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Updated 13.09.01 13:22

AXA Sponsored Women's F.A. Cup First Round Qualifying

Greyhound Gunners 2 v 3 Ossett Albion

Team: (1)Lloyd,(2)Holbrook, (3)Openshaw, (4)Fairbrother, (5)Colley (c), (6)Woolley, (7)Else, (8)Whalley, (9)Cloney, (10)Winstanley, (11)Eaves, (12)Hayes 2, (42)

The Gunners had an early scare just before kick off, as Else suffered a reoccurrence of her recent ankle injury. With only twelve available players, the Gunners risked having to start with Hayes, who still suffering herself, could not complete a full match. Given ten minutes to compose herself, Else, passed herself fit, moments before the kick off.

The Gunners kicked off the long journey to the 2002 Women's F.A. Cup Final, at 2pm. The early exchanges from both sides were very tentative, each side trying to settle, before taking the game to their opponents.

It took at least five minutes, for either side to gain any kind of composure. It was the visitors who settled earliest, playing the ball around at the back with an air of confidence.

However, Cloney and Else for the Gunners were the first to drive towards their opponents goal. Unfortunately, neither of the Gunners forwards was able to time their runs as they were just caught in off side positions, as they broke clear.

The visitors, with time to play the ball around their back line, were able to push forward in numbers, giving the Gunners defence no time on the ball. Although under constant pressure the Gunners defended in numbers and dealt with the early pressure.

Ossett looking to play in the nippy Patterson down their right at every opportunity, took advantage of a mix up in the Gunners defence, after ten minutes. A cross-field ball from the Ossett left, heading for the right hand corner of the Gunners area, looked to have been dealt with, as Lloyd came from goal. Having called to Fairbrother to leave the ball, the Gunners keeper failed to get a clear connection and could only look on in horror, as Patterson took up the loose ball and passed it into the empty net, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The Gunners continued to be forced back, towards their own goal, as Ossett started to take a grip on the midfield, winning nearly all the clearances from either defence. Confidence within the visitor's ranks grew visibly as each player settled into their roles. The Gunners however, became more and more flustered, as usually cool heads, lost the plot for several minutes after the goal.

The home side regained a certain degree of composure following two or three good calls for offside from their back line. Thankfully, as Fairbrother set herself placing and delivering her free kicks, the Gunners midfield were able to regroup, giving Cloney much needed help in attack. From one of these free kicks, Cloney herself almost got the Gunners back on level terms. Meeting a long high kick at the edge of the Ossett area, Cloney lunged forward, getting to the ball before a defender. Despite getting height on her effort, the ball started to dip before reaching the six-yard area and Morton was able to take on her line with Else closing in.

Openshaw was struggling to contain the constant threat from Patterson down the Albion right, as she struggled with a toe injury. Halfway through the first half, Eaves moved from left midfield back into the left back role, allowing Openshaw to replace her.

Ironically, five minutes after the Gunners re-organisation Patterson notched her second of the afternoon. This time however, the Albion player, being kept at distance from goal, fired in a cross shot from 20 yards out on the right. Lloyd coming off her line jumped at full stretch, just four yards out, but couldn't prevent the swerving ball from dipping over her and landing in the bottom left hand corner of the net.

A mix up from the Gunners restart almost cost the Gunners dear as Albion immediately gained possession and bore down on goal. It took a brave save from Lloyd at her near post to prevent Albion going further ahead within thirty seconds.

As the game reached the half hour mark, the difficulties Else and Cloney had shared disappeared as the pair just failed to pull off a swift counter attack. Else gained the ball from a Lloyd clearance and timed her pass to perfection as Cloney dummied her marker. Cloney running on, with the ball a yard in front, looked dismayed as Morton somehow came from goal to nick the ball away.

On thirty-two minutes, as the Gunners pushed forward, looking to get back in the game, they were caught out. An Else break down the right was brought to an end by two defenders, who took no time playing the ball up field. With the defence ball watching as Else went forward, they tried in vain to play the offside trap, allowing Patterson again to break clear. As Patterson closed down on goal, Lloyd opted to come out while her defenders tried desperately to recover. Rushing her effort, Patterson pushed the ball five yards wide of the left hand upright.

On the thirty-six minutes Albion attacked in numbers down their left. Holbrook running towards her own goal was able to get a foot in, pushing the ball towards the sidelines. Two forwards however, managed to keep the ball in, between them and deliver a wonderfully weighted cross across the face of goal, from the left hand area of the penalty box. With the ball skimming with pace across the six yard box Lloyd managed to get a touch on the ball but couldn't deflect it away. Tibble was on hand for Albion three yards out, to swiftly dispatch the ball into the Gunners goal for a three-nil lead.

After the restart the Gunners rearranged their line-up yet again. This time, switching Holbrook over to the left back birth; replacing her with Woolley, who in turn was replaced by a jaded looking Openshaw; while Eaves moved back to left midfield. Cloney struggling for breath in the middle, swapped with Else who moved in filed where her pace could be used to it's full potential.

The Gunners almost went further behind after forty-one minutes, as a quick throw produced a shot that Fairbrother cleared to the edge of the box. From the clearance, a lightning shot smashed off the crossbar, bouncing down a yard from the goal line. As players looked on captain Colley came to the rescue with an assured clearance to halfway.

As the game reached the final few minutes off the first half the Gunners took a massive gamble replacing Openshaw, who looked out of sorts, with Hayes who herself was far from 100% fit. The substitution almost paid off immediately, Else broke through the middle, as Albion readjusted and played in Cloney down the right. Taking the return ball Else took on three defenders before winning a throw near the left hand corner flag. The Gunners looking like a real attacking force for the first time caused a few problems in the Albion back line but were unable to create a clear cut chance, as they kept the pressure on for several minutes.

Just before the half-time whistle, Else broke from her own half as Fairbrother fed a delightful free kick from deep inside her own half. Pushing on, Else under pressure from oncoming defenders fired an early shot a yard wide of goal.

Half Time 0-3

As soon as Ossett started the second period it became obvious that the Gunners were not going to rollover and die in this game. Despite being outplayed for the best part of the first period, the Gunners looked like a completely different side in the second.

Hayes a substitute in latter stages of the first half added a new dimension to the attacking force of the home side. It took her just two minutes to win the Gunners a corner as she played a one two with Whalley in centre field. From the corner the Gunners had several players lining up to try their luck. Cloney and Whalley both had efforts knocked away before Colley steamed in late but couldn't get a clean look at the ball.

Keeping up the pressure the whole of the Gunners team looked settled as their midfield started to get on the ball. Winstanley, Whalley and Eaves getting involved in all areas of the pitch, looking to play in their forwards.

Hayes provided Else with a half chance on forty-nine minutes as she played a long cross from the right, towards the edge of the penalty area. Else attacking the ball, looked to have gone clear until a brave jump from the keeper to take the ball off her boot.

Winning throw ins for fun in the Albion half, the Gunners looked to gain an advantage but failed to find the space necessary until Else was able to fire an early 25-yard effort solidly into the midriff of the Albion keeper.

Hayes almost got the Gunners on the score sheet after fifty-six minutes following an Else corner, which the pair had created. Arriving in the six yard box as the ball arrived Hayes positioned herself in mid air to head goalwards. Unfortunately the sub wasn't able to get the correct height as the ball scrapped the top of the bar.

The Gunners could well have been down and out after sixty-eight minutes, if it wasn't for the sound keeping of Lloyd. Left to defend a one and one as her defence went A.W.O.L. the Gunners keeper excellently saved on the floor.

Within a minute the Gunners buoyed by Lloyd's save, broke from a Colley free kick on half way. Else fed a delightful cross towards the back post that Morton could only flap at, allowing the ball through. Whalley managed to take the ball up at the far post and work her way into space, for a swift effort that went just the wrong side of the post.

The Gunners finally got their just deserts after seventy-minutes. Not for the first time, a wonderfully weighted ball down the right, from Woolley, found Hayes in space. Running on, she hit a fierce low drive from 22-yards as Morton came from goal. Despite the Albion keeper getting an amount of flesh on the ball neither she, nor her defenders were able to stop the balling rolling in to the net, to give the Gunners a chance to get back in to the game.

The Gunners looking to get back into the game, started pressing forward more, and almost had another minutes later. Else, again benefiting from all round play in the Gunners midfield hit another first time effort from distance that Morton again did well to control.

As the Gunners pushed forward their defence had very little to do except feed the eager front gunners. However, on seventy-eight minutes their fight back could well have been in vain as Lloyd misread her penalty area and handled outside. As the Gunners slowly got back, Albion saw their chance to seal the victory. From a quick free kick they managed to get within a foot of goal until Colley stepped in to clear the danger.

The Gunners set up a grandstand finish after eighty-three minutes. Hayes again was in the thick of the action as she broke down the right. Firing in a cross towards the near post the Gunners winger was able to pick the ball up again from a clearance. This time Hayes, looked to clear the near post and lobbed a precise left footed shot over the defence including the keeper at the near post and found the back of the net at the far post, to bring the Gunners back to 2-3.

As the Gunners pushed forward, Albion getting more and more nervous throughout their ranks, opted for the easy ball; clearing for throw ins deep inside their half. The Gunners threw everything they had at the Albion goal but couldn't find a way through. The nearest the Gunners came in the last few minutes, were a couple of well delivered corners by Eaves, that caused all sorts of problems but despite creating a panic in the Albion defence, the Gunners couldn't get their elusive equalizer as time ran out.

No doubt had the Gunners managed to find the equalizer, they would have been favourites to go on and take the game over the extra time period, as they were becoming stronger as time went on. Looking back, a better start from the home side would certainly have seen them in the hat for the next round. This noted, providing everyone uses this game as a learning experience the Gunners should be stronger in future games.