DARTFORD F.C. WOMEN DEVELOPMENT - A WIN AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Locked
TonyDart
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2022 3:52 pm

DARTFORD F.C. WOMEN DEVELOPMENT - A WIN AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Post by TonyDart »

Match Report – v Baldon Sports (Away) 3-1 on Sunday 21st May 2023
Last game of the season – playing to seal the Premier Division Championship
Baldon Sports 1 Dartford 3 - South East Counties Women’s Football League – Premier Division
Dartford manager: Rhys Terry, coach: Dan Edwards
Dartford team: Stevie-Marie Reece, Kirsty Cameron, Tilly Rowsell, Annie White, Chloe Hall, Alicia Adams,
Emily Woodhouse, Georgia Culpitt, Alex Foulds, Lizzie Nugent, Aimee Ascott
Subs: Alex Fagan, Robyn Smitherman, Sabine Ghag, Beatrice Ogundele, Amy Brooks (all used)

It was a nice bright warm afternoon but with a stiff breeze blowing in Darts’ favour in the first half it was Dartford who made the best of the opening spell.

Good strong, long throw-ins from Emily Woodhouse gave the Baldon defence plenty of work to do but Baldon managed to quell most of what the Darts’ threw at them by crowding out the centre of defence and Lizzie Nugent had to play a good game of cat and mouse to unshackle their attentions on her.

Lizzie fired a warning shot to them as she lifted a chance over the defenders but the high bounce brought about a comfortable save.

On six minutes, Annie White found Lizzie Nugent who pushed it on for Aimee Ascott who was bowled over by her markers, but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty and Aimee had a hard landing but thankfully got to her feet and shook it off and got on with the game.

After 12 minutes, Lizzie Nugent latched onto a good through-ball and confidently fired it past the goal for Darts first goal.

On 28 minutes, there was another hard challenge, this time on Alex Foulds which sent her sprawling. She landed badly, injuring her shoulder and couldn’t take any further part in the game.
This was a tough blow for Darts and Alex who had only recently returned after a length lay-off due to a bad injury to her ankle.

Dartford increased their lead with a brilliantly taken second goal from Lizzie, and the ball absolutely rocketed into the top left corner leaving the keeper with no chance.
HT 2-0

8 minutes into the second half, and Darts’ sealed their win – Sabine firing in a loose ball from just inside the penalty area after excellent work on the right wing and delivery into the box by Emily Woodhouse.

Three minutes later, however, Baldon got a consolation goal when a well-directed corner-kick was scrambled over the line between a melee of players.

Beatrice was introduced into the play and her speed led to some Baldon players making mis-judgments. On several occasions, believing that the ball was going out of play they hesitated while Bea’s pace beat them to the ball and kept the ball in play, laying off good passes to Georgia and Sabine, following up.

The game seemed to open up, with both teams making errors in midfield, but it has to be said that, once again, the pitch was very bumpy and unpredictable so this had to be more of a workmanlike display rather than one with polish. But the hard work and sheer determination got the Darts past the winning post to secure the win and the league championship into the bargain.

FT: 3-1 to Dartford

Now it was time for the celebrations to begin - with the bubbly being uncorked in the centre-circle!

So a big well done to everyone concerned in bringing the Premier Division Championship to Dartford and a thoroughly good season of football, with the team and individual players alike making great strides in improvements in their game.

Report and Video by Tony Brown.

CELEBRATIONS AFTER THE MATCH:
User avatar
DA Mikey
Posts: 485
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:55 pm

Re: DARTFORD F.C. WOMEN DEVELOPMENT - A WIN AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Post by DA Mikey »

Massive congrats ladies and all associated.
Good to see your efforts and hard work well rewarded!
Skip
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:04 pm
Location: Felixstowe

Re: DARTFORD F.C. WOMEN DEVELOPMENT - A WIN AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Post by Skip »

Well done, ladies. Fantastic achievement.
Skip (now residing in Suffolk)
Locked