A Game of Two Halves: Mellor U18 V Oxton U18 (HT Score 5-4; FT Score 8-11)

HT score: 5-4
FT score: 8-11
No yellow cards or red cards.
This was the first game of the season under the new rules and what a game it was. I think the phrase “a game of two halves” sums it up, Mellor winning the first half and Oxton the second half in a close match. This may have been the first game of the new league season but the sustained effort and level of skill from both teams was outstanding from the start.
Mellor immediately attacked following the first draw only to lose possession and then have to defend stoutly against a strong Oxton attack. Mellor re-gained possession and then broke quickly, with Harley making great strides. Unfortunately, possession was then lost and Oxton broke to score, making it 0-1
Mellor attacked again following the draw with Katie unluckily losing her footing while in an attacking position however Annabel soon made up for this with an excellent equaliser. There was a quick change of hands, making space for a shot and an excellent goal. It was 1-1.
Mellor continued with some good possession resulting in another well-worked goal, this time from Amy. It was now 2-1. There was a short competitive period, with a few fouls committed and possession lost by both teams in the run up to the first time out.
The time out was followed by a period of changing possession and then another goal from Annabel making it 3-1. Oxton responded quickly and Ellen made an excellent save, allowing Mellor to gain possession. There was then an outstanding move consisting of 4 quick passes from end-to-end, leading to a goal by Joni making it 4-1. This was a great start to the game by Mellor who were really playing as a team. There was then another time out.
Oxton pulled a goal back almost immediately after the break, although Mellor continued to defend in numbers and with great enthusiasm. This made it 4-2. Within a couple of minutes it was 4-3 following a foul awarded against Mellor. This seemed to be unlucky as the defending was strong and organised, frustrating Oxton at every turn.
Katie then made it 5-3, scoring after a good period of Mellor possession. There was then a period of play where possession seemed to change hands every minute. Ellen made a couple of excellent saves to keep Mellor in the lead in the run-up to half time. Then, just before the interval, Oxton scored and it was 5-4 at the half time whistle.
This was an exciting first half with some high quality passing and movement from both teams; a great flowing game with some outstanding attack and defence.
The second half started with possession changing hands frequently however Oxton scored the first goal of the half from a free position after a foul had been awarded. It was now 5-5. Unlucky, Mellor re-grouped for another massive effort only for another foul to be awarded and Oxton to take the lead at 5-6. Oxton then hit the post as Mellor struggled to gain possession for a sustained period. Oxton scored another, again after a foul had been awarded and it was 5-7. Defensively, Mellor continued to work very hard and managed to withstand pressure and were rewarded with an outstanding goal from Mattie. A clever long pass over the top found Mattie in space and she skilfully turned the ball around the advancing keeper. She showed great coolness under pressure and this was a memorable moment in a really entertaining game.
It was now 6-7 and the two sides seemed very evenly matched. Ellen made another great save from a low shot, possession was gained and Harley scored from a fast attack making it 7-7. This was so close and the pace of the game was beginning to tell on Mellor who only had one substitute.
Just before the time out, Mellor lost possession after another foul was awarded and Oxton were able to score to take advantage of the decision. It was 7-8.
After play resumed, there were a number of attacks from both teams with possession being won and lost after fouls were awarded. Annabel was unlucky to be blocked and with the decision going to Oxton they were able to capitalise again making it 7-9. Mellor heads did not go down and resistance remained determined as tiredness clearly set in. Unlucky not be awarded possession following an infringement, Mellor conceded again making it 7-10. Still heads did not go down and this is testament to the excellent team spirit. Possession was won through good pressure and Annabel scored a great individual goal to make it 8-10a. Could there be a comeback in the final minutes of the game? Sadly, Oxton scored another goal after a couple of good saves from Ellen and it was 8-11 at the final whistle.
This game was very close, with two strong teams working hard and playing some outstanding lacrosse. The teamwork was such that it would be hard to name a player of the match for Mellor, as everyone played their part. This game promises much for the rest of the season and was a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch. Well done girls!HT score: 5-4
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