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Feb. 18th, 2007 08:14 pmBack to Bournemouth Sports Club again, for the girls' Hampshire Cup quarter-final with Bournemouth's first team. It was our FOURTH trip to this venue this season - Lynn observed before the game, "this is our home ground"! (By contrast, we've only played one home game so far all season, and that was at Westleigh Park, so we still haven't played at our home pitch Emsworth Rec at all...)
With Bournemouth three divisions higher, we all knew this would be the girls' toughest test yet. It was! The two teams were very evenly matched, although maybe Hawks just edged it on number of chances and time spent on the attack. With Louise in Canada, Sam J, normally a midfielder, had to play in goal. She played a blinder! Sam made loads of super saves, including stopping a couple of shots that looked like certain goals. Sam S was again on the receiving end of a couple of vicious fouls - and got booked for a retaliatory shove on the perpetrator of the second. With the game still goalless, in the 89th minute Lisa (player) had a gilt-edged chance to score the winner from three yards out - and fluffed her shot wide :(
So it was extra time. Both sides had their share of attacks; meanwhile Jade, who'd been substituted, and Lisa (coach) urged me to 'start some singing'. So I led all our contingent in a couple of rousing renditions of 'We are the Hawks', then Lisa said "Let's do 'Hot dog, sausage roll'," so she, Jade and I did, to the bewilderment of some of the others present. Thanks to the heroics of both Sam and the Bournemouth keeper, herself on amazing form, extra-time yielded no goals...
While we were waiting for the penalty shoot-out I told Lisa (coach) and Lynn that whatever happened now, this had been a fantastic showing. "Thank you," said Lisa.
Lynn, Rose and a couple of the other watching mums were shaking like leaves once the shoot-out started. Each team's first kick was scored, as was Bournemouth's second, then Lisa (player)'s shot was stopped by the goalie. The ball appeared to roll through her hands and over the line before she finally got a grip on it, but the ref ruled that the ball hadn't crossed the line - cue many protests from the Hawk contingent.
Sam J saved Bournemouth's next strike and all the others were scored (Rose couldn't bear to watch Sam S take hers and turned away), setting up sudden death. Each side scored three more, then Sam saved Bournemouth's ninth kick, prompting a wild - and premature - celebration from the Hawk girls, who'd forgotten they still had to score one more to win. The mums in our group yelled for Sam J to take the kick herself... She scuffed it wide :((
Sam redeemed herself, and cemented her Man of the Match status, by saving Bournemouth's next two kicks. Unfortunately Laura and Jenna D also missed. So after 11 kicks each the scores were still tied. Bournemouth's first penalty taker stepped up again and scored; then Penny's shot was saved by the goalie ;(((
As the Bournemouth players ran around whooping raucously, we all clapped the Hawk girls as they trudged off the pitch. Penny was weeping; Lynn and Rose both shouted "It doesn't matter, Penny", and Penny's mum went over to her, but Penny gently pushed her away.
We spectators all stood around talking about anything while the girls got changed, then we all headed for the clubhouse together. As, with the extra time, I'd missed the chance to get to the airport in time for the last bus to the station, Billie and Becky agreed to give me a lift. By the time they'd sat down with drinks and the provided plates of pasta, most of the girls seemed in fairly good spirits. They offered to get me some pasta, but I'd just taken an antibiotic so was unable to eat for an hour.
The drive home was subdued. Laura hardly spoke at all, Billie and Becky in front just talked to each other in muted voices. No matter, they'd come to my rescue, and they even dropped me right at the mouth of Fareham bus station. Cheers, girls.
With Bournemouth three divisions higher, we all knew this would be the girls' toughest test yet. It was! The two teams were very evenly matched, although maybe Hawks just edged it on number of chances and time spent on the attack. With Louise in Canada, Sam J, normally a midfielder, had to play in goal. She played a blinder! Sam made loads of super saves, including stopping a couple of shots that looked like certain goals. Sam S was again on the receiving end of a couple of vicious fouls - and got booked for a retaliatory shove on the perpetrator of the second. With the game still goalless, in the 89th minute Lisa (player) had a gilt-edged chance to score the winner from three yards out - and fluffed her shot wide :(
So it was extra time. Both sides had their share of attacks; meanwhile Jade, who'd been substituted, and Lisa (coach) urged me to 'start some singing'. So I led all our contingent in a couple of rousing renditions of 'We are the Hawks', then Lisa said "Let's do 'Hot dog, sausage roll'," so she, Jade and I did, to the bewilderment of some of the others present. Thanks to the heroics of both Sam and the Bournemouth keeper, herself on amazing form, extra-time yielded no goals...
While we were waiting for the penalty shoot-out I told Lisa (coach) and Lynn that whatever happened now, this had been a fantastic showing. "Thank you," said Lisa.
Lynn, Rose and a couple of the other watching mums were shaking like leaves once the shoot-out started. Each team's first kick was scored, as was Bournemouth's second, then Lisa (player)'s shot was stopped by the goalie. The ball appeared to roll through her hands and over the line before she finally got a grip on it, but the ref ruled that the ball hadn't crossed the line - cue many protests from the Hawk contingent.
Sam J saved Bournemouth's next strike and all the others were scored (Rose couldn't bear to watch Sam S take hers and turned away), setting up sudden death. Each side scored three more, then Sam saved Bournemouth's ninth kick, prompting a wild - and premature - celebration from the Hawk girls, who'd forgotten they still had to score one more to win. The mums in our group yelled for Sam J to take the kick herself... She scuffed it wide :((
Sam redeemed herself, and cemented her Man of the Match status, by saving Bournemouth's next two kicks. Unfortunately Laura and Jenna D also missed. So after 11 kicks each the scores were still tied. Bournemouth's first penalty taker stepped up again and scored; then Penny's shot was saved by the goalie ;(((
As the Bournemouth players ran around whooping raucously, we all clapped the Hawk girls as they trudged off the pitch. Penny was weeping; Lynn and Rose both shouted "It doesn't matter, Penny", and Penny's mum went over to her, but Penny gently pushed her away.
We spectators all stood around talking about anything while the girls got changed, then we all headed for the clubhouse together. As, with the extra time, I'd missed the chance to get to the airport in time for the last bus to the station, Billie and Becky agreed to give me a lift. By the time they'd sat down with drinks and the provided plates of pasta, most of the girls seemed in fairly good spirits. They offered to get me some pasta, but I'd just taken an antibiotic so was unable to eat for an hour.
The drive home was subdued. Laura hardly spoke at all, Billie and Becky in front just talked to each other in muted voices. No matter, they'd come to my rescue, and they even dropped me right at the mouth of Fareham bus station. Cheers, girls.
