Date: 30/10/2007
Game: BAWFC v Westside
Author: Nav
Player of the match: Olive

BAWFC 7 WESTSIDE 1

The sun was out and the changing rooms were buzzing with about 30 BA girls excited about the first home game of the season. 30 players?! Yep, that was a shock to the system, both teams with subs, more than enough! What’s going on?! Finally becoming a squad. Let’s hope this continues for the rest of the season.

Quick warm up in the bar, new coaches, new tactics.... we are liking the sound of this so far...

A few pictures taken and we are all ready for kick off - hold up, where’s the opposition? Still on the M25.... Play against 7 or wait for the rest, like Gerry (aka Coach) says, we are here to play football. Women are supposed to be late anyways..... So we wait.

As soon as the opposition got here we were eager to kick off, Westside only had to wait all of 60 seconds before they met our Nigerian International, Olive ‘The Guru’, she dribbled past a 2 or 3 of their players, crossed it for Marie to edge in front of the defender and knock it in from a few yards out. A warm welcome to Division 2 Westside!

It didn’t take The Guru long to get her first goal of the day, again storming through the defence. Sorry if I get a goal wrong..... But most of the game was a blur and I didn’t think to take notes!

Anyways, 2 nil BA! That’s the important bit.

While our defence were busy picking daisy’s, Svit watching the planes, the rest of the team were breaking down the Westside defence. Took us a while to get our third, but it was worth it! Best of the game I’d say..... : )

Ailsa was through on goal, just the keeper to beat when Westside’s stand-in keeper took her out just outside the box. Ailsa, lying on the floor in agony, well at least doing a good job of pretending she was in agony, while the Westside keeper was getting a stern telling off from Ref Ahmed. She was lucky to get let off with just a yellow card, seeing as it looked like she was the last man. Westside’s captain was not so lucky to get herself into trouble and booked for ‘beeping’ language. Up steps ME! Was told to wait for the whistle, so did just that. While the Westside defence were busy organising themselves, I slotted it into the corner, kinda corner. Well I got told it was a good one! 3 nil BA!

There were numerous missed chances from the midfield and attack, we could have had this game out of sight. A particularly good move from Captain Preeti making her way forward with a beautiful ball with left Char through on goal. But yet again Westside’s stand-in keeper proved difficult to get past.

Westside had a few chances from corners, making it first to the ball, but nothing came off for them. Our back 4 of Mandip, Simone, Preeti and new wing back Gilly proved very difficult to get past. And with Lou in the middle of the pitch picking up anything that came near her sight Westside were having no luck breaking us down.

There was just enough time in the first half for Olive to get her 2nd of the day and BA’s 4th! Olive please put in this empty space how you scored................ I’m assuming you dribbled past a few hundred players......

Half time score had us in at 4nil up....... think I can get used to this.....

Player of the Match Olive got her hatrick, 2 in as many games, after another wonderful run breezing past the Westside defence and giving the keeper no chance. Don’t think The Guru even broke into a sweat. That made it 5 nil BA.

Ok, time to give Westside something to cheer about. Their first shot on goal, well they called it a shot, I’m calling it a hopeful ball in the box. Svitlana was caught out by the bounce and was very unfortunate to concede.

There was some great build up play from our players, particularly from Gilly and Char’s new partnership on the right wing. Gilly was having plenty of the ball forward and went on a wonderful run dribbling past a couple of Westside players before passing to Ailsa to slot it in and get her debut goal for BA. 6-1 to BA!

A few substitutions made, Kerry and Cherelle getting their first minutes for BA, and Belinda getting a few mins on pitch too.

Enough time for one more BA goal. Louise was taken out by the Westside defence about 30 yards out. She tested the keeper from the free kick, whose save was pounced on by quick thinking Marie, who made it 7-1 for BA!

Well done girls, a fantastic display. Who said we had a problem scoring goals.....?

Thanks to all the support, particularly Amrik - thanks for your support over the previous seasons. And a huge thanks to Joe for doing a sterling job of running the line once again.

Let’s have much of the same against South London please girls, no pressure......