This Sunday is the first game of the second half of the 2022/23 season and we kick start 2023 with a home tie against Lewes. The match will be played at St Marys Stadium on the 15th of January with kick off being 2pm. We hope to see you all there supporting the girls!
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased through the ticketing part of the website, over the phone or at the ticketing box office.
Last time out
Last time we met Lewes was at the Dripping Pan on the 28th August 2022, a very tight affair it turned out to be. With it being the second match into our first run in the Championship we
weren’t too sure what to expect but it was definitely a game of two halves. Lewes dominated
the first half with Hazard opening the scoring just 16 minutes into the match. Followed by
Hack who got their second in the added minutes of the first half.
Half time came and I’ve no idea what Marieanne said to the girls in the changing rooms but to say it was a completely different half is an understatement, Saints come out all guns blazing! We were sat in front of 4 or 5 Lewes players who kept saying “why is their number 2 playing there” and in the 62nd minute you guessed it, our number 2 Ella Morris scored to get one back for us. It didn’t stop there though with Laura Rafferty equalising in the 69th minute after a perfect cross from Paige Peake. The game ended and we received our first point in the Championship.
This was truly the game that we imposed our style and why we deserved to be in the
Championship and ever since that result and point, we’ve been unbeaten in the league.
Can we continue that run in 2023?
Looking ahead
We head into the game this Sunday with Saintssitting nicely at 4th in the table and on a 9 match unbeaten run in the league and hoping this Sunday it continues. 3 points too? Fingers crossed!
Since our last meeting with Lewes they seem to have had a run in form. They’ve only lost 2 whilst winning 3 and drawing 2. Their top goalscorer being Ellie Hack whose scored 3 goals and happens to be their defender.
Lewes like to play in the classic 442 formation and often call on their fullbacks to take their
crosses deep into the flanks to meet their midfielders and strikers who are running into the box. They also love to make passes over and also through the gaps of the opposition for their players to run on to. From watching Lewes we know them to be a heavily drilled side who are hard to breakdown. They never give up and are constantly looking for goals up to the final whistle. I feel we will find more joy with attacking them on their left.
Lewes also played Sunday in the FA Cup against London Bees where they progressed into the next round after winning 5-0.
Ones to watch
Grace Palmer who is a former Southampton RTC Player and also an ex Chelsea academy
player plays regularly for Lewes and is also their dead ball taker. Also ones to watch include
defenders Rebecca McKenna and their current top scorer Ellie Hack. In midfield Amelia
Hazard and forwards Emily Kraft and Paula Howells.
Overall
Lewes is a team we’ve played 3 times before. In the FA Cup in 2021 we beat them 2-1 with
goals from Rachel Panting and Georgie Freeland. A preseason friendly in 2022 which ended a goalless draw and also our meeting with them in the Championship where we drew 2-2.
the season I’m excited to see how the
team have strengthened since we last
played them. I’m looking forward to this one and also looking forward to the first match of 2023. Let’s hope we kick it off with a bang and 3 points.
SHANNON STEPHEN
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