Ladies Secure 5-3 Win with only 10

Petersfield Ladies kick-started the New year with an away game V Hamble 2’s. Petersfield went into the game as under-dogs. Not only were they missing their keeper, due to injury, they were also a player short to fill the pitch with 11.
The game started promptly at 11:00 with Petersfield’s push back. By 11:05 Petersfield had their first goal. Taking control of the game the town team spread the ball around the pitch to break down the Hamble defence. Young Eames showed off her athleticism and neatly weaved her way through the back line. Slipping the ball across D she was unable to find Hedges poised on the penalty spot, but instead a defender’s foot gifted Petersfield their first short corner. Bardoe injected to O’Kelly on left slip and neat first-time touches from O’Kelly and S.Bardoe found Eames to the right of P.spot with a clear sight on goal. 1-0 Petersfield.
Eager not to sit back, the ladies kept up the intensity from the re-start putting the receiving Hamble players under pressure. O’Kelly’s pacey shut-down caused the Hamble player to provide a loose pass and Hedges was quick to utilise the opportunity. Passing back to S.Bardoe who in turn fed back to Wassenberg in Central defence opened up the pitch for Petersfield. Wassenburg slapped the ball to the right mid, Wilson, who popped it forward for J.Bardoe on right wing. Slipping it to the left side of the on-coming defender, J.Bardoe drove into the D and transferred the ball S.Bardoe poised on the P-spot for a nifty deflection past the goalkeepers right kicker. The mother-daughter duo lidted Petersfield to 2-0
The third re-start didn’t go as smoothly as previously for Petersfield. Finding some space on their left Hamble doubled up and despite Llewelyn shadowing down the wing, their forward was able to slip the ball into the D. A miscommunication between Briggs and Wassenburg meant two defenders tackled simultaneously and the Short corner was awarded. With No goal-keeper O’Kelly stepped in to help the back-line and shut down the first option with pace. The ball slipped right and Briggs was there to take the sting off the hit. A deflection landed between Hamble and Llewelyn and the attacker managed to jab the ball onto Llewelyn’s foot on the line. P-Flick awarded. Easton stepped into goal, with little hope, no goal keeper privileges are awarded to the acting player. The young Hamble player whipped the ball into the bottom left of the goal. 2-1.
Back in control from the re-start Hedges fed the ball back to Eames, who linked to Briggs making an attacking run from the back. Briggs offered a deceptive pass to Wilson who ran up the right into the oppo 25. Linking to Eames at top D who first time deflected towards goal and in a well-packed D the ball brushed against a Hamble foot. Short corner Petersfield. S.Bardoe injected hard and straight to top For Easton on strike. A clean strike zipped past the running defenders and drummed into the back-board. Petersfield led into half time 3-1.
The second half was quickly underway as O’Kelly scored a wonder goal from the left post. The ball was injected into the D from the left wing by S.Bardoe, O’Kelly picked up the ball on the baseline and went for goal. The keepers clearance lifted the ball straight up and O’Kelly, not missing a trick, batted it out of the air into the back of the net. 4-1. With all the excitement up-front the forwards and mids were burning precious energy reserves. As fitness started to flag, Hamble found space to utilise the pitch. Petersfield, struggling to track back left the defensive trio outnumbered. Through a number of failed attempts at goal Hamble were able to break two goals past the Petersfield back line as the second half proceeded. However it was Petersfield who had the final goal. As passes slowly lost accuracy and intensity, Eames took it on herself to run the ball from the base-line. Demonstrating ease and grace moving the ball around the opposition she lined herself up in the D and fired the ball past the keepers left kicker.
Petersfield finish victorious 5-3 despite the odd’s stacked against them. Bring on the rest of the season!