Following on from last week’s 3 points on the board defeating Spalding 2s, the L3s were raring to go. After a miserable morning, the torrential rain cleared and clouds parted for a sunny start to the game. 

We headed to the changing rooms where Mo enlightened the … older… members of the group on how we can stay more current with team TikToks and Libby realised she’d left her shin pads in the bath #shinniesinthebath (thank you for my lemon team ) 

We headed out into the evening sunshine for a high energy warm up and Libby’s shin pads arrived just in time for push back. 

The team started with confidence and gusto, with lots of attacking runs up the pitch from Emily and some great work in the D from Steph and Mo giving us an early short corner. On the second short our brilliant injector Rachel stuck close to the right post and after an initial save from the Nomad’s goalie, Rachael squeezed a ball in to goal, curving off the back line and crashing into the left corner!

1-0 up we held strong with some great teamwork in defence, lots of confident switching between the back 3 and great distribution up through the wings. Solid screens Rachael and Grace put their all in to the tackles… Grace a little too literally, getting her hand smashed in a very defiant tackle forcing her to take herself off for some much needed ice and rest.

Following Grace’s injury, the team had a reshuffle with Mo coming down to left wing and Louisa P joining Rachael as a screen. Nomads took the opportunity whilst we were unsettled and sorting ourselves out to make a few break aways getting themselves a couple of goals to make them 2-1 up. Somewhere before half time, feeling a little deflated and energy levels lacking, we pushed through as Katy B made some great attacks from centre defence, connecting with strikers Steph and Alex running the back lines and giving us a much needed boost. Moments before half time, Rachael took our second injury of the day, another solid tackle causing the ball to ricochet up the stick and make contact square in the middle of Rachael’s forehead. (Somewhere there was a third goal that I can’t quite remember before half time) 

3-1 at half time and this week’s treat was some jelly babies and a positive pep-talk from coach Ed. 

Second half started just as we had the first half, tonnes of energy and Grace back on the pitch (with a glove for ?support) and Rachael taking a rest following her altercation with Nomad’s attack. 

Defence remained solid with some great dives from Lydia and some very disciplined man-marking by Jess, Katy B and Louisa W. Attack pushed on with Emily making some great runs and finally we got what we came for and Steph charged forward, beating the endless Nomad’s defence and took a strike from the top of the D and hit the back board with a cheer from the (now a little quieter) crowd! (Ed had somewhere else to be… something he’d paid for). 

With momentum behind us, all we needed was another 5 minutes and who knows maybe we would have made it a draw…. Or maybe we would have keeled over in exhaustion given the number of players (South and Nomads) asking the poor umpires how long was left and another final injury with Emily taking a ball to the thigh and a visible bruise popping up within seconds. 

3-2 loss but it can’t be argued that we didn’t leave it all on the pitch. Well done to our POM Grace, hope you enjoyed the match report from LOM Libby (won’t forget my shinnies again) and hopefully our injuries a feeling better soon!!!