SOUTH EAST COUNTIES WFL Premier Div
Haywards Heath Town 1 (Kim Donno) Crawley Wasps 1 - 26th March 2006
With Plumpton pitches deemed waterlogged Heaths foresight in booking an alternative pitch at Victoria Park enabled the game to go ahead with Heath eager to secure a win that would help them in their battle to retain Premier Div Status .
On a very wet pitch and in driving rain the game swung from end to end with Vicki Lank strong in the Heath goal. Heath had an early scare when a miss hit clearance was harshly adjudged to be a back pass but Kim Strong was well placed to clear from the line following the free kick. Kim Donno put over some telling crosses whilst the speed of Fran Pritlove was giving Crawley Wasps plenty to think about. Jenny Greenfield, unusually playing in defence , showed what a versatile player she is whilst Kim Strong dealt effectively with any Crawley threat . However with just four minutes of the half remaining Heath were caught out by an excellent finish from one of the Crawley strikers after eluding several Heath defenders and went in 1-0 down.
Heath were forced into a substitution at half time when the experienced Leigh Farley finally succumbed to illness with Yoli Rietmann replacing her, and ten minutes later Karen Bridgewater, on her return from South Africa, made her 1st appearance for nine weeks l. Shortly after Heath were awarded a free kick 5 yards out of the penalty area which was hit superbly into the roof of the net by player of the match, Kim Donno. At this stage Heath were forced into defending for a period but were helped by some excellent defending by Kim Strong and Jenny Greenfield, whilst Emma Burkitt was well placed on the line to clear following a Crawley corner.
Heath now began to play more confidently and Pritlove was denied by the goalkeeper. Heath were then awarded a penalty for a trip on Natalie Bagwell, but unfortunately the penalty kick went high of the target.
Despite the efforts of both sides in the stamina sapping conditions the game, which non partisan spectators felt Heath just had the upper hand, ended in a draw,
Team: Vicki Lank; Jenny Greenfield; Kim Strong; Penny Gittins; Emma Burkitt; Kim Donno; Leigh Farley; ( Yoli Rietmann 45); Jo d'Ambra ( Karen Bridgewater 55); Catherine Diffey; Natalie Bagwell; Fran Pritlove. Subs not used: Julie Hawthorne; Alison Field.
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