24/11/18, 7.30pm, Boldmere, Championship

Goals – Hutton

Our second Saturday night game of the season saw us host London Bees, without Paula Howells and Rosie Lane it would of seemed a great chance to pick up 3 points and leap frog London Bees in the table. It’s always been a close game in the past but both teams with very different line ups to even the games last season. Villa with an unchanged team wasn’t a surprise after the way we played at Lewes even though we didn’t walk away with the win we deserved.

And we couldn’t of had a better start as we came out the blocks fast and put Bees under instant pressure forcing a corner early on. With less than 2 minutes on the clock Jodie Hutton broke through and drove the ball home past the keeper (a goal she had tried so hard and deserved at Lewes) putting us 1-0 up.  A goal that meant a lot to Jodie. The pressure continued as Kerri Welsh came close to adding to our brilliant start but the ball wouldn’t fall the right side of the bar. The first half of the first half continued the same way as constant Villa pressure would surely lead to a goal but as the story of our season not being clinical in front of goal we came close through Jodie Hutton once again as she burst up the wing but hit it at the keeper. Jade Richards didn’t have a lot to do at the back as the ball was always in the Bees half but she started an attack off that saw Kerri Welsh blocked shot that fell to Amy West who also had her shot blocked. Sophie Haywood’s work on and off the ball through first half was incredible as she took the knocks and took on the defenders to create pressure (something you never will hear about in match updates as isn’t a shot) but her work effort was unmatched in first half. London Bees had their first shot through a mistake and lack on concentration as Lauren Pickett fluffed her shot straight at Sian Rogers thankfully. As the first half was starting to come to an end we was letting London Bees build momentum and as our season goes you could feel that something would happen and just before half time once again we was punished as we couldn’t clear our lines as it fell to Merrick Will who hit the ball from long range into the bottom corner making the score 1-1 (somehow). What an incredible first half by Villa even with being stung at the death of the half but some of the play was incredible and how we had only scored one we all had no idea. The feeling was good as surely if we played the way we had in first half the blip wouldn’t matter as we had been so dominant and so good but once again goals had somehow escaped us..

Well a game of two half’s never has been so apparent as maybe Bees had improved and maybe we had let our game slip but once again we came out fast and within a few minutes Amy West took aim and hit a beauty as it struck the inside of the post and bounced back into the keepers arm, a wonderful effort but the luck was on Bees side at that moment. Once again Sophie Haywood who easily was player of the match again for me took it upon herself to try break through Bees defence which she did with ease and as she hit the ball it unfortunately wasn’t the connection desired as their keeper got down to save the ball keeping it at 1-1. Two minutes later our defence went to sleep and gave a stupid free kick and as Bees played a simple ball into the box that CB Rachel Unitt Scored past a stranded Sian Rogers leaving them somehow 1-2 up in the game. The rest of the game as a fan is hard to write about because it’s like we decided it was home time from the amazing football in the first half too.. So will address this because it’s what would be a game changer in fifa street but so we are 1-2 down still in the game two powerful and great finishers on the bench and we bring off Kerri Welsh our CF for Ashlee Brown who for last few games had played at RB, yes let that settle in so at 1-2 down we took an attacking option off for a defensive one and I don’t by any chance mean this against Ashlee cause love her and her work but what was next Sian Rogers up front in last 10 minutes. In the melee of the substitution Bees nearly scored but thankfully Sian Rogers as she always does pulled off another great save in the Villa goal. Which once again she did and again and again as Bees took control of the game our old player Destiny Toussaint stinging us with her pace and play on the wing. But Sian kept us at 1-2 for long as she could we had changed to a hit and hope mentality which had Jodie Hutton and Sophie Haywood out on their feet as they’d run themselves into the ground which on 84th minute finally saw Sophie Haywood come off after running herself into the ground for the team. But instead of still bringing our powerhouse forwards on we brought on another pacey player and Bees knew exactly how to deal with it as they did until once again a switch off at the back bit of pinball and instead of clearing the ball broke to Destiney who put the icing on the cake for the day as Bees went 1-3 up and then another substitution in the 88th/89th minute so late didn’t even make the match report.. Phoebe Warner for our CB who was in running for POTM as well for amount of effort she’d put in second half as Bees attacked us. In this case thankfully the final whistle went at 1-3.

So this hurt a lot more than the Manchester United game because we was expected to lose that game and we kept going and it felt like even though we down we battled hard. This isn’t a slight at London Bees because you have to respect that at half time they turned the game round and took their chances and worked us out. That first half was incredible to watch some of the best football I’ve seen but just like Halloween the same script evolved as we didn’t take chances and conceded but I think the real annoyance was that you will see these 3 names in the Unused substitutions when the game was screaming for them – Ria Elsmore for Elisha N’Dow would of made more sense near end rather than losing our shape completely. Tash Baptiste and Tanisha Smith Unused substitutions as well (I do start to wonder what T has to do every time she comes on gives everything and the game against Leicester she bossed it and was one of best on the pitch) the game was Saturday night and as write this Monday afternoon it still hurts because this was a game we was completely in control of. I don’t blame the players because they didn’t stop trying but it’s like taking a leg off a table and trying to balance everything without being used to it. I always want to be positive because love and adore my team which is why if the game was only one half it would of been best game of season. 

We have an away trip to Crystal Palace next on Sunday 2nd November so we will be hoping that we can bounce back and put right what went wrong on Saturday night, it becomes a must win game as at the moment they sit below us In the table, we also have a busy end to year as got Bristol away, Sheffield United and Manchester City at home before the Christmas break. One good thing was we got sponsorship rolling so we can help our players through the season. 

Player Of The Match
Sophie Haywood

In my opinion as I may of said In bar without realising she was sitting quite near (blame the cider) but for me Sophie could of easily been POTM the last 3 games in a row, she was the outlet for us on the wing and held the ball up never shyed away from any challenge or chase and literally burnt herself out with effort. I made a comment in preseason that believed she could be one of our unsung heroes and it took her a few games but is proving each and every game she has truly broke the #17 curse.