Post by Dave on Oct 11, 2015 9:31:39 GMT
Devon Woman’s Football League Division One
Buckland Athletic Ladies Vs Brixham Villa Ladies
Sunday 11th October 2015 Kick-Off 3pm
Venue Homers Heath
Referee Maurice Berkenham
Final Score Buckland Athletic Ladies 15 Brixham Villa 0
I expect the Plainmoor Ladies team were very happy today they were not facing the Buckland Ladies for a forth Sunday on the trot. The last three Sundays they played them it two cup games and one league game and sadly got hammered in each game.
Buckland Ladies are a newly formed team this season, but it is no secret it is made up with a good number of Ladies who were playing successfully at a much higher level last season. Every new team rightly has to start at the bottom, its not Buckland’s fault, but I do wonder how fulfilling this season is going to be for a number of their star players.
In their last four outings the Buckland Ladies have scored an incredible forty nine goals, Laura Gough has got twenty eight of them herself. It is clear Buckland are going to be the league champions this season and with a + goal difference that might break all records. They should win the League cup and even the DCFA Supplementary Cup as well.
Just what would you say to your players if you were a manager of one of the teams in this league before taking on the mighty Buckland Ladies team? I would be saying just go out and enjoy the experience of playing against such good players. Learn all you can from the game and use it as a test for your own ability. Don’t let your heads drop and give everything you have got from the first whistle to the last one.
The Brixham Villa manager Luke McFarlane would have been working on a plan to find a way to stop the Buckland ladies. Would he pack the defence in an attempt to reduce the goal scoring opportunities? Or send out an attack minded side in the hope of pinning Buckland back a bit in their own half? Brixham Villa could not have faced a tougher game to try and bounce back from after losing 3-0 at Morley Rangers in their cup tie last Sunday.
The Sunday before that Brixham Villa beat the other new team in this division Shaldon Villa sixteen nil in the DCFA Supplementary Cup Ist Round. I covered that game, but it was hard to judge just how good Brixham Villa is. Shaldon Villa are a great bunch of ladies, but they are struggling to find their feet in this their first season playing Woman’s football.
One player who stood out for Brixham Villa was Leanne Hunt, a young lady who knows where the back of the net is and could easily in my opinion fit well into the Buckland team. The big question was would 59 year old Lee Hayward use this game to make her cameo appearance this season? Lee has played in every season in the Westward Development’s Devon Women’s League since its creation in 1996. If she did then she would have played in all nineteen seasons, a record that is unlikely to be ever beaten. Last season she surprised everyone playing the full 90 minutes in goal for Villa against Plainmoor Ladies, a game Villa won by three goals to one.
Well the first thing to say is we were not treated to a cameo appearance from Lee Hayward this afternoon. It would not have mattered what tactics Luke McFarlane tried to use for his Villa side this afternoon, there was simply no way to stop the Laura Gogh show. All the Buckland ladies played their part in this match, but there was only one star
Laura Gough has got it all, pace, great movement, quick feet, can turn on a sixpence, knows where the back of the net is an not only is she a great goal scorer, she creates chances for her team mates into the bargain.
The game got underway and Villa was doing well enough, they looked reasonably tight in defence and you felt Buckland were not going to whitewash another side in this division.
But how do you hold out against wave after wave of Buckland attacks? Well you don’t in the end and if you can’t even get out of your own half, then the inevitable is going to happen.
First effort for Buckland a Laura Gough shot from the edge of the box that was saved with ease. From a throw-in out on the right hand side, the ball found its way to Hayley Chamberlain who shot wide of the right hand post. Then a great cross from the left into the Brixham box was headed over by Kate Hine. Bucks won a free kick on the edge of the box, but the ball was blasted high over the crossbar by Louisa S Crook.
A goal was coming for sure and a great through ball played in Laura Gough who hit a right footed shot low and hard into the left hand corner of the goal. A Buckland club member walked passed me and said Buckland would not be getting into double figures today.
It was soon two nil to Buckland, Laura Gough played through again, but the lineman’s stuck his flag up for offside. He does happen to be a qualified referee himself and was a bit surprised when the referee came over to him for a chat. He was even more surprised when the referee pointed to the centre circle meaning the goal stood.
That goal seemed to have a major effect of the Brixham Villa ladies as up until they were doing well enough. Three nil and that super striker again Laura Gough, the ball came into the box from the right hand side, Laura turned superbly and fired another low shot into the back of the net.
Hayley Chamberlain got goal number four; the ball was played to her on the edge of the left hand side of the box. She almost walked the ball into the back of the net beating two Brixham defenders on her way. Goal five came about as the ball came into the Brixham box from the right hand side and was hit first time by Kate Hine with real power.
The sixth and final goal of the first half was scored by?? yes Laura Gough, she picked up the ball thirty yards from goal and got her head down running past everyone until she was close enough to get her shot away, which she did with ease.
No oranges for the Brixham Ladies at halftime, the manager fed them some sweets that Lee Hayward was convinced tasted of air freshener. Lauren Barlow the Brixham keeper was challenged to catch one in her mouth as she sat on the floor, sadly she failed.
The Brixham Ladies did not have one shot on goal during the first half and ended up camped in their own half for most of the second half as once again they were forced to try and defend wave after wave of Buckland attacks.
Laura Gough got goal number seven, another great turn and shot in the box with the ball hitting the underside of the roof of the goal. Goal eight from a corner out on the left hand side headed in at the near post.
Goal nine, Gabi Trays ran into the box on the right hand side and squeezed the ball just inside the post. Goal ten the best goal of the whole match. A goal any premiership player would be proud of and one that would be showed over and over again. A Louisa Stentiford-Crook volley from all of thirty yards flew into the back of the net, she enjoyed that one for sure.
Brixham went down to ten ladies due to injuries but I do not think their manager felt a comeback was very likely. Laura turned provider for goal number eleven. She was in the box and dragged the keeper out past the left hand post before passing the ball back across the box for Gabi Trays to fire the ball into the back of the empty net.
Goal twelve and it looked like it was going to be another Laura Gough goal, but the ball was punted over the line just as it was about to go over it by Kate Hine. Every Buckland player fancied their chance of getting on he score sheet and shots were raining in from everywhere. If it was not for some great goalkeeping by Lauren Barlow, things could have been a whole lost worse for her team.
Gabi Trays hit a great thirty yard shot that landed on the roof of the net. Goal thirteen Laura Gough again, Charlotte Maung ( not sure spelling is correct) hit a thirty yard shot that crashed against the crossbar. Goal fourteen Laugh Gough played a neat one two and once again found the back of the net.
The came the save of the match from Lauren Barlow, a powerful shot let the boot of Camlin Labajo that had goal written all over it, but Lauren was able to dive high to her right and palm the ball away to safety.
Laura turned provider again for goal number fifteen, turning this way and that way in the box she then laid the ball off to Gabi Trays to fire home.
Buckland are just too good for this league and I’m sure they along with all the other teams in this league, will welcome the day when Buckland are playing at the level they should be.
Lee Hayward
The Roy Holmes Shot
