LTHC Ladies 1st XI 5 at Kettering Ladies 2nd XI 0
MRHAWL – Midlands Feeder East
Saturday 23rd February 2019
After a recent run of uncharacteristically shaky performances in the league, Loughborough Town Ladies 1st XI made the long journey to Kettering on Saturday hoping to regain their strong run of form. Despite the late 16:00 pushback, Town started the game with high energy in stark contrast to some of their recent league games. Kettering were pinned into their own half from the outset by Town’s devastating press and struggled to get any real momentum going forward. Kettering’s keeper was called into action early on and largely kept her side in the fixture, producing a string of impressive saves to maintain the early score at 0-0.
However, it wasn’t long before even she was thwarted. Some good link up play in the midfield allowing Katie McKinlay to set up Grace Thompson for Town’s first of the afternoon. Minutes later Lucy Walden’s lifted effort from close range was cleared by the Kettering keeper, but Town didn’t grow frustrated in their hunt for more goals.
Town’s second of the game came courtesy of a short corner. Georgina Godfrey hitting the backboard with a pinpoint straight strike. Kettering continued to struggle with the high press of Town, with centre backs Claire Howard and Gabrielle Morgan largely untroubled as Town enjoyed large amounts of possession. Emma Weir’s tireless work in midfield set up many chances for Town and earned her the player of the match accolade. Just before halftime, Town saw their advantage increase as Georgina Godfrey connected with a fantastic cross from Emily Hill to wrong foot the keeper and score her second of the afternoon.
The second half continued as the first had ended. Town enjoying the majority of the possession and Kettering in damage-limitation mode. Having been fooled by a cheeky short corner lob routine in Town’s home fixture earlier in the season, on this occasion Harriet Galpin remained effectively a spectator, not touching the ball once. Half backs Shana Featonby, Katherine Laws and recent call-up Rebe Casselden enjoyed lots of space on the wings and produced some fantastic through balls for the waiting forwards. Yet another short corner routine saw the ball hit a Kettering defender on the goal line, resulting in a penalty flick for Town. Emily Burgwin stepped up to the mark and pushed the ball past the keeper for Town’s fourth of the afternoon. Town’s emphatic win was confirmed when a bobbling ball in the Kettering circle was fired home at pace by Ashleigh Godfrey, taking the score to 5-0.
Though Town continued to dominate play, Kettering managed to hold on long enough to preserve the score line. Town maintain their strong position in the league, sitting in 3rd place, just one point behind automatic promotion with five games to play.
