Injuries begin to hit home

Last seasons runners up hepworth travelled to last seasons champions Tingley for what is usually a closely contested match. Hepworth today were extreamly depleated due to work and placements and long term injuries. Just able to field 11 players and with several playing out of position the visitors had their work cut out from the start. Hepworth who have normally been consistant in their work rate and commitment somehow seem to be lacking their mojo and found themselves behind after just 11 minutes when debutant Carole Gleich was slow to move out with the main defence and the Tingley striker beat the offside appeals and raced through to round Harper in goal. Just 6 minutes later uncharacteristic slow reactions in the box from the Hepworth defence allowed the home side to double their lead. A third goal was not long in coming and it was begining to look like a thumping may be on the cards. Hepworth re jigged their formation and steadied the tide, and began to work though chances were few and far between.
Turning round 3 goals down Hepworth began to rally and for long periods had plenty of posession but were just not getting the rub of the green in front of goal as chances were often snuffed out. Amy Thompson playing the lone striker role worked hard but was often isolated and left lacking support. McCluskey made several probing runs down the right whilst Jo Forrest grafted in a central midfield role but was lacking the usual support. With Tingley using their roll on off subs to try Hepworth into the ground Hepworth had to up the work rate and that they did. Abigail Iggleden now playing centre half controlled the back line and pacey forwards of Tingley whilst Harper in goal made several outstanding saves which kept them in the game and gave Hepworth hope. They finally made the breakthrough on 71 minutes when a McCluskey pass to Amy Thompson turn beat a defender and lob the keeper from 25 yards out to make it 3-1. Just a minute later she had another great effort saved had that have gone in the game could have changed dramatically. Hepworth were now making a fight of it but time was against them. They kept pushing forward but were limited to few goal scoreing chances and with 2 minutes to go were caught on the break and Tingley scrambled their 4th goal to complete the game 4-1 winners. The Keystone Europe Ltd Player of the match was awarded to Abigail Iggleden.