Colchester United Ladies: 0 Yeovil Town Ladies: 0
YEOVIL Town Ladies picked up a valuable point in a hotly contested game at Colchester United Ladies on Sunday. The match finished goalless, ending a run of two straight defeats, but the Glovers left the pitch feeling that they could well have brought all three points back to Somerset.
“I seem a little repetitive at the moment in that again we played some excellent football, and created a number of chances,” joint manager Nigel Williams said after the game,” But we could not finish in the final third of the pitch. We need to be killing off teams better at this level, and given a fine second half performance we could and should have won this game.
“We asked the team to perform from the start, and they went out and responded, and we were all over the opposition in every part of the field. In the last two matches we have allowed teams to come onto us, and for the first twenty minutes of games we are trying to find our feet. In this game the response we got from the team was great. We were keeping the ball at the right times, our passing was precise and our movement off the ball gave us opportunity in attack after winning the ball.
“Stace (Stacey Pearson) was having a field-day with the Colchester right back. Her work on the left wing was a position where we felt that we were strong and could exploit. Work from midfield gave both our wingers chances to deliver some great crosses in the first half, but for saves from the Colchester ‘keeper, we could have taken the lead during this period. We were in control.
“Our attacking two Laura (Bray) and Kay (Sage) were working well together, Laura being put through on three or four occasions. She put one in the net, but that was called offside, and to be fair she was caught inches off side on other occasions.
“As the half went on Sarah (Lawler) and I were struggling to find fault with the play as we were creating chance after chance, and this continued in the second period, with the first chances made down the left and right of the pitch, corners a free kick and further great work all resulted in nothing. It was almost one of those days that you could have used the cliché, "It’s just not our day".
“There was not a single player I could say was not pulling their weight in this match. We were extremely proud of the way we played as a team, but in all honesty we cannot keep accepting being the best team and not getting the full three points from the games that we are on top. The last time we were in this league we were off the pace. We were not in a position to complete at this level. Now we are, and the results and performances tell Sarah and I that we have the players to achieve at this high level. However, we now need to move on from congratulating ourselves for great performances and come home with the points that will keep us in this league.
“I know that our players will continue to work hard in training, and when they have been selected to play. Every player and coach has the same objective, and that is to improve as a team, make sure that we have a hundred per sent commitment, and learn from where we are not making things count. Once again an excellent point from a game that could have tripped us up, and another point towards remaining at the highest level.”
Yeovil Town Ladies:Simkin, Brazell, Edwards, Williams (Cornwall – 60), Keehan, Osman, Wensley, Whitton Pearson, Bray, Sage (Lock – 85)
Referee:Cheron Robinson (Essex)
Next Match:Home to Reading FC Women Ladies, (League Cup) Sunday 14 October – The Athletics Ground, Wells
Report by Nigel Williams and Ali King Pictures courtesy YTLFC