest team we have run out onto the pitch this season Varsity were a cut above most teams faced, again, last weeks recent battle with Upper Hutt prepared the Reds well for the Intensity required to win this Division. Exchanges were even, Emily was particularly strong in the carry and the central defence of Brooke, Jamie and Captain Hannah negated any advantage Varsity could string together upfront. Jacinta, who copped a heavy tackle and came off for a spell and Olivia and Alisha stepped up to contribute to a very exciting counter attack. Emma , Gemma and Alana carved up a lot of space and both teams traded blow for blow the well organised defence of our back 4 proving the crucial difference. Coming off at half time the mood was a bit subdued and I had to remind them they were in front! But the Div 1 class of Varsity spoke volumes about where this game was really poised. Nobody told Varsity they were a goal behind and they still gave off an air of confidence. Stop Out led largely by Emma, Emily, Jamie, Taryn and Alana piled on the intensity right from the whistle and the momentum shifted quite dramatically. Inspired, the rest of the team stepped up and took control and for the first time Reds looked dominant and judging by the mirth were enjoying the game immensely. Jamie and Brooke were in their element and lapping up the football. Gemma, Emily, Emma and others all peppered the goalie but it was a beautifully struck cross from Alana that found Kate with a clinical finish and for the second week in a row Brendan’s practice exercise from 2 weeks ago pays dividends. Varsity had a couple of chances but Captain Hannah with Jacinta and Olivia putting on tackle after tackle was up to the task and final whistle Reds were deserved winners 2 nil. We are looking good for promotion based on that but how important is it to field the Ryan sisters , Alana and Jamie ! Emily 3 points outstanding 90 minutes, Hurricane Emily Emma 2 points find of the season, Brendan don’t even think of poaching our Emma Jamie and Taryn 1 point each 2 players that can win or save a game. D3 Blacks 7 – Naenae 0 At Petone, June 9 Perfect conditions at the Petone Turf today, not a breath of wind, the rains cleared and temperature fairly mild. Perfect! We have one sub for 15 minutes (thanks Jacinta) we knew were in for a tough game ahead of us. This game was all about the second half - first half took us time to settle, we did not get any rhythm and were losing shape. But eventually after some persistence Letesha gets a through ball to April who with a good swift boot sails it over the goalie and into the back of the net. Not long after some interesting ping pong football its Ali who sends a ball to Debs who knocks it through into goal so with that at half time we are up 2 – 0. 2nd half we talk about keeping the ball to ground and making sure we don’t just knock it anywhere and to make sure we commit to the tackles and not hold back as we had in the first. This talk certainly paid off and made all the difference. Particularly as we were tiring now and with no subs, -we’re feeling slightly jealous of the never ending supply of subs that our opposition had, however it worked in our favour instead of us doing the work we allowed the ball to do the work and things just stayed on the up. While all the team stepped up, Mel was on fire! She did a stunning run up the right wing to then shoot from right out wide into the goal, the goalie did not have a chance of stopping – wow that was lucky Mel, but then to do it again almost exactly a repeat of the earlier goal, yeah right luck - we are now in awe of you girl! Mel continues to shine she’s fast, strong and rarely gets pushed off the ball she gets to score again when a ball from the left is crossed through to her, she’s facing away from the goal with a defender before and after, she controls the ball, turns and beats the defender and shoots pass the keeper, moments later another cross from the left, a perfectly placed unstoppable shot from 6m out and over the defenders, and away from the keeper. What is it with the name Mel and Stopout, stars in the making! Some more team effort sees us win a corner that Mel takes and sends it out wide to April on the left she volleys it towards the goal hard and fast for it to bounce off a Naenae player and into the goal. There were some other memorable moments in the second half ie Ali going shoulder to shoulder with a big midfielder and coming away with the ball. Jess in goal getting flattened by the centre forward and coming out smiling. Ann and Jess running down the Naenae attack on the break. The opposition’s only real chance of scoring is sorted out by some amazing acrobatics from Kelly. Narumon, clearing the ball time and time again. Some lovely little passes and great throw ins from Louise. A fantastic team effort and a big thanks to Louise and Jess for putting the gloves on. A very well deserved Player of the day Mel, 2 points to Ann (great play and good organising of the defence, 1 point April (who’s got her scoring game back!) D2 Reds 1-1 versus Upper Hutt Taryn
A 5pm kick off at Maidstone was a blessing with a couple of the girls from D3 able to make the team card this week, (just getting to UH in the nick of time). The match went down to the wire too, a thriller (for the good crowd!). Both teams put on an entertaining game, UH were solid in defence and SO a bit more adventurous on attack. SO pressured their keeper and it was Georgia who came closest, rounding the keeper without being able to get a clean shot away. The UH defence swarmed all over her and our strikers & neither team really dominated, cancelling each other out. Emma & Gemma did have th best of the midfield for the most part - putting the forwards, especially Letesha, into space on through balls - however a rock solid UH always had the numbers back. Brooke & Janae were a brick wall in the centre backs, & UH were forced out wide onto Courtnee & Jacinta's wing. A bit of shuffling up fromt put Alana out wide & Letesha in the front, very quickly this was looking promising - Alana carving up the left wing. Janae's experience as Captain was hugely important directing play & Brooke's clearances kept us on the front foot. Great to have these "veterans" at the back for this game - we needed that leadership. Jacinta was also a big contributor defensively. A deep punt from UH's keeper put them inside our half & from out wide they raced in to put the ball past Hannah into the corner of the net - and they went ahead 1 goal. It all happened quickly, catching us by suprise.
No panic from the team at half time, they were happy with their own game - and rightly so, confident they knew what had to be done. Defensively there was a big improvement off the ball, cutting out UH's options and the injection of Taryn was starting to tell. Olivia and Alisha as discussed in the team talk put longer balls into the UH half and we were playing some great football applying constant pressure & UH were starting to crack - a bit. The assualts on goal were more frequent, & Alana latched onto a great ball into the box unfortunately lifting it over the bar - agonisingly close! Letesha made life hell for UH but for some great goal keeping we may have got the equaliser earlier and perhaps even won the match. Olivia was unflappable, and even when Alisha went off after a nasty blow Georgia slotted straight in at fullback without any fuss. The minutes ticked by and still we couldn't find an equaliser, in desparation the team pushed up as hgh as they could - which exposed Hannah somewhat, however she adapted extremely well, coming off her line as a fifth defender to belt the ball back into the UH half.
Time was nearly up and the SO girls threw everything at UH, but the time was slipping by - when Georgia a natural attacker linked with Courtnee who didn't hesitate, taking on the left back and smacking a wonderful delivery across the box (as practised on Friday night!!!), into a flying Taryn who smashed the ball in for the equaliser.....with just 15 seconds left on the clock.
Emma, 1 pt - in three short weeks she's really established herself in the midfield. Taryn, 2 pts - justly rewarded after a powerful game. Alana 3 pts - best player on the paddock and the best I've seen her play this season.
D3 Blacks versus University 0-0
D2 Reds versus Marist 3-0 Letesha 2, Kate
D3 Blacks versus BNU 4-0
D3 Blacks 5-0 versus IBU Alana, Louise, Mel H 2, Sarah
Nikki 3 pts, Sarah 2 pts & Kelly 1 pt
On the turf today to take on the IBU Orcas, & we were keen to put the previous weeks upset from our otherwise clean slate. We begin with a minutes silence to acknowledge some IBU family members that have passed away over the last week - it was a privilege to be able to share this moment of respect with them.
IBU had a sense of determination about them and started with some viguor but our girls were prepared & were working hard up the wings, Alana is strong in right mid and is putting a lot of pressure on the IBU girls & they struggle to contain her, she makes a break away and shoots from the right side of goal - the ball squeezing between keeper and the near post. IBU puts a lot of pressure in midfield and Ali uses her strength to keep the ball at the right end of the pitch. A fantastic combination of the sister act - Debs and Sarah - works well together & they are getting the ball through to Letesha. With some gutsy slog from Ali we get the ball through to Louise who breaks past two defenders in front of goal and cool as a cucmber she shoots low & hard into the right corner of the goal.
With some knowledgable words from the coach at half time we talk about really attacking & penetrating their defence & more goals will come. It's what we do and Mel with her super fast speed movies to the right wing and scores with a hard shot from a tight angle that goes through the keppers hands. Gig in centre mid carries the ball into the IBU half and puts a perfectly weighted pass through the IBU defence, landing right in front of Mel. Mel again outpaces the retreaing defence & easily beats the keeper with a hard strike from out front. Our final goal was an indirect free kieck awarded for a pass back to the keeper, several shots hit defenders and the post & the ball rebounds to Sarah who volleys into the net. The determined IBU do pick up their game towards the end but Narumon, Kelly & Ann do their job with ease and Hannah comes out to meet the ball when necessary - with the relaxed coolness that we have come to know & trust! So a good win and great to share a bite back at the clubrooms with the hospitable IBU team.
D2 Reds 1-2 versus IBU Sharks Heather A really close game and good for building confidence, because if it wasn't for a huge offside and a goal line clearance the score could have been reversed. IBU are in the top two in the grade - along with Porirua who also edged us by 1 goal. IBU were quite a handful and immediately put us under pressure, they were a little bit more urgent, a little bit faster down the flanks and a lot better with their first touch. Superb defence from Hannah, Ann & Brooke kept us in touch - Jenny was courageous in the midfield & took a nasty knock on the ankle that put her on the injury bench. Olivia & Alisha stuck to the game plan, & the Gemma & Emma duo were great on counter attack. Kate & Jacinta put ball in and looked threatening. Heather scored a goal through the tightest of angles and Letesha offered several real chances before being cruelly ruled offside on the charge with just the keeper to beat and later forcing a goal line clearance by a defender. Those little differences mentioned above proved telling and IBU took the 3 points. Ann player of the day - a huge asset in Janae's absence, Gemma 2 pts, the complete midfield package and great ball distribution, Kate 1 pt, improving every game.
D3 Blacks 2-6 versus Parkakariki Louise (pen) & Mel H
D2 Reds 2-0 versus Petone Heather 2 Another brillant day, warm on the artificial & 3 more points in the bank - Sir Russell the talisman in support & he wasn't disappointed. This was the performance we'd been waiting for - the best 90 minutes so far that the girls have put together. Focus was on possesiion & position, at times sublime passing & it made the job to single out 3 players difficult when all 13 players put in great effort. Petone were all defence for most of the 90, at the rare times they did get forward Brooke & Janae were far too well organised & Hannah saw very little action. Olivia & Alisha out wide played attacking roles as stipulated in the game plan and that gave Jacinta, Courtnee & Kate enormous support on the flanks. Emma kicked on from last week and with Sian paretnering the mid there was a constant supply of good ball going forward to the strikers. Alana & Heather peppered the goalie & Heather opened her account with a good finish on the back of determined build up. Gemma fresh from holiday joined the fray & very quickly SO were playing all the football. Heather got her second & it was looking like a rout except for the dogged defence & perhaps less than clinical finishing. The second half was more of the same, we probably should have scored a few more goals as Heather, Kate & Emma had their chances but we finished with just 2 to show from the first half. We could be disappointed but were far from it such was the quality of the SO football & Petone were very good on D - an awesome effort & setting a new bench mark girls! Alisha 3 points - standout game, Olivia 2 points - listened & delivered with minimum fuss, Brooke also 2 points - SORRY I forgot to acknowledge at full time - clinical in everything she did. Emma 1 point - second game back and making the centre mid her own.
D2 Reds 5-2 versus Wests Heather 2, Letesha, Brooke & Mel H
Hutt Park turned on the sunshine, 22 degrees & both teams were feeling it by the end. SO in our lucky yellow were first on the board, with a Heather beauty from 25m - but Wests kept hammering away with the breeze at their backs. They had pace up front & surprised the defence, scoring quickly & should have had more except for Hannah's player of the day performance (especially in the first 30 minutes - probably preventing the unthinkable and chasing the game). Wests came to play & were difficult to contain at times. Ann, Letesha, Jenny, Debs and Mel were welcome additions & a huge thanks, we would have wilted without your help. Ann made an immediate impact partnering with Janae, reading the game well & being in the right place at the right time. The Wests attacks dried up and Alisha & Olivia giving honest effort made good use of their wings, & Brooke moving up to her old position calmly slotted a cross home to sees us up 2-1 & herself $50 richer!
Emma fresh off the plane worked well with Jacinta & Jenny, while Letesha took off on a solo effort after fantastic attacking play from Heather & Debs - scoring a wonderful goal to see us at 3-1 at the break. It felt fortunate to be in front, full marks to Janae & Ann for urging the girls on.
Turning to play with the wind I thought we might crush Wests but they had other ideas, showing ticker & deserving to score midway through the half to trail by just one. The game seemed to grind on - neither team taking control - the heat knocking the stuffing out of everyone, and we didn't want to concede again as a draw wouldn't help our cause. A nervous last 20 minutes ensued, Heather hitting the bar but out on the wing it was Kate really fired up & with Alisha & Emma in support playing the ball through that made us look likely again. Letesha also had the Wests defence scrambling. Mel broke the deadlock and Dean's anxiety with the sweetest of lobs over the keepers head that seemed to be the killer blow while Heather grabbed her second to put the game beyond reach.
Hannah 3 pts (also picked by Wests as POD), Letesha 2 points - impact & energy up front, Ann 1 point - valuable player, Heather 1 point as well - good for a brace most games and too valuable to sub. D3 Blacks 5-0 versus Tawa Letesha 2, Mel H 2, April H D3 Blacks 5-0 versus NW Tawny Ports Mel H 2, April H, Letesha, Jenny
D2 Reds 0-1 versus Porirua 0-1 (0-0)
This result smarts a bit, we let 3 points slip away. Preparation warming up for the game was poor & this did not bode well based on previous experience. We elected to play with the breeze & failed to take advantage. With few exceptions the girls struggled to get out of 2nd gear whereas Porirua played with more urgency & desire. Brooke, Heather & Annalise were a credit to the team (a featured in the points).
Janae, Kate & Olivia gave an honest effort & overall we were better ball players but at times looked like we had just run a marathon. This suited Porirua's strengths, very good at holding shape & strong in the tackle. Not pushed hard enough against the wind Porirua looked very relieved turning around at 0-0.
Second half talk was brutally honest, the girls were playing like they practised in the warm up & this isn't good enough for D2. The second half effort was a huge improvement but it was clearly not going to be our day. We lost our reserves so were without refreshed legs while Porirua rotated their 15 players.
Calls didn't go our way & we missed two open goals, & to cap that Heather hit the cross bar with a cracking strike from 25m out. Full time couldn't come quickly enough - the back four kept Porirua scoreless right until the very end, a wee error and off the post the ball rolled in. The Porirua coach was quick to point out they would have settled for a point - however, they deserved the win & were very good hosts providing food & hospitality for the 4 players & coach who bothered for the after match.
3 points - Annalise, what a great find in goal & also picked as player of the day by the Porirua team
2 points - Heather, never say die attitude
1 point - Brooke, stand out on defence & great attitude
D2 Reds versus Wainuiomata, 4-2 (2-1) Great to have points on the board. The match was transferred to the new Petone artificial & as the Blacks had crushed Naenae 9-0 in the previous game, expectations were high. Wainui certainly looked very athletic in the warm up, their size in comparison to our girls certainly didn't escape Russ' notice. All concerns about a physical encounter were quickly dispelled, Wainui came to play football & both teams contributed to an entertaining display. Courtnee & wee Olivia instantly gelled & some superb interplay quickly had Heather & Jade threatening the Wainui goal. Some excellent defense from their #5 & top draw goalkeeping kept our girls out. However, we created more chances, Christine & Brooke had their hands full blunting the counter attack & had our forwards quickly back attacking the goal again. This pace of the game suited our girls better. Wainui made forays into our defense but Sophie especially was unbeatable at the back & kept preventing the shot, stealing ball & delivering back to our midfield. Janae was freed up to push forward & played a great attacking fullback role.
Wainui did have one very fast striker - who eventually broke through and scored after 30 minutes. Down 0-1, however, we didn't panic, we still looked to be playing the better football and as Russ & I rightly observed our girls were looking to eventually overwhelm this team with speed and more creative play. Jamiee came on & almost immediately cashed in on the extra possession to put Courtnee away wide who slammed a screamer to tie the game up. Georgia on the right & Olivia on the left were water tight in defense which forced Wainui down the centre...right into Jaimee's trap. Jacinta paired in the middle & her aggressive play forced Wainui into turning over possession. On the rare occasion the ball came Hannah's way she calmly advanced to clear & wasn't tested for the remainder. Kate gave Olivia a spell at the back & her fresh legs made Wainui's wings life quite miserable - they couldn't crack the left, they couldn't crack Georgia on the right - nor get through Janae, Brooke & Sophie in the middle.
I was amazed how well the girls swapped positions seamlessly (that'll be your coaching coming through Dean - Ed.), shortly after Courtnee's equaliser Heather was finally rewarded and we lead at the break 2-1.
The girls were confident at half time, they could sense the momentum swing & it soon became obvious Wainui were digging in for the second half. Stop Out's speed and passing game was noticeably taking its toll as Wainui really ran out of energy & the girls began to pick them apart. Heather was rampant, Jade waltzed through players, Louise planted herself upfront & created panic in the defence feeding wonderful ball to Heather, Brooke & Jade. Courtnee back on after a spell almost immediately scored to make it 3-1. Heather hit the bar & to be fair the score could've blown out except for the Wainui keeper. Christine danced through players - Wainui were hanging on. Heather scored the fourth, most unexpectedly chipping the keeper, very nicely placed. Wainui were gifted a consolation goal near the end from a wayward defensive header at a corner but a comfortable win in truth, good football girls.
3 points Courtnee - just showed what she is capable of when in that mood! 2 points for Olivia - for an amazing calm display against comparative giants, also 2 points Heather - the most dangerous striker on the field and 1 point Sophie - showed her true worth as they scored both times within minutes of being subbed - enough said.
There's a new "Blacks" team at the club - and two weeks into the season they're doing very well under the stewardship of one of the "Orginal Blacks (Masters Men's)" Angus Williamson Thanks Angus for stepping into the role....we all appreciate your help & football experience ... First game, April 7th, Te Whiti
2-0 vs KCU (Jenny, own goal)
Pure football - no nets, no changing rooms...or ref with a whistle. KCU look a well drilled team with some talented attackers & the Stop Out cavalry arrives just in time for kick off. SO shows great presence on a hard, slippery ground, turning midfield pressure into numerous breakaway chances for April & Letesha. The first goal comes from an attack down the left flank all the way to the goal line, a low hard cross is struck by a KCU defender into where the net should've been. First half almost never ended despite all the shouting from the ref!
2nd half and there's the introduction of a whistle - a tense start with a one goal lead & wind advantage. More breakaways - Letesha scores 5 spectators goals! (that's near misses). The midfield & defence completely smother any KCU moves, forcing KCU all the way back into their goal mouth. Mel on the right, Debs on the left continually getting around the KCU defence. The ball drops to Jenny who volleys from out front with skill through the congestion to make safe the win. 3pts Jenny (strong midfield), 2pts April (shredded the KCU defence)1pt Mel (running the entire length of the right wing).
April 14th, Wgtn College 3-0 vs WU (Letesha 3)
Yay, nets, flags, ref, whistle! - Letesha hits the target!
The Blacks once again kit up on the side of the pitch...WU win the toss but choose to play into the wind. Mel & Debs torment the WU defence by attacking from the left and right, centreing the ball for Letesha & April o charge on to. With WU defence continually having to turn & defend the girls were able to grab scoring opportunities. With a net to aim at Letesha was able to run in front of goal & put a soft shot past the keeper into the corner. Shortly after she runs from a deep position, takes the ball aorund the centre back & shoots - GK has no chance. Letesha starting to make it look easy, breaks, fakes the keeper, bags a hat trick! 3-0 at half time & WU look like they are prepping to go on the attack. SO prepare to defend the lead.
Jenny and Ali own the midfield, in the right plae & time to wreck any WU plays. As suspected WU have strengthened the attack but Ann, Narumon, Jess & Emily push most threats away from goal. On one memorable play WU attacker gets around Emily, tries to get around Ann and gets cleaned up by Jess coming across from the right! Proof that defence wins games. Hannah stops the ball with hands, covers the ball with legs as WU attackers are all over her. Defender clears the ball off the line.
3pts to Letesha for her hat trick, 2pts for Ann organising an inpenetrable defence, 1pt for Debs coming out of the midfield & playing a strong attacking role.
5 August
Stop Out 5, Norths 2 (Heather 3, Nicola, Jenny) Final game and what a grand finale!
We’re up against the ole legends of women’s football – the experienced North’s, we're on the home ground (lawn guys on strike) and spring is in the air.
Stop Out are on form pretty early in the piece and knocking the ball around and it’s Heather who scores a beauty. Not too much later we have a bit of ping pong foot ball and some great efforts from Jacinta but its Heather who gets the last foot on it and off a North’s player it’s into the goal and things look up for Stop Out.
North’s do not take things lying down and rearrange their defence line but for the rest of this half, we see Stop out with most of the action and there are a number of attacks from Stop out, Courtenay and Mel Moore as industrious as ever in the mid field, Narumon , Alisha, Janae outstanding as ever , Ali shows us her might and diligence, she’s getting some great ball through to up front, we get some one on ones with the goalie from the likes of Nicola, Louise and April but North’s goalie is just too good for us to advance the score any further in this half.
Second half team talk has us talking about the 2 up curse and not to be complacent we do some rearranging of the team, a bit of confusion sets in and North’s take advantage of this and within quick succession they have equalised the score with 2 outstanding strikes. Darn curses!
Stop Out are just not attacking that loose ball and things begin to look dangerous but Hannah ensures that no more goals are scored and Janae gets the Stop Out girls sorted and gets some shape back and with Mel M showing us her skill in the midfield and getting ball up our way, Nicola show us what only Nicola can do and things are on the up again. Heather is as robust as ever and never holds back and sets up a perfect ball for Jenny to score!
We’ve got our mojo back and Jacintas is doing some suburb work at the back on left and getting some great ball through to Debs who is on form. Alisha who never ceases to amaze me how she can read the game like no other gets the job done so that the North’s can’t penetrate her line. We are awarded with a penalty when Nicola receives a dangerous tackle, Heather takes this with the self assured aplomb we’re used to, to score our final goal and her hat trick. There was a moment there when Captain Janae looked to score at the end, so very close, a hold your breath moment but were happy with a 5-2 win and we head back to the clubrooms for some celebrations. Thanks Louise and Narumon for the cake!
A huge thank you to all who have supported us this season, special mention to Malcolm always on hand with the nets! Great to have Shanna although injured always there for support. To all you mums, dads and families – Thanks! It’s been a fantastic season. Jenny 3 (yay!) Heather 2 (just another day at the office for her, superb); Narumon and Alisha (our great left and right lieutenants – another outstanding game)
29 July
Stop Out 1,( Heather ) Upper Hutt 0
Congratulations girls youve done it Div 2 have secured there place for 2013. Played at Harcourt in very warm, dry conditions. Not quite the performance to match last weeks effort, but better to win ugly than lose pretty. Upper Hutt were very strong opposition, difficult to penetrate and they held their shape well. For the most part Stop Out moved the ball around in Upper Hutt territory without getting a decent shot on goal until the last 5 minutes..April came close with a beauty that sailed wide and Heather had the shot of the day from a free kick parried over the bar.
Upper Hutt got to our goal area on occasion but great defence from Brooke, Janae and Alisha kept them from getting clean shots at goal. Hannah read the game very well and credit to Narumon for attacking from deep keeping the ball moving forward and turning them around. Mel, Ali and Courtnay had huge work rates in the midfield on defence and attack, probably the difference in the end. Second half Stop Out still couldn't really dominate Upper Hutt, our defence off the ball that worked so well the previous week deserting us.Louise, Brooke H and Sasha looked likely, Heather was marked well and had to do a huge amount of running to break free. She was finally rewarded with a patient finish to put us one goal up.
Upper Hutt just kept coming and Hannah was tested to the max twice, one with a cracking shot from out wide that she just managed to guide into the crossbar then again from a wicked corner that ping-ponged in the 6 yard box , a mad scramble involving all defence somehow prevented the ball going in. What a relief.
A typically gutsy display in the end from all players especially towards the last 10 minutes, Alisha who took at big knock but soldiered on, Narumon tackled everything, An injured Sasha, line ball clearance and Hannah producing the big saves. Heather flying in from up front to to put the last tackle on an Upper Hutt striker epitomised how committed these girls are.
The mid fielders get the points today, massive work load on defence and attacked at every opportunity.
Mel Moore 3 points, best game this season, Ali 2 points, left nothing out there and I couldn't rest her..sorry Ali Coutnay 1 point , No fear.
22 July. Stop Out 2 ( Heather 1, Sasha 1 ) United Emeralds 1 Plenty to crow about this week, The girls beating the division 2 leaders and Mels very smart move as assistant coach. Our game transferred to Fraser park which was annoying, doubly so when it was pointed out by the opposition I was erecting nets on the no 5 field. (it looked way better). Unusually warm conditions and firm ground so great for football. Again, we were badly let down by 2 no shows and 1 late withdrawl leaving just 11 players in total, no subs. Louise and Letesha looking decidely green under the gills, I have to say it didn't look good. The girls do play well under adversity and they delivered big time on this occasion. Given the beating we took from Stokes Valley and University we expected a lot more from United and were suprised how easily we were getting in behind their defence . Credit to Heather and Letesha who are so strong with ball at feet and walked on through ... United were threatening at our end but a turning point came after much discussion with Mel, to reshuffle players and this made an instant impact. Having Mel and Jenny on the sideline is just great in these situations. Louise went up front , Letesha out wide, Coutenay into centre mid, Sasha out wide and Brooke into central defence.This was major surgery but Letesha cut up the wing and put the ball on a plate to Heather who scored. 1 nil, good start. We very nearly had another from Heather except for some very good keeping, Uniteds player of the day. Brooke and Janae with their able Lieutenants Narumon and Alisha were totally in control. Ali and Courtenay in the middle just destroyed Uniteds build up. Significantly we learned a new skill, shoulder to shoulder marking - United couldn't cope as it eliminated there options, beautiful to watch as a coach, a quality team nullified. Second half United were still toiling and Hannah was tested several times, so was the United keeper with Heather and Louise going close. Ali and Courtenay defence in the midfield was so strong, they tackled relentlessly and Brooke and Janae cleared the dangerous ball back upfield. Alisha and Narumon playing very intelligently, making good choices. A complete performance. We have always been good at attacking and that part of our game was going to seal it for us Sasha so pleased to get upfield positioned herself perfectly and calmly slotted the second from a Letesha/Heather cross. United still came at us , pulled back 1 with 2 minutes to go which caused a mild heart attack but the Stop Out girls got the victory they so deserved. They all deserve maximum points for that performance But 2 points a piece go to Brooke , Playing outstanding, never seen her so intent Letesha, Showed her real quality for 90 minutes despite illness Hannah , You continue to impress, how your game has advanced this season.
University 5 Stop Out 1
Debs
We managed to draw the long straw out of the Stop Out teams in terms of pitch and game time. Pretty good conditions for us with a night game on the turf at Wakefield, no rain, not too cold albeit a good northerly blowing and we get kick off.
Before Stop Out has a chance to get themselves settled and organised University don’t muck around and score within minutes of the whistle and immediately we are on the back foot. Stop Out does make some progress up through the middle with some physical play from Jamiee and Ali which sees a ball get through to Louise who has herself well positioned to get a header (or was that a nose) through to Debs out on the right who volleys a ball into the goal.
University are not phased and counteract to give themselves the advantage by scoring again.
Courtenay is doing some brilliant work up the left wing and Mel M is working hard to get it through to Heather who’s chomping at the bit to get some ball. Uni resume momentum and the continual barrage of attacks is well managed as best as possible under the command of Janae, Brookes work rate is exceptional as she sends many a ball back up to our midfielders. But the onslaught continues and Uni score twice more before half time.
At halftime there’s discussion about needing to compress the play and get in front of the Uni players and all credit to the Stop Out girls they work hard at this and it certainly slows Uni down, Jacinta mid right is getting some good ball through and Debs looks very threatening when she gets a couple more shots on goal. Louise also gets a great ball through to April who does her best to bring it under control and the gutsy Heather continues to get stuck in and looks dangerous but Uni defence is just too strong. Uni are regrouping themselves and again threatening our box and the defence are working hard to stay them. Janae super quick and always challenging, Hannah’s looking confidant regardless of the assault and comes out of the box to stop a strike. Alisha and Narumon continue to do everything that is required of them but it’s relentless from Uni’s part and it eventually pays off for them as they get to score again.
It was a hard fought battle with Uni’s skill and speed being the deciding factor on the result. Player of Day Brooke M for her determined and solid performance, 2 points Janae for her superb work rate and leadership and 1 point to Courtenay looking very threatening
July 8
Stop Out 1, Stoles Valley 3
Charlotte
Home at Hutt Park & we were confident of kicking on from last weeks win and got a big wake up call instead. Mel O's first foray into coaching and she must have thought what has she got herself into ?
Stokes Valley came out all guns blazing and quite simply blew us off the paddock in a 25 minute onslaught. Right from the kick off Stop Out were under pressure, the Valley girls were fast, accurate and very focussed. Coach at the aftermatch commented on Stop Outs reputation and clearly they they were pumped to take us head on. Stokes Valley were simply sublime with their passing and scored after 5 minutes, again at the 15 minute mark and there was little we could do to stop a third finding the net and still 15 to go to the break. Hannah was winded and the most serious concern was Jenny pulled up with a calf injury. Sasha copped a Hannah missile on the face and from up close as the Ref it looked grim, Jenny out, Hannah winded and Sasha off. Credit to Mel O who kept her humour and made the big call at the right time to introduce fresh legs. 3 nil down and the score could have totally run away except Stop Out rallied and after the initial shock gathered themselves and adapted.
Its a tremendous credit to this teams spirit particularly Ann and Janae's words of encouragement that they fought back like they did when lesser teams would have rolled over. We did get ball up front and inside the Valley goal box but couldn't really test the keeper. The talk at half time was about defence, we are an attacking team and were guilty of not adapting to the opposition.
Start of the second half and the momentum swung, Janae, Anne, Brooke and Alisha really stepped up and Ali player of the day picked up where Jenny left off. Courtenay, Mel Moore, Debs and Jacinta were awesome in presenting great ball up front & when Louise in great position put a beautiful ball to Charlotte who calmly slotted to pull a goal back. This brought some hope into the Stop Out camp and although Stokes Valley still raided our defence Hannah and the back 4 kept the Valley total at 3.
Sasha bravely came back on and her speed and vision (blurred) helped steady the ship. We actually won the second half 1 nil but the 3 goal blitz of the first half was a mountain too big to climb. A lesson about how important the start of a game is and real concern about fiiling the gap left by Ann off back to Ireland and Jenny looking doubtful.
Ali 3 points, always 100% every week,
Jacinta 2 points brave football good work rate and good ball into the boxAnn 1 point , another 100% when not 100% fit, we will miss you Irish esp the craike.
July 1
Porirua 0 Stop Out 3
Louise 2, Heather 1
Finally the Result matching the Performance.
Saint Russell is fast becoming a good luck charm. An early 11 am kick off at Adventure Park in surprisingly warm sunny conditions. Porirua look quite big and strong and at the pre-season tournament they were too powerful beating us 2 nil. Janae and I quietly chatted on the walk back from the "meet and greet", a little apprehensive, but like the good Captain she is we kept those thoughts too ourselves. With barely 12 fit players , the bench look rather shallow as well. Stop Out have never been fazed by opposition and with Mel O revving them up they quickly went to work playing to their strengths. Speed , an improved first touch and determination. We were playing good football, Alisha back to her best and Narumon was putting long ball forward , our midfield of Jenny and Louise were too intense for Porirua. Ali playing as a part mid - part attacker couldn't be contained and Porirua were slow to adjust. Brooke and Debs,who was outstanding today, supported Heather and the Pink assassin was terrifying the Porirua back 4. Gig's injury flared up and with no more reserves Jacinta had to be drafted back in to emergency standby. Porirua did have a very good central back 2 and equally good front 2 but with Jenny and the girls fizzing they had no go forward. Once Janae and Ann saw the ball coming any hopes of attack were swiftly extinguished. Resorting to outright speed Porirua tried the long ball through but Hannah has mastered that play and again proved why in our opinion she is the best keeper we have seen in Div 2 and 3. All Stop Outs hard work was finally rewarded from a Louise screamer off Heathers corner, a first strike, beautifully hit on the fly. At 1 nil halftime the girls were understandably very pleased. Porirua however, must have had the riot act read to them because despite turning around uphill and into the wind the first 15 minutes belonged to the girls in white. They were aggresive and Hannah had to pull out some big saves. The cool heads of Ann, Janae and Jenny weathered most of the storm, however when we conceded a hand ball just outside the box it looked like the equaliser was coming, The wall forced the striker to hit high and it sailed over the bar.
The Stop Out girls are made of stern stuff Ann went down on her injured knee but shrugged it off and it was back to business. Throughout, Brooke, Heather and Louise tormented the Porirua keeper until eventually Heather put a good ball to Louise who lofted it over an advancing keeper for a 2 nil advantage. Porirua were clearly deflated after that & the intensity of the match was taking its toll with several looking cramped, running out of legs and resorting to stretches in the middle of the field. Jacinta took a mighty bump and had to come off (Dad in huge trouble with Mum) The big difference, Stop Out is a 90 minute team and at the 87 min mark Heather took a direct free kick and on my urging (I'm taking some credit for this ) from way too far out belted a jaw dropper goal that was just reward for her 87 minutes of high octane attack. Louise 3 points- what a time to hit form Debs 2 points- best game this season Janae and Ann 1 point each - next to Hannah the first 2 names on the sheet and showed why........again.
June 24
Stop Out 3 Island Bay 3
Heather 3. A fair bit of rain over the last week sees a transfer to Wakefield Park for a home game, but we’ve got a great support team and we even have our very own physio (aka Morgan) and a very loud cheerleader in a cute pink woolie hat. Also on the line Dean Holmes, enthusiastic sponsor & supporter of the team - thanks City Electrical (hope we can buy you a beer next week Dean?). Island Bay starts with the kick off and after easing into the game and some strong attacks from the likes of Ali, Courtenay, Louise and April, its Heather that puts us on the score board with a ball that came through from Louise. Not to be out done Island bay follow quickly with a goal of their own. Jacintas work rate is strong on the left with Ann behind her in support. Janae’s pulling everything out of the box to prevent IB scoring.
However the IB team have some speedy girls up front and with a lack of communicaton they get to score again. IB are coming in strong and fast but at the other end when April's tackled from behind we get a penalty kick awarded. While it misses its more than made up for when Heather takes a free kick 35 yards out and it is a real pearler, she gets perfect height and the goalie has no chance as it goes in just under the crossbar. Halftime A few minutes on and then Heather gets her hat trick but it's all the encouragement needed for the IB girls to come back at us with another goal. Things are looking dicey and we are desperate to get another goal and not to concede anything, IB are getting a few good breaks, they are fast and it takes all the defences efforts to keep them out. Left side is well manned by the reliable Alisha and the industrious Narumon is on the right. Hannah is composed in making her saves and she is not afraid to come out when needed. Things are hotting up in the midfield and it’s our Mel that’s toiling in there & making some good breaks for Debs, Ali and Heather - who has another crack at goal to no avail as it hits the cross bar.
Gig on the left in defence gets a great ball through to Brooke out on the left who takes a shot on goal that looked promising ... but wasn’t to be. We have to take another draw but we’re proving to be a team to be reckoned with. Player of the day goes to our Pink Pocket Rocket Heather who was formidable and a hat trick that was fought hard for, Jenny 2 (amazing work rate and fitness we could all aspire to), Janae 1 and Louise 1 (both toiled hard for the team cause).
June 17
Stop Out 0 Marist 1
Another energetic performance by Stop Out unfortunately no points gained. Given Marist have come down from Div 1 we can all be reasonably happy with the performance if not the result. Perfect conditions at Te Whaea, no fear of overheating and the early exchanges were encouraging. I believe the girls are over the nerves with moving up to Div 2, it's their second game and some self belief now that they are well equipped to compete in this division.
Janae and an injured Zena the Warrior aka Irish Ann were going to play a key role and their calmness along with another stella Hannah performance settled the girls into attack mode. All season weve looked better going forward never the sort of team to lay back and allow others to bring the game to us.Jenny and Jamie were clinical at grabbing the ball and getting it wide to Letesha and Jacinta who also looked most likely on the breaks. Narumon and Sasha were in good support just like attacking outside backs should be and Ali in tandem with April came so close on many occasions. Alisha back from injury a bit tentative but quickly settled and looked to be enjoying herself again. Emma came on and her pace on the wing kept Marist retreating on defence to build from the back. Louise gave April a break and hopes for a lead came and went with neither strikers able to really test the keeper.
Towards the last 15 of the first half a lightening quick young girl came on for Marist and caused a few anxious moments. Courtenay was outstanding taking it upon herself to reel her in and from well outhoming in on her like a cheetah. With 3mins to go the young speedster scored a cracking goal to put Marist ahead .
Second half Courtnay put on guard duty and that was the last shot the speedster fired at Hannah. One goal down and the Stop Out girls look a bit aggrieved given so much pressure exerted on the Marist defence and nothing in the bank for it. Debs joined on the wing, her pace worrying Marist but to their credit they maintained shape and relied on solid defence and good positioning. Second half our speed and energy of Ali, Jamie and April's barnstorming were starting to show on Marist but they steadfastly kept us out and pressed Stop Out on several occasions. Early in the half. I had to pull Ann off (she wouldn't concede to the INDOOR injury picked up) and shuffle the back line, Janae and Sasha kept them humming
A bit of a stalemate developed, our first touches were a vast improvement on previous games but the final finish in front never really materialised and it goes down as a loss. Some luck next week wouldn't go a miss.
Janae 3 points, a real captains knock and developing into a real thinker of the game, Jaimee 2 points all class, lets play more late games, Courtenay 1 point, had a job to do never complained and mission accomplished
June 10
Stop Out 1 Paekakariki 1 (0.-1)
Mel M. Exciting times for us as we head up the ranks and play our first game in Div 2 on the home ground with good weather conditions to boot, grass a bit long and a little heavy underfoot.
We start the game off with coach Dean reffing and its literally within minutes that Paekak are on the board with a good strong goal. The admirable Stop Out girls don’t let it ruffle their feathers and sort the defence line out accordingly.
Narumon is having an absolute blinder as she tirelessly and courageously puts a stop on anything that’s coming down the right side of the pitch. The defence are under a lot of pressure but keep up the work, Ali in centre mid is solid and helping out the defence all she can. While Stop out is on the defence a lot this half, we do on occasion get it through to April and Mel up front.
Our mid fielders Letesha, Brooke M, Jacinta and Courtenay are toiling away, its hard going and while we are a bit sloppy, all efforts are sustained. Paekak are having some shots on goal outside the penalty box and Hannah is showing some real attitude and making sure they do not get to score again. Janae continues to be outstanding in her defence and Sasha saves the day at the end of first half when Paekak sends a screamer of a ball and Hannah comes out to try and whisk it away, however it bounces back to the Paekak player to have another crack and Sasha charges through to intercept what looked like a goal written all over. A sigh of relief is heard throughout.
2nd half sees the Stopout girls increase their intensity, after the coach had given us some magic words at half time, its game on!
We’ve now got Dean M reffing (cheers Dean!) and thankfully the coach on the sideline. We are looking much better this half and have settled into the game a bit more and again determined not to be defeated. While the opposition are getting a lot of ball and a number of shots on goal its Hannah that is someone to be reckoned with as she goes from strength to strength as the game continues, and the harder they send the ball the harder she comes back.
Great efforts by the defence and the midfield have now lifted their game a notch and it’s Mel M who ten minutes out from fulltime lobs a stunning ball over the defence for April to run onto and scores firmly.
This is all the encouragement needed as we try for another but to no avail as the whistle blows for full time. There’s no denying that we were happy to come off with a draw, it was a tough game and the feeling that it could have gone Paekaks way, but again the perserverence paid off. Yay were on the scoreboard for Div 2. 3pts April H, 2 points Hannah and 1 point to Narumon and Sasha
June 3
North Wellington 4 Stop Out 3
Heather 2, Ali
Top of the table clash at Wakefield and early signs were good, Heather opened her account this week in a goal box scramble then 5 minutes later Norths responded with the equaliser from a corner. Sasha valiantly headed the ball off the line but the Norths striker pounced to finish it off.
Stop Out continued to press the attack but for some very fine goalkeeping couldn't draw ahead. Uncharacteristically the girls in Red dropped off the pace a bit and Norths capitalised with another goal and stunned by the change in momentum Stop Out were guilty of letting them knock the ball around at will. To Norths credit they played simple football and unchallenged dictated the remainder of the first half. Alisha wasn't 100% and needed to come off, Fortunately Debs slotted in at Fullback and made a real impression in the unfamiliar role. For the third time we were outsmarted in the goal box and with 35 minutes gone went 3-1 down. Ann rallied the troops and with 10 remaining we started the fightback tragically Shanna who was all pace and fury up front took a bad spill and it was an anxious wait until the Ambulance came.
Talk at halftime was about being competitive as the opposition were being made look good by our lack of application. Second half we finally managed to grab another goal from a magnificent solo run and clinical finish from Ali. Jenny repositioned as a defensive midfielder and the football now belonged to Stop Out . Ann , Janae and Jenny took charge and got the girls heads up, Heather was making great runs into the Norths goal box but a cracking shot that looked for all money net bound strangely drifted to the post.
Norths were really fading now and we just cranked up the pressure, Heathers work rate paid off and she bagged her second and at 3 all it looked like Stop Out were charging and on track to win it. Norths goalkeeper was outstanding and ultimately the difference as despite Janae, Ann, Debs and Sasha keeping play out of shooting range. Norths lobbed a Hail Mary shot from 35m out and it sailed into the net. This may have been the killer blow because a frantic last 15 minutes yielded nothing more and the whistle blew, rather early than expected.......... and our first loss.
Have to say well done Norths, very sporting team and deserved winners.
Sasha 3 points, player of the day for me. Ann 2 points, solid game and such huge value in picking the girls up when heads start to drop and Debs 1 point, an unfamiliar role and her best game this season in my opinion.
May 27
Stop Out 5 Naenae 1
Heather 2, Courtenay, Jacinta, Mel
We arrive at Hutt Park to one of those wild and windy days Wellington is renowned for, and with a dose of rain added in for good measure. We're all feeling a bit antsy with what is expected to be the toughest game of the competition thus far, we know this team can score we’ve seen it on the stats, however Dean has done his homework and gives us a game plan to stick to with that in mind we head from the comfort of the changing rooms out onto the field.
We’ve wind in our faces and we are taking a few minutes to settle into the game and Naenae feeling confident take advantage of this and get on the score board quickly. Coach looks worried – don’t worry Dean were we were just playing with you! The Stop Out girls are a steely bunch and they stick to the plan and it pays off with a well timed goal by Mel M, and this throws Naenae; while we are not making huge progress forward this half because of the wind being a huge factor, we are shutting down any play by Naenae.
They have a couple of fast and well drilled girls up front but we have newbie Heather closing down play through the middle and our reliable defence line are outclassing their speedsters time and time again. Morgan’s first game with the team and she is calling out direction and is totally focused on the job at hand. The cracks are beginning to show for Naenae and as the half whistle blows we sense their frustration.
After another rousing talk from Dean we are back on the pitch with the confidence that the wind is on our backs and the belief that we could win this. We start with a powerful goal from Jacinta and there’s not a lot of action going on for the defence but when a ball does get away it’s all hands on deck and the opposition don’t have a chance. We then see a great goal from Heather and from there on in I think the opposition had all but given up.
Next we see new team recruit Courtenay score and then we see Heather put our final one to rest for the day. This game was not what we expected and I know I have said this in previous reports but you girls just never let up you played your hearts out and never stopped - a well executed game by each and every one of the 16 girls who took the field.
Good game plan Dean! – looking forward to next weeks cunning plan. Points – Heather 3, Jenny 2 and Jacinta 1.
May 20 Wellington Utd 1 Stop Out 1 (0-0)
A 7pm Kick off at Wellington College was not warmly recieved, literally, but the night produced an entertaining game.Great support also from parents , head coach and family, plus ex players.
With no wind the football was honest and Stop Out made most of the play. Janae and Jenny in central defence prevented any shots at Hannah for the entire half. Hannah has perfected her defensive play and now doubles as an extra full back when the need arrives. We had good forward drive from Narumon feeding Jacinta and on the other side.
Alisha was oustanding at shutting down a very big powerful winger. This was Wgtn Uniteds attack weapon and significantly she was subbed and moved elsewhere, big victory to Alisha.Courtnay was brimming with enthusiasm on her first game for some time, unfortunately was badly hurt on the right foot early and had to be rested for the remainder. Not the start we both wanted but she'll be back.The Mid fielders Sascha, Jaimee and Gemma were instrumental in getting the ball forward right to the goal box from all angles but new to this weeks United lineup was a very impressive Goal Keeper. One can only imagine how good the United keepers must be in the higher divisions.
Another good sight to see was one of the Originals; Alana Marsh back in Red , (Yellow actually) and very quickly those silky skills she had turning players back in the day, were coming back to her. Try as they might Ali, Debs, Louise and Mel could not crack the net.
United went into a defensive shell for much of the first half refusing to budge the centre defenders off thier line and as freely as we got the ball within shooting range it was still nil all at half time. Mel came very close but the goal keeper read her like a book.This is familiar territory for us every week is the same and patience and perseverence has got us over the line.
Second half was a bit of Groundhog day, we had the Lion Share of posession, quickly snuffed out counter attacks and could not buy a goal.To their credit United stuck steadfast to defence, long ball and hope and scored a cracking goal off a solo run helped by momentary lack of communication and we were a goal down.
We still looked the better team and 12 minutes to go we are still losing.A quick shuffle and cameo from Shannon the Burger Brown and Jaimee started to really stamp her authority, finally Ali seized the chance and banged one very carefully aimed equalizer into the far corner , nothing but air.(Great assist from Hannah and a smart clearance!).
Never deserved to lose this one and should have got 3 but will have to settle for 1 point
Alisha 3 points best game this season Jaimee 2 points fingers crossed for more late games Alana and Ali 1 point each .
May 6
Petone 0 Stop Out 1 (0-0)
Ali
A gorgeous day at Memorial Park, not a breath of wind, blue skies all round and with no reserves we know we are in for a hot one. We start the game with the sun on our backs first half and get kick off. Right from go to whoa it’s encouraging to see 11 players giving it 100%. We mainly have the ball working down the wings with Jacinta and Alicia on the left and Ali and Narumon on the right all working hard to get it up to our speedy strikers Brooke and Debs. Jacinta is working with attitude to free the ball from that top left corner but Petone are making it very hard for her, she does however get it out on occasion and sends a great ball back to Gemma in centre mid and she has a crack at goal to no avail those Petone players are playing a very defensive game along with their goalie who is on the ball as such! Lost count on how many corners we were awarded and the game continued on in the attacking half but we just could not get in that net. Ali is on fire and extremely strong in her play for only her fifth game of football she’s doing some fine headers that some of our more seasoned players would be proud of! As frustrating as it is, we come off with no score at half time. An encouraging talk from coach Dean advises that he is in no doubt that we can win this but we must try and get the long ball through to our speedy girls up front. With this in mind we hit the field this time with the sun in our eyes and it is now a lot lower however we don’t let that bother us and we play with as much determination that was played in the first half but also work hard to get those long balls through. And we make some good breakaways, and again it’s our two wingers Jacinta and Ali who are instrumental in this. Petone are throwing everything at us and look good on Defence they have it seems their whole team down there defending every time we have the ball, but the persistence and patience pays off and after a bit of ping pong football we find the goal – well done Ali! There are occasions in the second half where Petone do get it up into our half but with our strong back four led by Ann and Janae working together we ensure their progress is stopped. Hannah does not get to see the ball often but cleans up the odd ball coming her way. Last five minutes sees the gutsy Jacinta come off with an injury and we are lucky to have the injured Sarah come on to cover us – thanks Sarah! A well fought win girls well done! 3 Points to Ali, a well deserved player of the day, 2 points to Jacinta, 1 point to Narumon
April 29
Stop Out 2 BNU 2 (2-1)
Letesha, Brooke
Good result all around today really, all teams walked away with points. The game played at Hutt #2 & conditions were pretty wild. Amazingly the rain held off after a downpour 25 minutes before kick off. Coach Dean had to ref this one - no one else willing? - making it tough, very difficult to direct & manage players. Jason ran the subs bench putting fresh legs on in 15 minute bursts - thanks Jason.
Stop Out started with the gale behind them & piled on 2 quick goals in the first 20 minutes. Letesha took her chance well amongst a goal box scramble, soon followed by a wonderful solo run & finish by Brooke M. Team confidence was high & the girls played all the football and were making all the noise. The wind was a significant factor, both teams struggling to cope but BNU rallied into the wind & started to threaten our defence. The curse of the 2 goal lead! They were rewarded with a lob over Hannah's head and at just 1 goal down turning around with the wind at their backs definitely fancied their chances.
Stop Out were under siege for most of the second half, only our defence and some poor finishing on their part kept us in the lead. BNU had 3 or 4 quick and physical players spread wisely to keep pressure at both ends. A couple of breaks from our attackers could have stretched our lead except this time our finishing deserted us - and late in the half BNU scored a rather fortuitous equaliser. BNU wer delighted with the result, we were disappointed & knew we'd let this one slip away. A fair result though, BNU deserved to take a point from the game & for our girls a healthy reality check. There were some very good performances to savour.
Ann 3pts, fabulous 100% effort as per previous weeks - becoming an irreplaceable team member. Janae 2pts, leading by example - Letesha & Brooke 1pt each, good decision making & real threats up front.
April 22nd,
University 1 Stop Out 2 (1-0)
Jaimee, Gemma
A big thanks to Russ, Brendan, Dean Holmes from City Electrical, the Mildenhalls and the usual crew for their sideline support.
For some of the girls the first time on an artificial turf, & they enjoyed the experience at Wakefield although we were a bit concerned when the lights didn't spark into life until it got quite dark. University were a very fit & young (thanks for pointing that out Ann) side that right from the first whistle tested the Stop Out team. This was a real contest, Alisha, Sarah & Shannon made to work hard down our right flank. To their credit the backs managed to hold out the University' star players, forcing them to put the long ball into the middle. Janae and Ann were magnificent on defence as they deflected raid after raid & importantly both rallied & directed the troops. An impressive show of leadership. Sasha & Ali were leading the counter attacks, & Gemma and Jacinta the young centres were very positive with the feeding of the ball forward - Jacinta putting in some crunching tackles. Jaimee entered the attack and we looked much more threatening - Emma, Alida and Louise finally had quality ball to work with - but the Uni' goalie was outstanding and could not be beat. Late in the half Uni' got a well deserved goal & poor Louise copped a crunch and had to be carried off.
The team talk at half time was all about patience, sticking to the game plan - and Coach Dean is confident we were good enough to win this - (so was the sideline!).
Uni' came out strong in the second half, a credit to their fitness & if it wasn't for Hannah who was having a barnstorming second spell we could have been chasing this game from a greater deficit. The Uni' keeper was still to good - UNTIL Jaimee stepped up for a direct free kick and blasted a screamer into the net - as good as you will see anywhere, and this really lifted the team.
Stop Out turned in a last 20 minutes like the effort against Wests two weeks ago - Ali was tireless and Hannah pulled off some heroics. Louise came back bravely to give Sasha a well earned breather and Emma got deep into the box - but it was a solo effort from Gemma, stepping a defender & the goalie to calmly slot home from 5m that put us ahead 2-1. Uni' threw everything at us in the final 10 minutes but we held firm - gutsy girls!
Jaimee 3pts for a classy performance, Janae 2pts, weclome back & great captaincy, Hannah 1pt - stepped up when we really needed you!
April 15th,
Stop Out 7 Wainuiomata 1 (4-0)
Gemma 2, Emily 2, Ann, Louise, Brooke
A super day at Hutt Park with our supporters out in ful force, we win the toss and play with the wind. Coach Dean talks about playing up the wings and that is exactly what we did.
The girls take about 10 minutes to get in the swing of things but then settle into the game, we had Gemma and Mel M in the engine room working away to get it up to the girls up front - Louise and Ali. It's Gemma that bags the first goal with all class, followed not too long after by a fantastic cross from Ann (on debut) through to Louise - then it's only a matter of time before we get another scored by Gemma.
Brooke and Debs (also on debut) do some great work out on the wings and Debs does a lovely cross through - and gets herself in space to finish it off. The defence line has got a pretty cruisy time of it, 'Nui is trying to attack down our left but we've got Jacinta & Alisha cleaning up anything that does go off course. Hannah is kept quiet in goal - but she's yelling words of encouragement - thanks Hannah! Sarah comes on the field for her debut & she's making intelligent calls & supporting Debs.
End of the half and Coach Dean has a reminder to keep up the intensity & with a healthy scoreboard Dean mixes it up for a bit of fun.
Emily is now in the strikers position and as she did in the first half making a real impact, with her strong and well positioned play she gives us another two goals. Ali is quick on her feet and cuts down any attacks with gusto. Hannah, Ann & Narumon are doing their bit and it's just unfortunate that 'Nui get a run on the ball & score.
Again both Brooke & Debs are instrumental on the wings and it's Brooke who earns herself a well deserved goal. We finish the game ahead 7-1, the preseason training & tournament play has paid off, where the 'Nui team were bunched we were looking for space - that fitness paid off!
Player of the day, Gemma, for not holding back and her outstanding play, Emily 2pts for her strong and well positioned play (where's the D?) and Debs 1pt for her handy work up the line - and for playing for the right team! We promise not to mention this again.....(well not this month anyway).
April 9th, Wests 5 Stop Out 7 (3-3)
Louise 3, Charlotte 2, Gemma & Emily.
What a start to the season!, a 12 goal thriller enjoyed by a large group of Wests supporters. Wests looked and played very similar to Stop Out, they even turned out in red.
Perfect conditions on a an excellent pitch at Endeavour set the stage for open football & both teams obliged trading goals right up to the last ten minutes. Our main concern was having just one sub compared to the 4 or more that Wests had at their disposal. The game was played end to end in hot conditions at a very fast pace. The Wests strikers were particularly uick & our back four of Sasha, Jenny, Alisha and Narumon had an unusually heavy work load. Full credit to them and the midfield of Mel, Maddy, Ali and Gemma were able to capitalise on the defence clearance & put the likes of Charlotte, Louise and Emily in positions to score.
Our goalie was an unsung hero, saving many a shot that could easily have put Wests in front and Stop Out doing the chasing. We literally traded goal for goal finishing 3 all at half time, with Gemma scoring a superb 20m strike. Great to see Charlotte make the most of her debut with 2 goals to keep the score ticking over and it was a very tired team who came off at the 45 minute mark.
At the turn around Louise who came off after the first half an hour clearly benefitted from the extra rest and scored a hatrick! At one point we went behind 4-5 & given the lack of fresh legs I honestly thought this was the turning point - until Emily scored and the girls lifted again. The last 30 minutes and two goals from Louise were the result of sheer determination & gutsy effort, particularly from Mel, Maddy and Jenny.
The whole team gave everything on the pitch and there was nothing more satisfying for a coach to see such grit and character - they have set a benchmark now. (Maddy 3pts, Mel 2pts and Jenny 1pt).
14 August 2011 Hutt Park
Stop Out 2, Paekakariki 0 Nearly - not quite the final game of the season and it’s on the home ground, although its cold, weather conditions are good despite the forecast. Brendan comes up with a cunning play to play the 4 3 3 formation and he gives the girls an opportunity to play in some new positions. Jacinta has taken one for the team and puts the gloves on and the oh so bright goalie shirt – cheers Jacinta! Were away and there’s some first-rate football being played, initially up front we have Mel, Sarah and Louise and they are putting pressure on the defence and keeping them on their toes. Mel is bringing the ball up and running rings round the defence she is having some shots and does get one away that is an absolute pearler, and we’re up 1-nil, and Mel does not let up, she keeps the pressure on and is getting it through to Louise who is well positioned and having some shots on goal – while they don’t get there the idea is there and it’s just a matter of time. When their goalie sends the ball back down our way and the Paekak girls do get away on it, the defence is outstanding. Janaes work rate is dazzling, Brooke and Sasha are looking robust (in a good way) and Alisha is just getting better with every game. Jacinta is a big success in the gloves as she does all that is required of her. Janae on the right works really well with Courtnee who in turn is getting it up to Sarah – the team dynamics are really starting to show. On the left Alisha to Jenny and then onto Gemma up front and still we have Mel here there and everywhere, and despite nothing further materialising from our efforts we are looking good for the second half. Second half and there’s some good free flowing football being played and Stop out are really starting to dominate the pitch, Gig & Jenny are never letting up with their efforts in midfield and are always there in support for players, we see some fantastic skill and efforts from Courtnee and she’s is getting the ball through to Sarah and Mel time and time again. Sarah’s getting some good crosses to Louise who in turn is having a shot – Louise was unlucky to not have scored as there were some very close ones. Rarely is the ball up Stop Outs end now, on the odd occasion it does get down near the Stop Out goal area all of the defence team are all very cool, calm and collected as they send it back up the flanks. When we do get the ball up front again, all the hard work pays off as we score for the second time. Jenny rewarded for a fabulous match (and season) with a well taken finish. We continue to get the ball up out wide and get it through to the likes of Gemma who is exactly where she needs to be and is getting some good ball through to Mel who is constantly putting pressure on the opposition she has a couple more very close shots on goal but nothing eventuates and the final whistle blows with a very rewarding win. For a new team with young players the team has come a long way since the start of the season and It was satisfying to see the girls all doing their bit to make it happen.Jenny 3 points – could not have asked for anything more, Alisha & Janae 2 - they just never let up, and 1pt for Brooke M, Gig, Courtnee and Jacinta for their efforts. 7 August 11, Naenae Park Stop Out 0, Naenae 7 We head to Naenae this week - the pitch is looking a bit lumpy but the sun is shining and we are feeling a little optimistic with having had a good win to Naenae a few weeks back. The first half sees us passing the ball around a lot and playing some good foot ball, Alana and Sonia are strong in their play and doing solid passes around the team, Emma as always is busy and productive and Gigs as reliable as ever. Great to have Sarah back on board and she’s looking comfortable on the right. Louise is up front and ready and waiting for anything coming her way. The smiling Brooke M is industrious and showing commitment. While we did have a couple of shots on goal we do not score. We're down 0-1 at half and were hoping we can turn things around, however it was not to be as within a few minutes Naenae scores again and our opponents confidence just grew from there and boy did it grow! They’re now firing shots on goal from all directions, and after another 2 goals, we realised we had to shut them down pretty quick to not give them any opportunity to have a shot. Olivia is getting a full on work out but stays well composed at all times, unfortunately in the goal area Naenae are awarded with a penalty which was successful. Despite the growing score we do see good moments from the defence, Sasha does some brilliant headers and her pace has her covering a lot of ground quickly, Alisha continues to keep her timing impeccable when it comes to intercepting the ball and she’s making sure its sent down the line, and we can really hear her starting to talk. Janae continues to be a steadfast defender and is combining well with Gemma, - Gemma is really getting into space and making calculated decisions each time as where to send the ball and as soon as she’s sent the ball she’s finding space again so she gets a couple of shots on goal which don’t get there but the intents there! Alana, Sonia and Emma are a fearsome threesome and working together to get the ball up but Naenae have their midfielders right back with their defence and we just can’t get through. Naenae do get a couple more in before the whistle blows and it’s just not our day and overall we were too quiet, our hats off to Naenae they were an enjoyable friendly team to play and very hospitable too! Gemma 3points, Sonia and Alana 2, Emma 1 July 31, Jim Cooke Waikanae 6 Stop Out 1 With a score that one sided you could be forgiven for thinking it was a lopsided affair. Far from it, The conditions were the best we have seen since the start of the season and a good standard of football for the loyal supporters from both teams. The game was played in very good spirit with an official Referee who allowed the game to flow. Waikanae present a similar age group young , fit and fast. The latter attributes were the difference in the end. Stop Out girls matched the Home side on the ball and stringing together passes however the superior speed of Waikanae saw them run away at times and finish well. Olivia looked assured in goal and cleared out ball well from the punt , Waikanae put 3 goals though in the first 30mins which were too good for most keepers, again a bit of confusion in the box and Waikanae pounced. Janae and Geogia in central defence worked well, Janae was tireless in pursuit all game and a player singled out in points awarded.. Brooke M at right back another big game linking especially well with Emma and Courtnee. Alisha never gave up at any stage an impressive outing of 90 minutes and improving each time she plays. Gig and Gemma gave a typical measured performance at times Gemma outskilling her opposition, Gig picked up an early injury and soldiered on regardless. Louise and Brooke H upfront had their chances on goal Brooke H finally rewarded with a great left foot drive from 25m to pull the score back to 3 to 1. Waikanae picked up their the 4th goal minutes before the half time break. Louise offered to go in Goal not feeling well and gave Olivia a run at the back. Lilly did well I suspect she has played there before.? A much better second half effort by Stop Out, Courtnee playing out wide found another gear and was only denied a couple of goals from great keeping, Gemma pulling party tricks on opposition and Alisha having good presence of mind using the safety of the line .Janae, Brooke M, Brooke H and Emma's fitness showed through they were still beating the opposition to the ball however it wasn't enough to subdue all of Waikanae they were overall fitter and faster and got 2 more goals somewhat fortuitous but you make your own luck.. Good comment from the Waikanae Coach, He read the game like I saw it "Stop Out Matched us everywhere except the score card ". Cant be grumpy when you gave it your best girls Emma 3 points stand out, Brooke M 2 points another stand out, Janae 1 point 110% effort. July 24, Alex Moore Stop Out 0 North Wellington 0 We arrive at AMP and the outside temperature on the car is showing 6 deg, but geting up onto the pitch we quickly realise that the temperature is well below that thanks to wind chill. For those of you who have been to Alex Moore before you'll know that it's pretty exposed up there on the top of Wellington facing all the elements - a bit like the Andes. It's put to us that the opposition are happy to walk away from the game if we agree - but they will not default to us - however, the SO bunch are a hardy lot & with a great atitude they immediately respond without hesitation that they're keen to play. The enduring ref for the day, Mr Marsh, says so be it & if it becomes too dangerous then he will pull the pin. The pitch was not looking too shabby - huh - WAS being the operative word! Within 10 minutes we have churned it up in such a way that we feel sorry for the grounds keeper for what's left of the season. It has now become a mudpath right across the pitch. Both teams don't make a lot of ground - we try the LOOONG ball but the wind gets it, we try the SHORT ball but it stops dead in the bog. Progress is hard and frustrating. Stop Out does however try to get the ball sent out wide & with some persistance we eventually do get it up to Nicola - her strong shot from outside the box - but the wind and their keeper are going to have the last say & do not let us get away with it. We come off for a quick half time with still no score - some of the girls are really feeling the effects of the cold & are keen to get on the pitch again very quickly. Things are similar in the second half & I'm not sure if it had something to do with the howling southerly but the left wing was a magnet - where a lot of play was & I lose count of how many times the ball gets kicked over the edge & rolls down onto the pitch below. I am sure we spent half the game waiting for the ball to be retieved from the pitch below - not fun for the 21 girls and the ref standing around freezing. There were some funny memorable moments, with some great falls in the mud - Gig springs to mind, & the oppostion had some pretty good falls too, it was slow motion football all round. Nicola and Letesha do however get a couple of shots on goal but it was not meant to be for both teams as the final whistle blows. The drawn result gives us a point & by the seat of our pants we stay in Div 3 for the start of next season. We race back to the clubrooms with some brainfreeze, slightly hypothermic ailments and hot food! Well done team for having a shot in those conditions - you all earn a point for commitment. A huge thanks to all who were out there supporting us in those appalling conditions - at least we got to run around - I can't imagine what it was like for you, so cheers guys! Player of the Day - Captain Fantastic!, Jenny 3pts - her lieuteants, Janae & Cathy 2pts each - everyone else, (Brooke H, Louise, Gemma, Sasha, Olivia, Cathy, Alana, Gig, Alisha, Letesha, Nicola) 1pt each. July 17, Hutt Park Stop Out 2 Paekakariki 4 A nice day at Hutt Park and it looks like we drew the long straw in terms of pitches – ours was looking a bit better than the other pitches! We lose the toss and we get to kick off first. Similar to some of our other games we are slow to start off and it takes us a while to get into the swing of things – not an ideal way to start a game, as Paekakariki did not muck around in getting their first goal. Physically the opposition were the stronger team and they were using this to their advantage and some presence sees them get the ball up and down to our end, and we had to work hard to shut them down. Janae is out there on her own on the right flank and ensures no goals are going to get through her side. Brooke H was doing some lovely crosses through to the strikers and, we had Courtenay and Alana working away in the engine room. Brooke M and Letesha were kept busy on the left, not too long after we see Gemma and Alisha come on and both make their presence felt. Alisha continues to do her well timed intercepts and sending the ball up to the Stop Out players and Sasha our central defender sends a strong, brilliantly timed boot that sees the ball sailing through Paekak’s defence line and Louise who ran like the wind, gets the run away and shoots from the 18 yard line, it has perfect height and swoops over the keeper into the net – just in the nick of time before the half time whistle blows. We’re 1 all. There’s a feeling of optimism as we get into the second half but its déjà vu as again Paekakariki immediately get another goal straight into it. That’s ok there is still 44 minutes to go but our opposition have a confidence building now and are sussing out our weak points and within minutes they have another. The girls don’t let it get them down and the optimism is still there and we pull our socks up and start playing football. Brooke M is ever strong in the right defence and covers well and Janae there on the left is doing her bit, Jacinta has come on the left mid and she’s looking back at home after her injury and we see Laura working her magic up front. Courtnee is easing her way into the game and doing some positive work in centre mid things are looking up again, good work from Gemma sees some opportunities and its Laura whose taking the bull by the horns and does some clever foot work and doing her best to get the ball in the back of the net. Eventually we are awarded a penalty from a handball and its Laura who coolly sends it into the left side of the keeper and into the net. We are back in the game again but with only seven minutes to go but Paekak not to be out done tries another of the exact set moves that they had done with the two earlier goals but Olivia is ready and waiting and she more than puts her body on the line to stop another goal in doing so she had a boot connect with her face and down she goes. This sees Olivia off and Alana offers to put the gloves on – thanks Alana! She barely has time to get the gloves on and a quick throw in from Paekak have them score again. Time has ran out and our thoughts immediately switch to Olivia. We find out later she’s ok just very sore -Thank goodness! 3pts Janae, 2pts Brook M, 1pt Louise July 10, Weka Park Waikanae 3 Stop Out 2 The previous match (report to come) a 5-0 win over Naenae means the team sit mid table as we go into the business end of the season. Up at Weka we won the toss & picked to go with the wind, we had a team talk and were warned about the wind and how it may well play havoc in the game so it was important to keep the ball low & make sure we played ball to feet - however, the words of wisdom were lost in that strong Kapiti wind! We started the game off with a bit of mediocrity & Waikanae were quick to take advantage of this & fairly early in the piece they were on the scoreboard. Our defence was a bit messy & we were sending those high balls that in the conditions were not going where they should have, there was not a lot of sync going on & when Waikanae did get the ball they had a couple of fast ones up front who were able to get a couple more goals in. It was getting close to half time & things were not looking too good but fortunately we were able to get a couple of set pieces in with some good work by our midfield - & Brooke H was able to get up the right wing and score with a good shot, half time 1-3. The wind settled down and the team talk we had at half time was not lost on us this time - suddenly we were a different team & the dynamics changed. The defence reorganised themselves & we were determined to sort things out - and anything that did get through was dealt with calmly by Olivia, not an easy task when Waikanae were taking corners that were curling dangerously towards our goal. Our midfield had well & truly fired up and were working well together as a team - it was a real pleasure to see. Alana workedincredibly hard, she was strong in her play & worked well with Letesha - together they played some great football bringing up the balls sent through from Alisha - and then we had Gig and Gemma on the right with Janae in support, ditto! Gig worked tirelessly & was instrumental in getting some great balls up to Laura & Louise - the perseverance of the midfield paid off as Laura scored our second - and she had other shots go close as well. Great stuff from Sasha who continues to be a solid defender & the team as a whole were stronger on their tackles - it was a shame we didn't at least come away with a draw. At the end of the match we had the opposition worried and outplayed - we had dominated the second half. Player of the Day, Alana (3) with 2 pts each for Gig & Letesha. June 12, Endeavour Park Wests 3 Stop Out 4 We head out to Whitby to play the West's who are also newly promoted to Div 3 & we felt we had a score to settle with them after having suffered a loss earlier in the season to them. We had some of the Prem's turn up for vocal support - along with Brendan, Russ & our other usual great support crew. The pitch was looking shipshape (good pun Jenny) taking into account the amount of rain that had fallen in the past 24 hours. We win the toss and go with the wind at our backs - the team gets off to a respectable start with Brooke H doing some fast work up the left flank & getting the ball through to our strikers Louise & Mel O - with Emma there in support. After a bit of ping pong footy in the goal area we see Emma take the first goal of the game - great perseverance Emma! Next we see the West's even up the score with a goal of their own. We continue to work, with Janae working strongly at LB making sure nothing gets through. Letesha is getting involved and working away, Mel's taking some shots on goal but it's West's who score next. They have a couple of resourceful players up front & they sneak the lead. Back up the other end, Mel sends a great ball through to Louise who gets a foot on it - the ball slipped past the keeper, hits the post and following up Louise slaps home the rebound - great stuff! Gemma does some great work up the line, run rounds the opposition - she's pretty darn handy at that! - she gets into the goal area & takes a shot on goal - the opposition can't deal with it and knock it into their own net - 3-2 and we take that to half time. A quick chat and then we're off to play into a strengthening wind. West's are now trying to play out wide, in particular down the right wing & Brooke M has an outstanding half ensuring that the ball is secured and sent up to Gemma who is getting it through to Mel O who is now in midfield. Mel is strong in her play - taking some shots that are ohhhhh soooo close. Wests' look to close her down but she still manages to slip a couple of defenders, get the ball to Louise who's shot just eludes the keeper and crosses the line by an inch - it's a goal - phew. The ball is down both ends of the field now, and when it's up our end we see some insightful & impressive saves from Olivia - Sasha is as reliable as ever and Sarah's involved on the left. She gets the ball through to Brooke H who is now playing up front - taking shots and has everyone holding their breath as she gets some balls so very close to goal. Five minutes to go and Wests are keeping us honest with another goal for them - we get tight on defence and ensure that no more balls get through. The final whistle blows and we heave a sigh of relief after a well fought game played in great spirit! Our first ever win in Div 3! We did the coaches proud this week - the training paid off with lots of headers all round - how's your head Mel? Players of the day; 3pts for Brooke H who played a number of positions during the game and did so well in all of them - followed by Brooke M (2pts) with an outstanding second half and Emma with 1pt for her excellent efforts in midfield. June 5, Hutt Park Stop Out 0 Porirua City 2 Playing at home ground & we get to compete with the other team recently relegated from Div 2, so we know we are in for a tough game. Conditions are warm & there is a reasonable drizzle in the air with a northerly wind (thanks Toni ! - Ed). We lose the toss, but have the kick off & the wind behind us. The game starts at a slow pace & through the middle of the pitch things are tough with it being pretty boggy. We look good when Sasha on the left sends it up to Brooke who is lightening quick and is out running the opponents. But for all Brooke's efforts we're not linking as well as we normally do and the ball gets shut down by the stern Porirua defence - & sent back up the middle of the pitch. Our defence is under stress and the formation is not quite right - Porirua takes advantage of this to score their first goal. We continue to work on & Sarah is making some great moves down the right, we're competitive with our opponents and there are a number of attempts by Stop Out, but there is still not the final connection. Alana has a great attempt on goal - but the Porirua goalkeeper is equal to it. Porirua get hold of the ball and travel up field, one of their players hits a beauty of a shot into the net to double their lead. There are further attempts & one that is looking to go straight in the net but is well saved by Olivia. Half time, 0-2. We head to the changing rooms for a quick team talk & Dean gives us some good pointers & we change things around a bit. One of the key changes see Sasha into the sweeper role & throughout the second half she keeps the team in shape & was instrumental in ensuring that no further goals were conceded. Janae & Gemma were working hard on the right hand side - but to no avail - and we see some great efforts by Sarah as we work hard getting the ball up to the other end. For the second week running Gemma gets tackled in a dodgy manner - & she's out of the game with an ankle injury. Jenny comes off with a bloody nose - she makes a note to herself to keep the ball away from her face in future. Again it's been good to tackle a challenging opponent - it will help us improve and gives us ideas to consider as head into the tail end of the season. Player of the Day : Sasha (3), Gemma (2) & Sarah (1). May 29, Melrose Park Wgtn United vs Stop Out, 2-5 : (Courtnee, Alana) Another stunning Wellington winters day with the sun beating down at Melrose, just above the Wgtn Zoo. We take to the field for the first time as a Div 3 team - YAY - and first up we have a former Div 2 team to tackle, Wgtn Utd. We have lots of supporters on the sidelines today & we can hear the monkeys at the zoo calling out their support too! The game starts well & the team is getting into their ritual of playing up the wings & keeping the ball on the deck - which is our better way of playing. Both teams are working hard to get possession & the team in red black is looking good - however, our opposition are very good at sending long balls through & our defence works really hard to keep it out of the net. Brooke M on the right with Georgia in support are doing particularly well to clean up any problems - unfortunately Wgtn do manage to gt one past us with a strong ball that we just couldn't get to. Not long after though Alana in centre mid sends a beautiful ball up to Courtnee (back from injury), she looks damn good as she scoots around a couple of players and sends the ball into the back of the net. Good stuff, 1-1. Louise is waiting patiently upfront for our attacking forays but the action is at the other end where Wgtn persist with the long balls. Olivia in goal is getting a real workout and makes some great saves. We continue to work hard though, the two Brookes combining on the right - Brooke H races up the line with Gemma as ever in support. Gemma shows us some clever footwork & regularly gets around the bigger opposition, & when on one of her runs is taken out by the goalie! Penalty! - which Alana takes very nicely, popping it inside the left hand upright unceremoniously, 2-1 to Stop Out. In the second half it's Wgtn who lift their game, immediately there's more work for the defence & Olivia is growing in confidence - showing great composure in goal. Janae & Emma are toiling in the midfield and doing all they can to upset the Wgtn attacks. Jacinta works away determinedly at LB, while Sasha & Brooke are industrious on the right side of the park. However, we struggle to maintain any possession and the floodgates have opened for Wgtn who score four unanswered goals in the seocnd half. Wgtn were worthy winners and for our team it was beneficial to play some very competitive football, & prepare us for the coming second half of the winter. Player of the day; Olivia (3pts) for her outstanding & fearless saves, Georgia (2) for her strong all round play, well timed intercepts & dogged efforts, Brooke M (1) for her excellent play.e |
