18th February Match Reports

GMHA Team Match Report

REDDISH ENTER RELEGATION BATTLE 

After two losses the previous week, Reddish really needed a win against a Bolton team positioned just above them in the league. With Reddish shooting into the afternoon winter sun in the first half, the pressure was on to produce a winning performance to avoid getting into a relegation battle at the end of the season.

Both teams had relatively few chances in the first half as the game was concentrated in the midfield. There were lots of crunching tackles from both Reddish and Bolton which helped the defence analyse the situations and assess where they could release the ball to and how they could attack the opposition. For Reddish this was down the right wing with Amber Bryden taking on the defenders and linking up well with the halves to try and attack the Bolton D. However the Bolton defence was strong and they managed to stop the Reddish attacks, accurately passing their way up the centre f the pitch and switching the ball from one side to the other.

Bolton earned a few penalty corners in this attacking phase of the game but the Reddish defence was equal to the task and were able to get the ball out into the safeness of the open park. The ball was then picked up by the attackers who used excellent interplay on the left side with Jenny Plant and Lucy taking the ball to the by-line and forcing Bolton to concede a Penalty Corner. Reddish were unlucky not to take the lead as the Bolton keeper dived to stop the ball going into the corner.

It was a pretty eventless first half as the ball spent a majority of the time in the centre of the field but of the few chances had by Bolton, Reddish were equal to the task and were able to keep a clean sheet going into the first half. Half time score 0-0.

The second half was anybody’s for the taking as both teams look to pull away from the bottom of the table. Bolton were quicker out of the blocks and got a goal right at the start of the half. The ball was passed across the top of the Reddish D and a few lucky bounces of Reddish sticks took the ball into a perfect shooting opportunity that was not wasted and the ball trickled into the back of the net. Bolton took the lead and scoring a goal so early into the second half was lucky for Reddish as it would seem that they had plenty of time to work their way back into the match.

But Bolton had different ideas and they continually press reddish back into their own half. Reddish yielded a number of short corners but were able to throw themselves in front of the ball and clear it to safety. Helen Elcock kept a cool head and reverse stick stopped the ball on the line and was able to release to her Reddish team mates. Unfortunately Reddish conceded shortly after and a goal mouth scramble saw Bolton further increase their lead to two goals midway through the second half.

It was then Reddish woke up and was able to put some pressure on Bolton. Dunners and Cookie linked well together, with quick passes working the ball into the Bolton circle; penalty corners were won and Sam P was unlucky not to level the scores at the back post. The Reddish forwards began to put the pressure on, pushing the Bolton defence further back into their own half but to little avail, despite the excellent run from Jenny Worth finishing with a reverse stick shot into the sideboards. Reddish earned a number of corners but the scrambles that followed were not able to trouble the score keepers. The second half passed very quickly and was much more entertaining than the first. Both teams came out looking for a win to ease the relegation troubles but it was Bolton who came out on top, two nil victors and Reddish must find the skills they know they have got to pull away from the lower extremity of the league.

Rachel Dunley