Match Report 2nd February 2008
2 Feb 2008
Girls excel in cup quarter-final
GIRLS UNDER 11s QUARTER FINAL CUP MATCH
At Bishop Bell Primary School, Eastbourne
SATURDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2008
Tunbridge Wells Foresters 5 Eastbourne Borough 5
(After Extra-Time)
Tunbridge Wells Foresters win 2 -1 on penalties
Quite simply this was the best match of the season in the Crowborough league - across ALL year groups! It had the feel of a cup tie right from the first kick and nerves played a huge part.
The two strongest girl’s teams in the Under 11 league went head-to-head in a replay of last year’s cup final. Unlike the tense 0 – 0 draw in the league at the beginning of the season, this game was a goal fest!
The action was end-to-end and either team could have scored on several occasions but the finishing in front of goal was not clinical. After a shaky start, Tunbridge Wells edged ahead with a coolly taken goal from Millie Everett who set the game alight with some fantastic supporting runs up front. With what was only her second touch she passed the ball into the net from an acute angle.
A second Tunbridge Wells goal came a few minutes later from a corner, which unluckily deflected off an Eastbourne defender for an own goal. This set up a false idea that two goals may have been enough to steal a victory...Boy were we wrong!
The second half started at a frantic pace and within just six minutes, Eastbourne had not only scored one goal, they had amazingly scored three and suddenly Tunbridge Wells were on the rocks. The girls fought hard with some inspired football and managed a superb equaliser, and two minutes later a forth which set them close to a victory.
Eastbourne had other ideas and in the last five minutes of the second half scored an equaliser to take the game into extra time. With legs tiring and nerves falling to pieces, extra time saw a first half goal for Tunbridge Wells, only to be cancelled out three minutes before the end of the second half with a well earned equaliser from Eastbourne. Neither team was going to lose!
The penalty shoot-out was inevitable, and the harsh reality of what was at stake was apparent as only two goals were shared from 14 penalties! So sudden death and not a nail left on anyone’s fingers! After three further missed penalties from Eastbourne and two from Tunbridge Wells, up stepped Gabrielle Morris who squeezed the ball into the bottom right corner to secure the victory.
You do not see football like this every week and both teams displayed the very reason that makes us being involved in girl’s football so rewarding. My commiserations go to Eastbourne who made worthy opponents; a credit to the coaches, parents and the players.
Well done to the Tunbridge Wells girls, who advance into the Semi-Finals of the cup once again, making the chance of back-to-back cup wins a distinct possibility.
Mark Nicholson
Girls Team Manager
TW Foresters FC