Match Report
Match Report - 12 Apr 2009, Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies drew with Shanklin Ladies
The champagne style of Thursday was soon forgotten as the hangover kicked in. The Robins began the game very flat and found themselves a goal down after only 4 minutes. The Robins lost possession in the Shanklin half and a long through ball found a Shanklin striker through on goal with only Holloway to beat. Despite Holloway closing down the angle she was beaten down to her right.
There was much huffing and puffing from the Robins as they struggled to deal with their lively, hard working opponents. They came close to equalising when a Patterson corner found Maggs lurking beyond the far post. Her firmly placed header was scrambled to safety. As the half wore on it seemed only a matter of time before Shanklin's competitive approach would bear more fruit but credit to the Robins as they worked hard to contain their attacks. This was largely due to the clever positional play of Boyle and the Campbell twins supported by the ever alert Holloway.
The second half saw the visitors adopt a more attack minded 3-5-2 formation but this arguably created more space for the Robins to exploit with some clever passing and movement reminiscent of their usual style. A double substitution for the Robins was made on 58 minutes whilst Shanklin were preparing to defend a deep free kick for a foul on Patterson. Patterson took the kick and drove it towards the far post area where substitute Michelle Turner made an instant impact heading home from close range.
This seemed to settle the Robins down as they passed the ball around with more confidence and created several good shooting opportunities. Shanklin continued to defend doggedly, throwing bodies in front of the ball and the goalkeeper punching clear rather unconventionally on 3 or 4 occasions.
A rare Shanklin break in the second period saw a cross played into the Robins box from the left flank. Patterson who had chased back to cover a breaking midfielder got to the ball first and her attempt to clear struck the helpless Boyle in the midriff only to see the ball fall to the feet of a Shanklin player who scored from 6 yards. Undeterred, the Robins went on the offensive immediately and forced a corner within 30 seconds of having conceded. Patterson delivered to the far post area and the head of Michelle Turner again levelled the scores. There was a moment of concern as Pankhurst who had also competed for the ball collided with the frame of the goal striking the back of her head for an egg sized lump to appear. She was able to return to the fray after treatment.
The Robins worked hard in search of the goal they needed to gain victory. With a couple of minutes remaining, Elly Maggs found herself with time to get a shot off from just inside the box. Her firm strike cannoned off the foot of the post and was cleared by the Shanklin back line. Still the Robins pushed for the winner and they forced yet another corner. Patterson again delivered with pace and the resulting header cleared the frame of the goal as the final whistle blew.
A battling second half performance with some moves of real quality in evidence. That's a run of 11 games without defeat upon which to draw confidence as the Robins prepare for their first ever appearance in the Berks and Bucks FA Women's Cup Final next Sunday. The opposition is Chesham Ladies from the South-West Combination league to be played at Beaconsfield SYCOB FC kicking off at 6pm. Come along to support the team as they attempt to unseat the current cup holders.
Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies 2 - 2 Shanklin Ladies