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Updated 24.09.01 16:46

Greyhound Gunners 1 v 7 Blackpool Wren Rovers Reserves

Team: (1)Lloyd,(2)Holbrook, (3)Wooley, (4)Fairbrother, (5)Colley, (6)Openshaw, (7)Else, (8)Whalley(c), (9)Hayes (10)Adamson, (11)Eaves, (12)Cloney 1 (45mins), (13)Winstanley (mins), (14)Blakeley (78mins)

The Gunners were forced to play away from Aerospace for this 'home' game, as they were unable to prepare the Aerospace pitch, in time for this fixture. Given that their pitch, includes areas of the cricket field and that the cricket season finished at 6:30pm on Saturday evening. The Gunners needed a dry morning to enable them to mark out their pitch, ready for this fixture. With persistent rain falling all day Saturday, the Gunners were forced to make arrangements to use Central Drive instead. However, the Central Drive pitch, also suffering the effects of the rain needed some attention before the fixture could be played. Thankfully, after the addition of several bags of sand, to the affected areas, the pitch was passed fit.
For the first time in a while the Gunners had fourteen fit players to choose from, giving management team of McKean & Booth a pleasant selection dilemma. After some thought, they decided to go with experience, naming their three new members on the bench.

The game got underway after an impeccable minutes silence, held for the victims of the terrorist attack on New York and Washington, in America.

Blackpool kicked off, however, it was the Gunners who gained possession and made their way forward via Adamson and Hayes down the right flank. The two forwards pushed deep inside the Blackpool half but couldn't work their way through as the defenders outnumbered them. Blackpool cleared the danger and immediately went on the counter attack. A Blackpool forward weaved her way down the left sidestepping challenges from Woolley and Colley. As she made her way in to the area, Colley made a challenge, which came back off the forward and fell in to the path of the unmarked Lee waiting on the edge of the box. The Blackpool player needed no invitation, prodding the ball low, under the dive of Lloyd, in to the bottom left hand corner of the net, with just ninety seconds on the clock.

The early goal seemed to have a positive reaction on the Gunners all round play. Buoyed by their captain Whalley, who constantly sort to give positive encouragement, they simply put the goal behind them and went off in search of the equaliser.

The Gunners thought they had equalised after four minutes. Adamson breaking with pace through the middle won a corner, which Eaves delivered perfectly towards the edge of the six-yard box. Unmarked, Else met the corner with a solid header and had already started celebrating, when Mackenzie produced a fine diving save on her line.

For the next few minutes, the Gunners constantly pushed forward down their right. Woolley managed to gain fifty yards via a couple of throw ins and finally win a corner as her long throw in to the area was hastily cleared. Else, turning provider produced a corner similar to Eaves' previous effort but had no one in the right place to convert the opportunity.

Blackpool made their first impression on the Gunners goal, since taking the lead after nine minutes. Lloyd running from goal to close the angle, forced an early shot, but was unable to get a touch on the goal bound effort, which the ever alert Colley was on hand to clear, deep down the left.

The development of set plays has become in integral part of the Gunners game, over recent weeks and it was no different on Sunday. Fairbrother once again the provider almost set up an equaliser on the quarter hour. Else received the ball in her stride forty yards out, and thrashed a wondrous first time effort, which flashed over before Mackenzie could move.

After Woolley again, gained another forty plus yards, from several throw ins on the right, she left it to Hayes to supply the final throw in to the box, from six yards out. Hayes found Else on the edge of the box, who produced a bit of trickery skipping over the ball to lose her marker before hitting five yards wide right of goal.

Straight after, on twenty-one minutes, Adamson broke down the middle using her pace to outwit the attentions of the defence. Until a late tackle brought her down in full flight, however as the ball broke to Hayes in space on the right the referee played the advantage, waving play on. Hayes, taking time to compose herself, delivered an inch perfect ball to the far post, which bounced just before the left hand upright. However, despite her despairing lunge Whalley was unable to convert the ball home.

Halfway through the first period Openshaw showed true grit as she bamboozled her way through the middle with a determined run. Beating all comers, she used various parts of her anatomy to keep possession and play a quality ball to the feet of Else. The Gunners winger hit an instant shot that Mackenzie did well to keep hold of on her six-yard line.

After thirty-three minutes, Fairbrother and Colley clashed heads whilst attempting to clear the same high ball. Although initially causing concern, both players were able to continue with the addition of a pair of bruises.

Hayes looking to run on to a Woolley pass soon after, felt aggrieved not to win an indirect free kick, as she was boxed out by defender and keeper in the area.

Eaves was fouled on thirty-seven, taking a bad knock to her ankle, which would lead to her halftime replacement. From the free kick Fairbrother had the Blackpool defence on the back foot. Taking note of Fairbrother's earlier efforts, the visitors back line dropped back significantly acknowledging the threat she posed. On this occasion their tactics paid dividends, as they were able to usher the kick back to Mackenzie in goal.

The Gunners consistently attacking down their right flank again used Woolley's throw to gain distance after thirty-nine minutes. Woolley played in Hayes on the edge of the area who was able to put in a deep cross. However, all the Gunners forwards had been attracted to the ball leaving the Blackpool right full back free to clear. Noticing the huge space ahead the full back chose not to hoof the ball up field but to go on a run. Eaves as the nearest Gunner's player, tracked the player every inch of the way towards the half way line, despite her ankle injury, eventually winning a throw for the home side.

Openshaw getting more involved as the half progressed took the ball from the throw and played an early ball cross-field ball to Hayes on the right. Hayes spotting Mackenzie off her line had the option of an early shot or to run on in to the space in ahead. Opting for the early shot, she was only able to produce a tame effort as she caught the ground before the ball.

As the Gunners again forged forward down their right via a Woolley pass, the Blackpool right back Poland not for the first time intervened to concede another throw, which in turn Poland knocked behind for a corner, which came to nought.

As the first period came to a close Fairbrother tried a direct effort from another free kick. As the ball bounced three foot in front of Mackenzie on her line, the kick looked harmless enough. But the spring in the bounce had the keeper at full stretch, forcing her to take the ball high over her head, as it headed for the top corner.

Half Time 0-1

Due to the ankle injury sustained in the first half, Eaves was replaced by Cloney at half time, in a like for like substitution.

The Gunners kicked off the second half and immediately went on the attack. Hayes fed Openshaw in field, who in turn played in Adamson inside the Blackpool area. Reacting instantly to her chance Adamson produced a snap shot from 8 yards that went just the wrong side of the right hand upright.

It didn't take the Gunners long in the second half to get a deserved equaliser. Hayes and Openshaw showing a good understanding combined down the right putting the Blackpool defence under immense pressure. The two Gunners players managed to tempt several defenders out of position and play the ball into the middle. Cloney was on hand to take up the ball and take advantage of the space ahead of her. With Mackenzie rushing from goal the Gunners substitute calmly controlled the ball and passed it into the bottom right hand corner of the net to make it 1-1.

The Gunners looking to turn their domination into a lead continued to push forward but couldn't take advantage of another well delivered corner by Else six minutes into the second period, which was just asking to be knocked home.

The Gunners won a free kick after fifty-seven minutes some thirty-five yards out on the right. Hayes got plenty of height on the kick, which caused more problems in the Blackpool area. Cloney hanging back at the far post won a corner as she shaped to shoot. This time after another well delivered set piece there was a Gunner on the end of the cross. Captain, Whalley rose, salmon like, to send a solid header from eight yards inches wide of the left hand post as everyone looked on.

As ever, when you don't take your chances you tend to pay the price, as happened to the Gunners just after the hour mark. Despite being on top for the whole of the second period the Gunners found themselves behind after extreme bad luck. As the ball bobbled about in the Gunners area, substitute Cloney came back to help and connected with a solid clearance which cruelly struck the leg of Lee and flew past Lloyd in to the Gunners net.

The Gunners continued to press using Fairbrother's free kicks as a sound outlet. On sixty-five a well delivered kick by the centre half found Hayes under pressure near the edge of the box. Reacting instinctively the Gunners winger attempted an overhead kick, which broke for Adamson who was able to feed Else. Another first time effort from Else managed to find it's way through a group of players but crept agonisingly wide

Else was in the wars shortly after. Closing down as Blackpool looked to clear she took the full force of a clearance in the ribs, leaving her winded. Holbrook was also finding it hard to breath at this time, as her chest infection got the better of her. With Else giving the signal that she was okay to continue Holbrook was replaced by Winstanley. The substitute taking over in the inside right position while Openshaw covered Holbrook's left back birth.

Within sixty seconds of the Gunners change Blackpool went further ahead. Pushing on from halfway Webster got the better of Fairbrother as the Gunners centre half, despite getting a touch was unable to knock the ball out. With Fairbrother in pursuit Webster touched the ball on and hit a speculative long-range effort that flew over Lloyd in to the net.

The Gunners, having been on top for the majority of the half, looked dishevelled after their enforced change, struggling to regain their composure as Blackpool took control.

After such a determined display for the first hour, it was a devastating blow when the visitors notched two further goals, in the seventy-second and seventy-third minute. Their fourth of the afternoon came from the same route as the third. This time, Webster took the ball on a little further, before clipping the ball past the advancing Lloyd. Blackpool went nap following a well-timed header from Dentith, who outwitted her marker at right-sided corner and found the net via the upright.

The Gunners introduced debutante Blakeley for Openshaw after seventy-nine minutes as a straight replacement. Blakeley was involved almost straight away as she tried to usher the ball back to keeper Lloyd but with the ball losing pace was forced to pass the ball back. Without thinking Lloyd dropped on the ball giving Blackpool an indirect free kick inside the area. From the free kick Blackpool tried to avoid the ball by playing the ball sideways. As the recipient prepared to shoot, Colley appeared with an inch perfect sliding challenge to clear the danger.

The Gunners reluctantly were reduced to ten players for the last three minutes, as Adamson was withdrawn after receiving a knock on her head, which left her dazed.

Blackpool, growing in confidence with every touch, took full advantage of the Gunners lack of numbers as they spread the ball about for the final few minutes. With the Gunners chasing shadows the visitors added a further two goals on eighty-eight and ninety-minutes from Dentith and Jackson.

Full Time 1-7