DORSET WOMENS LEAGUE
SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2016
VERWOOD TOWN LADIES 5 WOOL & WINFRITH WOMEN 2

It was another unseasonably hot day at Potterne Park as Verwood welcomed their friends Wool & Winfrith to what would turn out to be a historic day for the team.
A win would see Verwood Ladies climb to the top of league, even if it was only due to Bere Regis playing two games less.

Starting Lineup:

Jo

Millie Kerry Sharon Kirsty

Karla Sophie

Herbert Zoe Shevill

Liegh

Both teams got off to a slow start, not closing each other down yet very few chances fell to either team and after 20 minutes into the game, the referee called a 2 minute drink break due to the heat.

The second quarter saw both teams lift their game with most of the chances and possession belonging to Verwood. Solid Wool defending kept the Verwood strike force at bay until Sophie played Herbert in on the six yard box and her miss-hit strike wrong footed the Wool keeper and Verwood were 1-0 up.

Verwood were enjoying a good spell in the game. Megan replaced Zoe with Herbert moving to the central position and Megan taking the right side of midfield and made an immediate impact, winning the ball and finding Karla in the middle, who played a long ball which Shevill collected. Shevill crossed the ball in to Herbert who then fired Verwood 2-0 up.

Half time 2-0 to Verwood and that top position in the league was within sight.

The second half began with the same line up that ended the first half with Verwood enjoying more possession of the ball, but were finding the Wool defence resolute.

On 49 minutes, Liegh played a terrific through ball for Herbert who was running into the area and she made no mistake on her finish to claim her hat-trick. 3-0 to Verwood.

Wool regrouped and put in a terrific effort, winning their fair share of possession. It was Verwood’s turn to put in a strong defensive display as Kerry and Sharon were equal to the fast breaks Wool were attempting until the 54th minute when Wool deservedly pulled a goal back, beating the offside trap by the narrowest of margins. 3-1.

Immediately, Verwood responded after Shevill tricked her way past three Wool players and crossed in the perfect ball for Liegh who wasted no time in putting Verwood 4-1 up.

Rosy took over from Sharon in defence and Herbert had to replace Jo in goal who had taken a bad knock to her ankle. Zoe came back on to take over from Herbert in Midfield.

Verwood’s final goal was the goal of the game. Shevill received a pass from Sophie on the left, just inside the Wool half. Beat six players as she made her way into the penalty area and coolly finished to make it 5-1 to Verwood. Exceptional goal from Shevill.

Sally replaced Karla and took up position in central defence with Kerry and Rosy pushed up into Defensive midfield.

Wool secured a second on 88 minutes. There were strong calls for offside, but the linesman’s flag stayed down, but the win had already been secured and with the efforts Wool put in and the character they showed to the very end, nobody would deny they deserved something positive from the game.

Final score 5-2 to Verwood and a spot at the top of the league. Well done girls for another solid win.

How the players fared:

Jo: Reads the ball well and was like a third defender when required. Took a bad knock to her ankle in the first half and bravely played on through to the latter stages of the match.
Millie: First class performance, especially in the second half when she pushed forward and linked with Megan. Battled well and distributed the ball brilliantly.
Sharon: Dependable and assured defending. Covered a lot of ground as she defended against the Wool fast attacks.
Kerry: Looking more and more comfortable in defence and has struck a solid partnership with Sharon. Vocal and determined the whole match.
Kirsty: Cool, assured and solid performance. Her very presence in the team gives a level of calmness and is real quality when she is on the ball.
Karla: The kingpin in midfield. Hard to beat, strong and distributes with devastating effect.
Shevill: Goal of the game! More assists to add to her stats and a key player in nearly all of Verwoods attacks.
Zoe: Had a quiet game in the first half, but in the second showed some brilliant touches and a lot of creativity.
Herbert: Deserved her hat-trick and ran a marathon over the 90 minutes. Won the ball well and distributed brilliantly.
Liegh: Held the ball up well and always offered an outlet for her team. Scored a great goal and missed some hilarious sitters in the closing stages.
Megan: Had a very impressive game, defending from the front and all the way back on the right side of the pitch and working very effectively with Millie and the midfield. Created chances for herself and her team mates.
Rosy: Played with authority in midfield and kept Verwood in control of that area well, covering the defence and driving the ball forward with purpose.
Sally: Great to see Sally make her first appearance for the team this season and made a solid partner for Kerry in defence.

Player of the match, sponsored by Warborne Gamers Club and chosen by their representative Perter: Sophie – Partnered Karla well and supported the defence when the team was out of possession and supported the attack when in possession. Always available with clever movement off the ball and her passing was always played with precision creating lots of goal scoring opportunities. Energetic and tenacious performance. Well done!

Next week as a free Sunday, but the week after the team will welcome Bere Regis to Potterne park for a top of the league clash!