L1A: Reading 3 Hampstead and Westminster 2

After a very controversial umpiring decision in our first league game resulted in a 1-0 loss to Epsom, we were determined not to continue the season as it had begun.

The game started very positively and we put a lot of pressure on Hampstead. There were opportunities from both teams to be the first on the score board, but Reading’s pressure was soon rewarded with an open play goal, put away by Sinead.

Not only did Reading take lead on the score board, but Pikey lead the way with the cards! She was supposedly guilty of ‘leaving her stick in’ – a decision which was assisted (or even influenced!?) after banter from the Reading supporters!?

At half time the result stood at 1-0, and with a positive and constructive team talk at half time, we were confident that we would continue to be in control and to play our game. Unfortunately Hampstead also raised their game and with a lot more pressure on the defence, that had not been there in the first half, Hampstead broke through to even the score. Reading, from the start of the second half, for some reason had not been the team they were in the first half and less than 10 mins after conceding the first goal, also allowed Hampstead through to score again and take a goal lead.

Reading, after waking up to the fact that we would also need to up our game, fought back, and created a number of opportunities to equalise. After a word of warning by the umpires at half time, stating that any more stick tackles in the game would result with a straight yellow card, Badger tested out their promise and got herself a yellow! It was admitted after the game by the oppositions coach that he didn’t think it should be a card, after a 50-50 ball had been won by badger, with the Hampstead player actually being the one to hit her stick. Badger took her punishment of 5mins in the sin bin, in which time Reading conceded a corner, only to be broken down by defence and cleared out to the midfield, transferred up the pitch, crossed into the D and touched into the goal by Tallie, after beating the keeper to the cross.

This equaliser helped reinstall faith, and after improving on our performance with which we started the second half (and badger having returned to the pitch), Reading won a crucial corner. With a lot of extra time having been given to corners outside of matches, it was no surprise when Reading scored with a perfect corner routine, of a simple straight strike, by Sinead, adding to her first half goal.

It was important that Reading kept their heads for the rest of the game, which they did, and it was Hampstead’s turn to lose their composure. With the umpires being consistent in their cards, another stick tackle was given a yellow card and Hampstead were down to 10. With Reading back in control, Hampstead again got a yellow, this time for pulling on a Reading shirt. With the opposition now down to 9, Reading did their best to overload, and although we didn’t score from this we did enough to ensure that the game finished with a win. This was also down to some superb goal keeping by Helen throughout the game, with a number of very crucial saves being made.

Although it wasn’t the best performance from the squad, and we know that we can perform better, we were all thrilled with an important 3 points and an extra £10 from badger and £5 from Pikey to go in the kitty!