Sussex County FA Womens League – Div 1
Langton Green 10 Haywards Heath 2nds 0 - 22nd Oct 2006
This match against the unbeaten League leaders was never going to be easy with torrential rain for hours before and during the match.
Heath arrived with 10 players due to goalkeeper Natasha Kaye being stuck in traffic so started with 10 players with captain Gemma Paull in goal. Langton Green scored a succession of 4 goals in the first 20 minutes and within a few minutes of Kaye arriving to take her place in goal and give Heath 11 players Sasha Fry unfortunately had to come off with an injury. With Heath back to 10 players the defence of Sam Coppard, Gemma Paull (Managers Player of the match), Keveena Mosen and Rebecca Smallman continuing to work hard to clear the ball. Midfielders Jo d’Ambra and Jo Stevenson tried their hardest to play through balls for wingers Alison Field and Julie Boyce, and striker Jo Fairbairn running her socks off.
By half time Heath were 7-nil down still playing with only 10 .
With loyal 1st teamers Natalie Trend and Cath Diffey coming to help us out when we needed it the most, we finally started the 2nd half with 11 players. In the second half the whole team continued to fight in true Heath style and played their hearts out. Nat Trend joined Fairbairn up front and joined the running game. Cath Diffey replaced Boyce and the midfield had a re-shuffle. Kaye made some superb saves, continuing the enjoy getting extremely muddy, along with central defender Paull, who at one point no one on the sideline could see due to her being covered from head to toe with mud and she was lying on the floor. Heath conceded 3 more goals but their heads never went down and they kept fighting.
This match wasn’t about winning or losing today, it was about team building and working together, and that’s exactly what every player did, and as their manager I was very proud to see them play in the way they did. Each week every player improves and the team is learning more and more about each other every week. Well done to you all, and a special thanks goes to Nat and Diffey for helping us out.
Team: Natasha Kaye, Sam Coppard, Gemma Paull (captain), Keveena Mosen, Rebecca Smallman, Jo d’Ambra, Jo Stevenson, Julie Boyce (Cath Diffey, 50 mins), Alison Field, Jo Fairbairn, Sasha Fry (came off 20 mins, replaced by Nat Trend on 45 minutes)
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