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Under 12 Match Report Sunday December 12th 2004 St. Albans City 5 - Luton Town Belles 3 (No pictures today due our roving photographer being unavailable) Not a day we will want to remember in any great hurry. At least for the first half. With a depleted squad and a few people having to play out of position as a result, we were never really in it during the first half. We seemed to be second to almost every ball, unable to relieve the pressure they were putting on us. The net result was almost inevitable. We were a little bit unfortunate with the first goal which came from one of several goalmouth scrambles. Thea dived onto the ball, but it was kicked out of her hands and the ball finished in the net. It was one of our own players that appeared to do do it though, a fact she later confirmed. After we went 3-0 down there did not look anyway back into the game. In fact one began to wonder if we were going to be on the end of a hammering. But then we pulled a goal back, and things did begin to change. And what a goal it was too. Leanne Lizaitis scored it when she latched on to a loose ball some twenty five yards out. She struck the ball which went like a bullet into the bottom corner of the net. (A goal of the season contender?) As I said things did begin to change, and suddenly we did lift ourselves. Clare Howe pulled another goal back when she forced home a rebound after the keeper could only push out a shot from Katie Davis. A draw was no good and we had to push forward. Despite having the lions share of possesion we could not get another goal. We were then hit with a sucker punch. A long ball was played down the middle, Thea rushed out and attepted to fly hack the ball away as a forward closed her down. Unfortunately it rebounded of the City player and agonizingly bounced straight back into the net. But we hit back and with five minutes left Laura Pethybridge scored her first goal for the team when she shot from the edge of the penalty area and the ball found its way through a crowd of players and into the net. But we still needed two more goals, too bigger task really. But we had to throw bodies forward. Then with virtually the last kick oif the game we were caught on the break and City scored another goal And that was that, out of the league cup. We had dug ourselves into a big hole, and were not quite able to dig our way out. It was certainly a spirited second half fight back which was at least something posative to take away from this match. We were unfortunate with a couple of their goals, but make no mistake the better team won on the day. We were not able to make any changes, which were perhaps needed, and everybody just had to stick it out. That certainly did not help our cause. It is a good thing that we have a friendly against MK City Colts this week, just to try and get this out of our system before the Christmas break. The first game back on January 9th will be the final league cup match against Watford. Meaningless as far as the league cup is concerned, but there can be no doubt whatsoever it is a game that we shall be going all out to win. If nothing else our pride will be at stake When we meet St Albans again in the league it will be in all likelihood a very important game. But next time hopefully with a full squad we will be better equipped. We may have seen them at their best in this game, but we were not. The Belles at their best would on most days have been good enough to have won this game of that I am certain. Squad today, Thea Fraser, Alice Bowler, Megan Willmott, Clare Howe, Kate Harte, Bethany Smith, Laura Pethybridge, Leanne Lizaitis, Katie Davis, Lauren Dunn, Alicia McIntosh; Alex Matcham |