The Team

League Match
SUN 25 FEB, 2pm	Deans	1	v	4	Manchester Stingers

Scorers
Nicola Armstrong 22, 49, 65
Katie Fingers 55


Player of the Match
Nicola Armstrong

Match Report
Bee's Eye View Report:
 
With that inevitable end of season fixture pile up looming, and Airbus UK, Bolton Ambassadors and Macc Town breathing down the Yellows necks, Stingers needed to get as many points on the board as possible and build up that goal difference.
 
After missing the 12 goal thriller against Leigh, then turning up at Whalley Range last week only to find the match had been postponed (and it was such lovely weather too!), I walked down the hill to Eccles hoping to a) actually see a match, and b) enjoy some goalmouth incidents. I could hear coach Karen issuing instructions while I was still several streets away, so quickened my pace so as not to forgo any more football action.
 
The first 10 minutes were scrappy from both teams, with no-one taking control in a congested midfield. On 15 minutes Vicky made a great body swerve dummy that allowed Rachael Taylor to shoot, only for the goal-bound ball to be gathered by Deans' grateful keeper. A minute after that Rachael used her pace down the flanks to get past the Tangerine's defence, making a great cross for Armstrong to power into the top left corner. 1 - 0 Stingers.
 
More near misses followed, but it was hard working Deans who scored next, springing our girls' offside trap and firing a strong shot from the edge of the area that just dropped in over Micky's hands. 1 - 1 on 22 minutes. There then followed pressure from both sides, with a Deans goal disallowed (phew!), and an invisible force field in the home side's penalty box (aka some great defensive blocking) that stopped Stingers scoring. A fantastic move just before half time had Stingers showing their true class, moving the ball up the pitch with some great give-and-go one touch football involving Katie Fingers, Jinny and Armstrong, only for the final shot to be turned round the post by the keeper.
 
The second half opened with the Whalley Range team in the ascendancy, taking the lead on 49 minutes as Gwen passed on to Armstrong who, from the corner of the area, and under pressure, belted one in to the left of the goal. 2 - 1 Stingers! Lightning struck twice moments after the re-start as Jinny, with her back to goal played the ball out to Katie Fingers, who shot from the same spot, into the same corner. 3 - 1 to the Yellows!!
 
Stingers fourth goal had a bit of luck about it, as the ball ricocheted back off a Deans midfielder, which Armstrong ran onto, sliding the ball into the bottom left of the net, unchallenged by the girls in orange who were waiting for an offside that obviously didn't come. 4 - 1 to us on 58 minutes.
 
The game ended as it began, with a bit of a scrap, and the ball going from end to end. Subs Aisha and Polly went close for us up front, while our whole defence battled at the back, as the home side kept the pressure up until the final whistle.
 
So, well done girls, you played well against a Deans side who played better and were much more threatening than their league position suggests. That's another three points in the league, and another three to add to the plus column on the goal difference tally!

 
Idiot of the Match: Me, for believing Irish Nic when she said she wasn't injured, but had been dropped by Karen for lack of effort in training.
Effort of the Match: Coach Karen, for not blushing when praised by the ref (yes, that's KAREN PRAISED BY THE REF) (no, not sent off: PRAISED) for her fair and unbiased use of the linesperson's flag.

Philippa Jarman