Match took place at Moulton on their 3G pitch, so there was no problem with the pitch being playable. The game started in a heavy drizzle with a dull overcast sky.
Kettering FC Youth Ladies had lost all their league games so an easy win for Moulton looked on the cards. How wrong could we be!
Kettering's mostly young team started well and they were competitive , strong in the tackle and tried to play some tidy football. Moulton Ladies worked hard but lacked composure in the first half and lots of passes went astray.
The first 27 minutes of the match turned into a midfield battle with very few chances but Moulton looked the better side. After 28 minutes Moulton had a corner and from the corner Chloe got up and put a super header towards goal. This was cleared on the line by a defender with the keeper beaten. It looked possibly to have crossed the line but without goal line technology it was not going to be given. The rest of the 1st half was uneventful with Jade at the centre of the Moulton defence playing really well ably assisted by Sophie and Fi.
H.T. 0-0.
I should imagine that the half time team talk was mostly about composure and simple passing to our own players. Antonella was introduced into the team in a midfield position. She was later joined by Becky who was making a rare appearance for the team.
The team talk seemed to have worked as after 50 minutes a through ball from Tilly sent Catherine through, she calmly lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net, taking a knock from the keeper who tried to get to the ball. 1-0 Moulton.
Within a few minutes Cat played in Chloe who hit a firm strike and despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball it nestled in the corner of the net for 2-0 Moulton.
Antonella had settled well into her role and played simple 5-10 yard passes to her fellow team members. Georgia was also working tirelessly in the centre of midfield in an effort to getting the forwards moving. Wiki was working tirelessly with lots of running but the ball just was not falling for her today.
Now we expected the flood gates to open. However Kettering had other ideas, after 60 minutes they put together a good move the the final shot went weakly past the post.
On 75 minutes following a Moulton corner, the Kettering keeper went down with cramp and was replaced. A second corner came over and Tilly had a shot saved by the replacement keeper. On 81 minutes Becky made a good run and crossed into the middle, the ball hitting a defender and narrowly passing the post. From the resultant corner Chloe hit her shot over the bar.
On 84 minutes Kettering made a good break down the left and Moulton couldn't deal with the ball into the middle and a Kettering attacker Olivia Aston, hit a good shot into the corner of Moulton's goal 2-1. This set up a tense finale Back came Moulton and Cat made a good run and hit a firm shot that the Kettering keeper save well. She also saved a good shot from Wiki as Moulton tried to put the game to bed.
The match finished with a 2-1 win for Moulton Ladies who keep up their push at the top of the table. Antonella was voted as player of the match for her second half display of simple passing football. Tilly worked really hard with lots of running and Calista did a good holding job in the first half. Reedy handled well in goal and some of her kicks from hand were very good and long.
Good luck to the Kettering team and Management as they showed some really good touches today.