The day after bonfire night and the GCW Ladies were at home against Kelburne in the Women’s National league. Could the girls bring the fireworks and spark a home win.
The game started exactly as the girls and the crowd wanted. In two minutes, Jen Smith was on the edge of the circle moved in with the ball and struck a sweet strike low into the bottom corner. It was the start the home crowd wanted as they settled back homing for more goals. Kelbunre on the other hand were not so obliging. The visitors had three good breaks in the opening period. The first they managed to get an equaliser from and the other two brought Jess Walker into the game to keep the score level.
GCW were doing most of the attacking up to half time and started to fire in shots on the Kelburne goal but this seemed to warm up the Paisley side’s defence and keeper. Most of the second half was a GCW onslaught on the Kelburne goal and keeper. Eva Sheal with a reverse stick bullet and a reverse flick by Nicole Duffin were examples of a keeper playing well and the defence growing more belligerent as the game wore on. GCW had 10 penalty corners without scoring one and at the end of the game 15 shots at goal.
In the 69th minute Kelburne had followed up a break, but left Eva Sheal unmarked in their half. A long ball from defence found Eva bearing down on goal and Sarah Duthie in support. The initial shot was again saved and squirmed to the left of the circle and Sarah retrieved it before getting the ball back across the circle the ball ended up behind Eve’s foot. Eva quickly adjusted her feet and moved backwards to fire a powerful shot home for the winner.
It would have been an injustice if GCW had not won the game but it clearly was a disappointing way for the visitors to lose. The crowd went away happy as did the GCW players who again showed they keep going right to the end, even if it would make us all happy if the game was finished off a little earlier.
The Ladies 2s were defeated 6-0 by a very experienced Merlins side and hopefully will learn from the defeat. The games for the 4s and 5s due to take place on the Sunday saw the opponents call off late Saturday and Sunday morning but the 4s and 5s played out a game anyway despite the wind.
