Archived News from April 2002
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LADIES LOSE PROMOTION DECIDER
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Unison Leauge Division 3 South
Sandiacre Town 2-1 Mansfield Town Ladies Mansfield town ladies failed to emulate there male counterparts promotion success by loosing 2-1 in their crucial promotion decider at Sandiacre. Stags settled well on the bumpy hard surface and gradually began to take a grip on the game, creating a first opportunity after 25 minutes when Rebecca Rowley embarked on a mazy run. Skipping past four home players the diminutive midfielder drew out the keeper but was unfortunate to drill the ball inches wide of the post. Clarke and Rowley continued to work hard dominating the midfield but Mansfield strikers Fenwick and Tucker searching for space were well shackled by the determined home defence and neither goalkeeper apart from Rowleys near miss were tested in the opening period Stags continued to control the game in the early stages of the second half and were finally rewarded on the hour mark when home keeper Kate Hill failed to intercept Hastings right wing cross leaving the energetic Tucker the opportunity to divert the ball into the corner of the goal much to the joy of the travelling Stags contingent. Ironically the goal became the catalyst for the young Stags defeat when within seconds of the restart a long ball was pumped over the heads of the bewildered defence falling for Clare saxton to smash the ball past the despairing West. Stags never came to terms with the hammer blow of a quick equaliser and were made to pay a heavy price when Clarke was beaten by the trickery of Leanne Beet for the first time who then found space on the edge of the box driving a ferocious shot straight at West who agonisingly could only parry the ball into the roof of the net. Boss Kath Bailey brought on Hyett and Dove in place of the disappointing Fenwick and Hardy but it was too late to rescue the point and it would seem that Mansfield must resign themselves to third spot and hope that the league administrators decide to promote three clubs this season. Coach Stewart Rowley " The team were at Field Mill on Saturday and had first hand experience of the joy that promotion can bring less than 24 hours later our own dreams are shattered and perhaps only football people can relate to the fact that physiologically we never recovered from taking the lead! Had we have held on for 5 minutes we would have won. To be honest we are all desperately disappointed. However as everyone knows we are the youngest team in the league and the Girls deserve tremendous credit for finishing so close. |
Latest | April 2002