18/03/2023
Match Report
18 March 2023
Barton Raiders vs Headington Blues – League Cup Quarter Finals
The Blues have come a long way on their journey and one of the facets of playing at increasingly higher levels is that the big games, against top class opposition, quickly start to become the norm.
Giant premier league clashes against some of the best teams in Oxfordshire, cup semi-finals, cup quarter finals, the action just keeps coming thick and fast.
Today, against Barton in the quarter finals of the League Cup, was no different.
Barton are an outstanding team of very talented individuals, and of course had home advantage on the astro-turf, a surface which has so often proven to be the Blues downfall this season.
But with a nearly full-strength team, Blues lined up confident that there were goals to be had in this game and then taking it from there.
The first half was typified by a sluggish start by the Blues and some clinical finishing by Barton, who although not totally dominating the game, were certainly brighter and sharper to balls into the Blues box. Barton were winning the midfield battle through the deployment of an effective press, particularly on goal kicks.
As a result Blues found themselves on the back-foot for some of the half, not helped by a couple of early Barton goals, but also had chances of their own.
Both of Barton’s first two goals came from goal mouth scrambles, and perhaps moments of indecision cost the Blues in this respect.
This is being harsh, but when playing against top class opposition it often does come down to milliseconds and instinctive decision making to clear the ball from danger.
If the first two Barton goals were good finishes from goal mouth scrambles, the third was worthy of note, stemming from a really good cross from the left which saw Ruby rise well in the penalty area to nod an excellent header down and into Lilly’s right hand corner, leaving her no chance. A class goal to be fair.
Even at 3 – 0 down, the Blues were still in it though and you always felt they could nick something and that a goal might change the complexion of the game.
It nearly came on the 16 minute mark when Mariyah fed Asha who beat her defender for pace and dispatched a fierce left foot shot from just inside the box that skimmed just wide of the post, with the keeper beaten.
Barton still looked dangerous going forward and got their fourth on 20 minutes when Melissa scooped a shot over Lilly.
But still the Blues pushed forward and played some neat football in the closing stages of the half.
The best opportunity came when Asha fed Mariyah with a beauty, who then put a cracking through ball to Abby who couldn’t quite find the finish, despite her devastating pace taking her clear of the defender.
Blues got hit by a sucker punch for the fifth Barton goal, which came from the penalty spot. It wasn’t clear in the build up as to why the penalty had been given, but the referee clarified at half time that while it might have been harsh, a Blues defender had ended up kicking a Barton player in the penalty area whilst trying to clear the ball.
While the incident itself was perhaps questionable, the penalty itself was pure class, played with power into the postage stamp corner of Lilly’s goal. Pretty much unstoppable.
Asha had another good effort saved, following good inter-play between Abby and Paris and that turned out to be the last action of a half where Blues weren’t necessarily outplayed but just couldn’t settle on the ball, find the killer pass or the moment of inspiration in front of the Barton goal.
HT Barton 5 – 0 Blues
Despite being on the end of a difficult first half score-line, the Blues came out for the second half on the front foot which has been the pattern in recent weeks.
Their domination of the early exchanges resulted in a well worked goal from Abby on about 38minutes. Beanie put in a great in-swinging corner with her left foot which Olive flicked on, and Abby reacted quickest in the penalty area and swept it into the corner of the Barton net.
Barton 5 – 1 Blues (Abby)
The goal restored some confidence amongst the Blue ranks and the girls started relaxing and playing some good football and in fact could have had a second a few minutes later from some great pressing and team work.
Abby closed down and robbed a Barton defender on the right wing, played a neat ball to Asha who looked up and put a pin-point cross to the feet of Paris who was brilliantly positioned and unmarked in the box. Paris made a superb connection, but the ball flew just wide.
Had that gone in, it would have made for an interesting last quarter and the Barton coach perhaps saw the same and made some changes at this point.
Blues sensed that they could get something more from the game and continued to press with Beanie, Rose and Abby starting to win their midfield battles and creating space to play into as Barton dropped off.
That said Barton were still looking dangerous, and a moment of warning was sounded as the lightning fast Ruby latched onto a through ball, and looking for her hat-trick, slammed the ball goal bound. Lilly came out really bravely and got a hand to it to knock it round the post for a corner.
If this was a great save the next one was a worldie. A Barton midfielder was first to a loose ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a savage drive that arrowed into the top of the goal and looked like it was going to break the net.
Lilly had other ideas however and managed to leap up and get one hand onto it and palm it onto the crossbar and harmlessly out for a corner.
It was a truly jaw-dropping moment from both teams, that bought all round appreciation from the crowd.
Blues carried on playing superbly well, the second half performance quite markedly different to the first.
Perhaps the coaches half-time words had driven the girls on, perhaps the rain had added some zip to the surface and perhaps Abby’s goal had restored some belief, but either way the Blues were first to the ball, pressing high and biting into tackles now.
Beanie, Rose, Phoebe, Paris and Asia all had outstanding second halves in this respect, playing with tenacity and intensity in the middle of the pitch, supported by strong and decisive defending from Olive, Hazel and Faith.
Just when it looked like Blues were going to emerge victorious (in the second half at least) the classy Ruby got her deserved hat-trick when a ball came across the face of the goal and she drove a shot fiercely low and to Lilly’s right hand corner with the last touch of the game.
FT Barton 6 – 1 Blues
While seasons are not defined against outstanding teams like Barton there will be a lot of positives to take forward from today’s performance by the Blues.
Key to future games will be to carry from the outset the level of intensity, determination and sharpness shown in the second half today, and apply that across the whole game.
Well done to all the girls, the score-line may look harsh, but doesn’t tell the story of a game that Blues never really looked totally out of, and in fact arguably had the stronger second half.
Next up at Grovelands (pitch permitting) are Tower Hill in a must-win crunch match on 25th March
