We’re back at the fortress, that is St Marys, this Sunday as we face Durham on the return fixture. The match will take place on the 19TH of March with an early kick off time of 12pm. We hope to see you all there supporting the girls and bringing the noise! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via the ticketing part of the website, over the phone and also the box office at St Marys.
Last time out
The last time we played Durham was back in January, it was a very frustrating and cagey affair in the blistering cold morning. It ended in a goalless draw with a brilliant and strong performance put in by the girls. I must say, the whole 90 minutes was very far from boring, with constant end to end battles, just both teams were lacking that final product. From the get-go, we could see that Durham were a very physical team who were not afraid to make a challenge, and unsurprisingly loved to opt for a little wrestle, baffling how not many yellow cards were giving. Poor Megan Wynne got battered and bruised down that wing.
The first half of this game was a very even half; we were pushed forward with every chance we had, again just missing that final product. To be honest, neither side created any clear-cut shots and ‘worldie’ saves were made, with Kayla only tested a couple times. We did actually score, Sophia slotted it home, however the ref wrongfully called offside, when looking back now it wasn’t.
The fight continued on in the second half with the physicalness of the match intensifying, causing for an exciting and entertaining watch. The majority of the cards were picked up this half with both teams fighting for that winning goal. I noticed how they loved to play it and cause trouble down our right wing, but luckily, we were able to keep up with their advances. The whistle blew, the match ended, and the points were shared. We are looking forward to Megan’s commentary down the wing again, it was entertaining being so close to the action up at Maiden Castle.
Looking ahead
We head into the match on Sunday with Saints sitting in 3rd place in the table, 12 points behind Bristol City who are 1st and 6 points behind London City Lionesses who sit in 2nd. We come off the back off a draw with Blackburn in which remained goaless. Hopefully the fight carries on this Sunday, and we can grab that win and bag those 3 points.
Durham is a team that are very physical and strong, they love to bully but they also know how to play very good ball which is what we like to see as it brings out our physical side and fight. Durham currently sit 8th in the table with 18 points. They have played 15 matches this season, winning 5, drawing 3 and losing 7, scoring 21 goals and conceding 21. Their away form isn’t great as they have only won one match away from home and losing the other 5, they’ve also conceded 13 goals.
Durhams top scorers for this season is, Rio Hardy and Saoirse Noonan, both scoring 5 goals for The Wildcats. Three of the five goals for Rio Hardy being from a hattrick in their match
Photo by Craig McNair, George Ledger 3 against Coventry United. It’s also pretty impressive seeing a defender being joint top scorer. Next top finisher is Jessica Anne Clarke with 3 goals for this season.
Last time out saw Durham lose 3 nil to a strong Bristol City side, Durham holding them out at a draw until the last minutes of the first half. The match before this they played Coventry United, this match saw a big scoreline of 5-1 with Durham dominating the game.
Overall
Overall, we know Durham are hard to break down and a well-constructed and physical team, who can put up a fight and a strong battle, so on this return fixture I feel we will see the same amount of drive. What I also noticed from last time, is that they brought out our physical side and fight, which was so great to see, hopefully we will see the same Sunday.
Now there is a 12-point gap between us and Bristol City, who are top of the league, promotion looks unlikely, with that being the case, I would love the girls to express themselves, now that the pressure and perceived expectation is now off their shoulders. They need to find their shooting boots again, so if they can relax and better yet enjoy playing the game, you never know, we may just see those goals fly in.
We are immensely proud of the team, they have come so far in their first season in the championship, would be good to see them finish on a high, and recapture the form that saw them unbeaten for 9 of their first 10 games.
After a goaless draw last week against Blackburn, I think the girls are going to put the front foot forward and come out with a fighting spirit, hopefully scoring some goals in the process. That being said, I think we can all look forward to a true battle this Sunday. Hopefully picking up those 3 points. As far as predictions go, I’m not going to be as eager as last week, I’m going to go for a 1-0 win.
Match officials
Referee – Megan Wilson
Assistant Referee – Dasa Griffin
Assistant Referee – Richard Fullicks
Fourth Official – Isabel Chaplin
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