Pride Park 3-2 Borrowash Victoria
by ‘Doug Outt’ (20/9/23)
Above: Beth Jones, one of Pride Park’s scorers on Sunday, celebrates a goal last season. Photo: Shaun Hardwick.
After an entertaining Women’s FA Cup encounter last week at Nuneaton Borough, those expecting similar fare would have been disappointed in Pride Park’s opening Derbyshire Ladies League Division One (tier seven) game that, whilst competitive, the fluent quick interchanges that marked last week’s performance were seen only fleetingly.
Perhaps that is the result of pitching last season’s second and third-placed teams together for Pride Park’s first and Vics’ second League game of the season; nothing is decided in September but neither team will have wanted to drop points. Nevertheless, it was a terrific start to the season for Pride and great to secure three points – although it came at a heavy price in terms of injuries.
The first half was evenly balanced but with chances at a premium – Pride making the running in this respect, with half a dozen good opportunities to take the lead. Summer Evans and Beth Jones (twice) had gone close, and Loren Kitching almost opened her account immediately after coming on when the ball broke from a fifty-fifty between Jones and the ‘keeper but Kitching put her shot wide
Vics had been limited to a free kick on the halfway line which was floated into the box with a couple of attackers looking to get on the end of it but Howell claimed it confidently. Pride then survived a bit of a scare as Vics got down the line and crossed but Pride had got numbers back defending and the cross eluded the solitary striker and was cleared.
Pride finally broke the deadlock on 28 minutes from a classic counterattack, Annie Laight winning the ball from a Vics attacking throw in, laying off to Steph Eadon who hit a diagonal pass for Jones – despite close attention from a defender she rounded the onrushing goalkeeper, and slotted home from a tight angle.
The lead didn’t last long however, as Vics drew level when a cross from the right was headed in by Chelsie Tebble after 35 mins.
As half-time approached, Jones put the ball in the back of the net on the volley but was flagged offside. As the first half went into time added on there was a brilliant chance for Jones, fashioned by excellent pressing and recovery of possession by Ellie Coleman, who slipped the ball into Jones but she fired over from just inside the box.
Without really playing near their best, Pride had managed to fashion most of the first half’s best chances in an otherwise evenly balanced first forty-five minutes, and at half-time, it remained level at one apiece.
Pride came racing out of the blocks in the second half and within three minutes had restored their lead. Jones powered through onto a Laight clearance, held off a defender, and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to put the hosts back ahead.
Four minutes later Tash Allderidge’s corner was only half cleared and Kitching lobbed the keeper on her league debut to extend the lead.
As the half wore on the game opened up and there were chances for both sides – just after the hour Vics hit the post when a cross into the centre was met on the volley at close range, Izzy Wilsoncroft clearing the immediate danger and Eliot Sayavong completing the clearance. A couple of minutes later a free kick from wide on the right was tipped over well by Howell.
There was a good chance for the Pride on the counter from a corner after 66 minutes when Jones slipped Summer through one-one but the keeper got down well to hold the shot.
Howell in the Pride goal was called into action again on 70 minutes and responded brilliantly when Vics won a loose ball in the centre circle with their back four out of position slipped a striker in one-v-one but Howell stood up and cleared brilliantly, taking a knock for her trouble. Fortunately, she was able to continue after treatment.
There was another good chance for Evans after 75 minutes; Jones laid the ball off nicely for her who worked the space well but the shot just cleared the bar.
It felt like there were more goals, in the game and it was Vics who pulled one back on 78 minutes when a dipping shot was hit up and over Howell – although play should have been stopped for a head injury to Sophie Ayton in the build-up, in which Allderidge was also injured. Fortunately, the latter was able to continue after treatment – sportingly provided by Vics’ manager – while Ayton was attended to and although OK, was substituted as a precaution.
There was another lengthy delay after an injury to Evans, who wasn’t able to continue. With about 10 minutes of stoppage time to be added, Vics threw everything forward in search of an equaliser and it became increasingly frantic – deep into stoppage time one shot was blocked by Howell, and the follow-up was blocked by Izzy Wilsoncroft at the expense of a corner.
It then looked as though Jones had sealed it on the counter, but the Vics’ keeper pulled out an unbelievable save after Beth’s shot was deflected, but despite being wrong-footed the keeper somehow managed to get a hand to it and tip it onto the bar – and collect the rebound!
Pride dug in to see out the final three minutes to secure a win. The hosts weren’t at their best in the first half but improved in the second period, worked exceptionally hard, and dug deep to grind out a result. It’s a good three points to start the League campaign, although it came at a heavy price in terms of injuries to Evans and Impetus sponsored Otty Baker.
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