An honourable draw was played out at Notts County Ladies’ Meadow Lane home ground yesterday. Notts went toe to toe with last season’s League Champions and in the beautiful summer sunshine probably just shaded the contest and were unlucky not to take all three points. The results sees the Lady Pies (promised I wouldn’t used that term. Damn) stay top of the FAWSL as the League moves in to the summer break.
Here’s the game in words and pictures:
The crowd started to drift in to the stadium well ahead of time to bask in the sunshine. Here’s a couple of stalwart baskers – Tid (on the right) and Sal (on the left) who haven’t missed a game this season and will be off to Chelsea next week to cheer on the girls.
Whilst the girls were warming up Manager Mr Passmoor entertained the crowd with some of his own ball skills. I had to take 327 shots until he got this right! 🙂
The game kicked off with both teams testing each other out and trying to keep possession as best they could. As usual Clarke and Susi carried the threat for County raiding down the wings and either getting a shot off or whipping in a cross.
Last ditch tackle prevents Jess Clarke from hitting the target.
Desiree Scott steers the ball goalwards after a good run.
As the game progressed is was County that was carving out the better chances – in fact I don’t recall Liverpool threatening the Notts goal with a shot on target during the first half. Carly Telford had the suntan lotion on and was reclined in a deckchair.
County kept the pressure on – Clarke fires wide.
Aileen Whelan – who had a great game – passes the ball confidently out of the back.
Clarke lashes another shot toward the Liverpool goal and keeper Libby Stout.
And certainly Liverpool keeper Stout was the busier goalie on the day.
When the whistle went for half time and both teams trooped off to rehydrate, the score was still deadlocked at 0-0. It was a tense encounter but there was a real sense that County might just come away with all 3 points especially as their defense looked very solid and hadn’t given Liverpool a sniff at goal for 45 minutes.
The second half resumed in the same pattern – County creating better chances and both teams giving no quarter. In fact a little bit of ‘niggle’ started to creep in to the game.
Susi and Bonner fight for the ball.
Jess Clarke finds space to receive the ball much to the frustration of the Liverpool player.
Susi sees the funny side of an ‘air kick’ down the sideline…….
…. but is back on her feet minutes later to fire a shot over the bar as Liverpool’s 6 Lucy Bronze tries to block it.
The ‘argy-bargy’ creeps in as Whelan and Davison begin an altercation.
Jess Clarke and Becky Easton grapple with each other whilst waiting to head the ball.
Another ball whipped in to the Liverpool box is defended bravely by the away side.
County kept the pressure on the Merseysiders but still couldn’t create that clear cut chance on goal. In the battle of the forwards between Clarke and Dowie; Clarke was edging it.
Liverpool and England striker Natasha Dowie had meager picking all day long as County made sure that they never left her one-on-one.
Jess Clarke seems to be diving for the ball with keeper Stout. Watch out Carly – jess is after your position.
An arty-farty shot from the photographer employing a negative-space technique, which none of you reading this care about, so I’ll just say that this free kick was one of a limited number of attacks on the County goal. Notts defense played better than I’ve seen them play all season.
And then with only a few minutes left on the clock; the moment we’d been waiting for – the ball was played out wide to Dunia Susi who outstripped her marker and drove in to the Liverpool box. With only the keeper to beat from 12 yards she struck the ball with grace and finesse and not a considerable amount of power to send the ball toward the beckoning Liverpool net! The crowd held its breath. The keeper was beaten … but the ball edged inches wide of the post! Aaarghh – agony.
After great work from Scott to rob the ball and set Susi free down the right flank County’s best chance of the game goes wide of the post.
And that about wrapped it up. With a few minutes of injury time played the whistle went for full time and the game ended in a draw. A fair result that both teams probably would have taken prior to kick-off but in reality Notts had the better chances and might have been a little disappointed not to have stolen all 3 points.
The large crowd, with a significant number of traveling Liverpool supporters, really got behind their teams to create a great atmosphere today and were treated to some wonderful football of the highest level. Well done girls.
The County players warm-down and stretch after the game watched over by Ellen White.
But not everybody could relax……
… Jess Clarke had to face the press after the game. Good job the head groundsman didn’t see those blue high heels!
Drew Smith Photography 