Morpeth Ladies 1st XI v Deeside Ramblers Ladies 1st XI
Result: 0-2
MOM: Brooke Cully
AOM: Ciara Corbett
Morpeth Ladies: Janice Rose; Lyn Watkins; Karen Hindmarch; Cara Smith; Sally Bryson; Brooke Cully; Emma Bell; Nicky Bowler (c); Dani Hagan; Ciara Corbett; Robyn Pick; Arran O’Mahony.
Morpeth’s unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday as a long trip to sunny Chester, a slow, sandy pitch and determined opponents proved their undoing.
With several new players still being integrated into the line up, Morpeth struggled to find any fluency in their build up and the sandy pitch seemingly making the ball stick in the surface, didn’t assist their normal high speed forward play. Everything was just a little slow and ponderous.
Cully was finding her way into the game and impressing at right half but for all the hard running, harrying and chasing down from Corbett, Hagan and O’Mahony came to nothing, as they just couldn’t get the decisive touch in the Deeside circle.
At half time the match was anyone’s and Morpeth were confident they could take a grip on proceedings but the first goal was always likely to be crucial in such a tight affair and it fell to the home team. A scramble in the circle saw the ball flying about waist height when a Deeside forward volleyed the ball through the crowd and into the net.
Morpeth pushed forward again in search of an equaliser but as the game wore on, nothing seemed to fall their way and their normal fluid attacking style couldn’t master the sand and doughty Deeside defenders.
The clinching goal was again hardly one from the coaching pitch as a scramble on the Morpeth left saw the ball shoot across the circle where it was met by an on-rushing attacker who managed to sneak her stick to the ball just ahead of the defender.
Although they battled to the end, there was no way back for the visitors and the game petered out to a tame end. Morpeth will hope to get back to winning ways next week as their new players settle into the team as Lancaster visit Longhirst.
