Post by thelittlerussian23 on Nov 21, 2011 19:14:27 GMT
Kelly - GK
Izzy - RB (Nic T 60 mins)
Sonia - CB
Sarah Newman – CB
Alison Fletcher – LB
Chloe – RM (Capt)
Alison McG – CM
Nat – CM
Lena – LM (Nic B 70 mins)
Jen - CF
Amanda – CF
This was the first meeting between these two sides and following this County Cup match, they will face each other twice again in the league in the next three weeks. Atherton have won every league game this season and had scored 44 goals in the three games leading up to this one, so Rovers knew they were going to have to be at their best to match them. The game started as everybody expected, Atherton dominating possession and passing the ball around confidently; they broke the deadlock midway through the first half but what happened next was always going to mean Rovers faced an uphill battle. Playing in central midfield, Alison McG and Nat were both doing a good job of tracking back but when Alison and an Atherton forward brushed each other inside the box and both went down when chasing a loose ball, the referee awarded a penalty and sent Alison off – a harsh decision. Jen then dropped back into midfield but with ten players, Rovers found it difficult to stem the attacking flow and also to get their own attacking game going, and went in 0-6 down at half-time.
The second half saw another Atherton penalty after Kelly made an ‘industrial’ fast-becoming-her-trademark challenge – the away side’s attackers certainly knew they were in a game yesterday Kel is so quick and fearless off her line! After the break Graham also reintroduced Rovers’ favourite Australian Nic Tozer who has been down under since 2009, and with her 33 goals in 37 games in Oz, the greens were hoping she could recreate some of that form on Sunday. Nic made her presence felt up front but unfortunately the greens were not able to puncture the Atherton rearguard and so it ended 0-9.
Graham praised the players afterwards and reiterated the fact that this is a team that does not give up, even when the rub of the green is not going their way. It was a good, solid team performance with all thirteen players (and injured Cris from the side) encouraging and getting behind each other – a solid base on which to continue to build.
Players’ player of the match – Nat. Nat had a good game in midfield, tenacious and always looking to break up play. She also made a last-gasp headed interception to deny Atherton in the second half. Well played Nat.
Follow Rovers on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/manroverswfc
Izzy - RB (Nic T 60 mins)
Sonia - CB
Sarah Newman – CB
Alison Fletcher – LB
Chloe – RM (Capt)
Alison McG – CM
Nat – CM
Lena – LM (Nic B 70 mins)
Jen - CF
Amanda – CF
This was the first meeting between these two sides and following this County Cup match, they will face each other twice again in the league in the next three weeks. Atherton have won every league game this season and had scored 44 goals in the three games leading up to this one, so Rovers knew they were going to have to be at their best to match them. The game started as everybody expected, Atherton dominating possession and passing the ball around confidently; they broke the deadlock midway through the first half but what happened next was always going to mean Rovers faced an uphill battle. Playing in central midfield, Alison McG and Nat were both doing a good job of tracking back but when Alison and an Atherton forward brushed each other inside the box and both went down when chasing a loose ball, the referee awarded a penalty and sent Alison off – a harsh decision. Jen then dropped back into midfield but with ten players, Rovers found it difficult to stem the attacking flow and also to get their own attacking game going, and went in 0-6 down at half-time.
The second half saw another Atherton penalty after Kelly made an ‘industrial’ fast-becoming-her-trademark challenge – the away side’s attackers certainly knew they were in a game yesterday Kel is so quick and fearless off her line! After the break Graham also reintroduced Rovers’ favourite Australian Nic Tozer who has been down under since 2009, and with her 33 goals in 37 games in Oz, the greens were hoping she could recreate some of that form on Sunday. Nic made her presence felt up front but unfortunately the greens were not able to puncture the Atherton rearguard and so it ended 0-9.
Graham praised the players afterwards and reiterated the fact that this is a team that does not give up, even when the rub of the green is not going their way. It was a good, solid team performance with all thirteen players (and injured Cris from the side) encouraging and getting behind each other – a solid base on which to continue to build.
Players’ player of the match – Nat. Nat had a good game in midfield, tenacious and always looking to break up play. She also made a last-gasp headed interception to deny Atherton in the second half. Well played Nat.
Follow Rovers on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/manroverswfc