L1s win their opening game

The Ladies 1s started the season at home and a victorious win over Redbridge and Ilford.
The game was a little slow to start but I think we can put that down to the hot weather and a few nerves as people settled in to new positions, welcoming back players in to the team. It didn’t take too long for Brentwood to show how to make the ball do the work, stringing several one touch passes across the pitch. Shortly in to the first half, they found themselves piling the pressure on the opposition, winning a succession of penalty corners. Unfortunately, none of the attack resulted in a goal, for now, but there were some lovely passes across the dee from Shirley Osmotherly-Hull and Bev Simmons, just wide of the goal. Redbridge started to push a few more players through the middle to try and hit us on the break but Francesca Hayden-Sims and Emily Walker worked together to stop them coming through. The deadlock broke towards the end of the second half, Lauren Blackburn had a strike which was saved by the keeper but Simmons was quick off the pads to flick it over the left shoulder for Brentwood’s first goal.
The home team started strong in the second half and enjoyed playing their passing game with Natalie Gilder and Lisa Payne being able to run from the defence and support the attacking team.
Two more goals came in quick succession, Blackburn drove down the left, passed to Osmotherly-Hull who’s calm strike from top dee found the right corner of the goal. Shortly after, Backburn again made the same run, passed to Anna Guida from the right who deflected it to Simmons for a carbon copy of her first goal. With the pressure mounting, Beth James and Lily Wiltshire joined the attack and both couldn’t be stopped by their defence as they drove forward several times in to the dee to help create chances for the home side. Brentwood enjoyed another succession of short corners and hoped to capitalise on the several they had in the first half. On the third attempt, Gilder’s perfect pass just outside the right post found Blackburn for a touch past the keeper in to the goal.
Redbridge tried to counter on the break but Hayley Adams was able to stop the attacks and Lorna Parson stood firmly in goal to defend any chances Redbridge could have. The opposition had a few chances from a couple of short corners but Gilder, Walker, Hayden-Sims, Payne and Parsons stopped any possibility of a goal. The attacking and midfield players did well to position themselves at the opposition’s hit outs to block the ball travelling any further than the half way line, which just piled on more pressure. Guida, blocking one of these, drove the ball in to the dee and her shot on goal was deflected from the keeper in to the back of the net to well and truly settle the winning score line.
A great start to the season which now sees the team at the top of the league due to their clean sheet.

Man of the Match went to Hayden-Sims with Blackburn, Gilder, Simmons, James and Osmotherly-Hull all receiving votes too.

Notable fines: Jug Avoidance for Simmons; Gilder, Adams and Walker falling over; Parsons for attempting to throw watermelon over the fence and breaking her kicker straps.