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Stenhousemuir WFCMatch Report
After a disappointing draw at home to Gleniffer last week, the Warriors took the long away trip to Stonehaven to face Grampian Ladies with the hope of making up for last weeks result. Grampian come into this game having not conceeded a goal in their first 2 home games.
Jack travelled to Aberdeen with only 12 players in his squad after a few last minute injures meant he was didnt have his full compliment of players. Rachel Ann Vickerman and Erin Wilson returned to the squad alongside Carolanne Phee after finishing her suspension. Toni Harkness started in goals as Phee, Vickerman, Paterson, Jones and Sullivan all started in defence. Montgomery, Wilson, Pearson and Connolly started in midfield and Eirinn Maguire started up top with Sarah Kelly as the lone substitute on the bench.
Grampian looked to start the game off well as they won a corner in the first minute. The ball was floated in and no one really attacked it allowing Grampian a free shot in the box. Harkness managed to get a touch on it and tip it off the post but it was a very early warning sign of the threat Grampian can pose.
A few minutes later, Smanatha Montgomery breaks through the Grampian back line and finds herself 1-on-1 with the keeper. She tries to chip it and lift it over but she doesn’t quite get enough height on it and the keeper saves it.
Grampian get a break down the right hand side and cross in a dangerous ball. Paterson tries to knock it out clear but catches the Harkness in the process as both players fall to the ground in a heap. Grampian are kind enough to send on their physio to assist. Harkness took the worst of the impact and stayed down for a good few minutes before returning to her feet. Thankfully both players were able to carry on.
A lobbed ball down the right side of the pitch finds Jude Connolly in acres of space as she breaks free from the defence. She absolutely bursts a gut to get the ball up the pitch and into the box but the resulting shot is off target and painfully bounces back off the side netting.
GOAL STENHOUSEMUIR: Chloe Pearson picks up the ball in her own half and spots the run off Jude Connolly down the right. She whips in an incredible pass through the defence and frees Connolly in an almost idenitical position to the one previously. This time she makes no mistakes as she lobs it over the keeper and into the net! GRAMPIAN LADIES 0-1 STENHOUSEMUIR [Connolly 40′]
Stenhousemuir appear to smell blood after the first goal and are immediately on the attack again. Lucy Sullivan this time picks the ball up in the attacking third and skips through the middle of the Grampian defence before laying in a pass to Connolly, getting wiped out in the process. Connolly grabs the ball and smashes it into the net but the keeper calls it back for an offside.
Montgomery wins the ball in the middle of the park and again tries to make the switch out to Connolly on the right. She tries to cross it in for Maguire but the pass is a little too heavy. She collects it again though and feeds it into Connolly at the back post but her shot goes out just wide.
HALF TIME: Grampian Ladies 0-1 Stenhousemuir
Montgomery wins the ball out on the left wing and feeds it into Erin Wilson who slots it back into her. She chases it down to the byline before turning Lana Cartney and finding a pass into the box. Its swept clear by the Grampian defence but only as far as Lucy Sullivan who picks it up and hits a rocket of a shot from about 25 yards out but it goes wide of the target.
YELLOW CARD: Samantha Montgomery goes into the referee’s book for arguing back after the ref gave what she deemed to be an wrong offside call.
Shirran for Grampian breaks through the Stenny back line and finds herself up against the keeper but Harkness manages to get the save.
A few moments later Montgomery is kicked down from behind outside the Grampian box in what appears to be a text book technical foul but there is no card shown from the ref. There were a few calls like this for both teams but the ref appeared to want to let the game play. Erin Wilson stepped up to take the freekick and dipped it in over the keeper but finds the bar! The ball bounces back out to Connolly who is eventually crowded out as Grampian manage to clear their lines.
SUBSTITUTION: In the 70th minute Montgomery is withdrawn and replaced by Kelly. Montgomery had a good game but was looking tired and struggling to chase down so the change was made.
Grampian win a corner and float it in well. It finds the feet of Susan Murray who smashes the shot but its blocked and rolls to Jennifer Taylor who pokes it towards goal, forcing a great diving save from Harkness who is almost taken out by Phee who also throws her body on the line to keep the ball out.
Lucy sullivan wins the ball after a great pass interception. She takes it a run down the wing before lobbing it over the defence for Connolly to run in 1-on-1 with the keeper. She covers a good 20 yeards before striking a shot but the keeper manages to get a touch on it and then catch it as it fell.
GOAL GRAMPIAN LADIES: Grampian win a freekick on the outside of the Stenny box. Its hit down the throat of the keeper who manages to touch it up onto the post making a great save, but the ball bounces back across the face of goal and Grampian are fastest to react as Stout strikes it into the back of the net. GRAMPIAN LADIES 1-1 STENHOUSEMUIR [Stout 80′]
GOAL STENHOUSEMUIR: An immediate response from the Warriors as Eirinn Maguire plays the ball down the middle into Jude Connolly who has her initial shot saved but catches the rebound and slots it into the net! GRAMPIAN LADIES 1-2 STENHOUSEMUIR [Connolly 83′]
Game management is the aim for the remaining minutes as Stenny do their best to slow down the play, break up the game and try to keep the ball out of their net. Grampian manage to win a few courners but they are well defended by the Warriors who put in an incredible shift to keep the scoreline as is.
FULL TIME: GRAMPIAN LADIES 1-2 STENHOUSEMUIR
A great result on the road for the Warriors.
MATCH REACTION
Head Coach Jack Cameron and team captain Erin Wilson spoke to WarriorsTV after the match to give their reaction to the result.