In the first match of the season, the Camden Haven Redbacks women’s team took on South West Rocks in Laurieton this past Saturday. With a pre-season hampered by consistent wet weather, and a team with no less than seven new players, the game was set to be a big test of the training so far and potential for the rest of the season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Redbacks started strong from the first whistle, and were able to control the bulk of play. The new midfield combination of Bri St Ledger and Tegan Gray proved ominous for the opposition and a number of attacking opportunities arose as a result of their skill on the ball. Up front, Amelia Clacher and Lani Slade worked hard to convert chances, but a quick backline and confident keeper saw the genuine chances on goal few and far between.
For much of the first half, the Redbacks seemed in control, however South West Rocks were fast and were finding ways to outrun the Redbacks and create some of their own chances against the run of play. Some great saves from keeper Maddie Newman helped keep the scores tied at 0-0 for the first half.
The Redbacks knew they’d have to tighten up and limit those chances if they were going to come away with the points at full time.
The second half commenced much the same as the first. This time the Redbacks worked to hold the middle and slow the play down a little more than had been the case in the opening half. Once again, the opposition was under consistent pressure, but the Redbacks just couldn’t seem to get within shooting range. At the 15-minute mark, the stalemate was broken, when a lapse in the Redbacks defence resulted in repeated corners for the opposition, and after a scramble in the box, the ball seemed to trickle past the goal line to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Disheartened, but not broken, the Redbacks rallied and again began applying pressure on the visitors, looking for the elusive equaliser. A fantastic run from St Ledger finished with a brilliant shot from outside the box looked set to be the goal the Redbacks had been looking for, only to hit the crossbar and be cleared by the opposition. Despite the effort, the full-time whistle sounded, with the final score being 1-0 to the visitors.
Although the Redbacks didn’t come away with the points, coach Tamara Burns was still impressed with how the first game had transpired.
“The team showed a lot of potential out there today. We always knew this would be a tough match, with the wet pre-season and washed out trial matches, but the girls put in 100%, and that’s all you can ask for. As we gel more as a team, I’m confident we’ll start getting some results for our efforts, and I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.”
Next week sees the team travel to Wauchope for round two. The Premier League men kick off their season, with a trip to Port Macquarie to take on Port Saints.