Some pictures of our game courtesy of Lakehill's Chief Scout! Judging by the subjects of the pictures I'm pretty sure Lakehill will be receiving a dossier full of intelligence reports about Paige's two goals, Chloe's set-up play and Olivia's fine finishing! We won't be seeing Lakehill again until February but I'm sure they'll be ready for us!
Overall we had a strong game from several different players. Once again we were very solid at the back only suffering a couple moments of panic and one strange penalty decision which gratefully went high and wide! In the first half when the score was tight I thought our defence - lead by Lily and Holly - did a great job handling the threat of Dallas and Bri. Both are very good players who can cause any team trouble. On a slick pitch a goalie's handling becomes critical and I thought Marissa's goalkeeping in the first half was excellent. Mia was less-tested in the second-half but her kicking was superb.
We played with a couple of different midfield combinations and with the exception of a ten-minute period in the first-half, I thought we got to grips pretty well. Our midfield seemed a little confused about our checking assignments when we didnt have the ball, but we got forward as a group better than some previous games. On our first goal it was a midfielder (Emma) who got to Olivia's cross first and caused the confusion which allowed Paige to slot home from close range. In the second half Lily, Chloe and Olivia all saw plenty of possession and contributed some good passes and support. Brooke E also had one great burst into the penalty area, only to be thwarted at the last moment.
When you score four goals it's pretty clear your forwards had a good-day at the office. Our second and third goals were the result of sustained pressure in the GH penalty area. Brooke G's shot had the good fortune of a wicked deflection before it crossed the goal line, but it was deserved given all of her hard work on the left side. Paige's second came from a poorly cleared ball from the GH defence, but the finish was top-notch - giving their keeper no chance with a shot high to the goalie's right. Olivia's was a highlight reel goal - good movement across the field from left-to-right, with Kristina's final killer pass allowing Olivia to blast home from a slight-angle. Perhaps we should have scored a couple more, but we scored the goals needed to win and that's what you aim for.
Next up is Juan de Fuca. Both contests earlier in the season were close affairs and I dont expect much difference this weekend. I expect I'll know game location by practice time Thursday.
