County Ladies’ recent run of good form, with five wins from their last six in all competitions, faced the sternest of tests last weekend as they travelled to title favourites Hull City.
Manager Steve O’Hara takes us through the game in this week’s update:
We travelled to Humberside in good form but we also knew we were coming up against the in-form team in the league.
We started the game really well. We were aggressive at the right times and we also moved the ball around with real purpose on a really uneven surface.
We had two or three half chances in the first half. Chloe Fisher had a good opportunity at the back post, but the ball just wouldn’t settle properly and she ended up putting her volley over the bar. A near-post header by the same player was also just over the bar.
But the best chance probably fell to Jess Gillin after good work down the left – a cross found the unmarked striker, who danced through a couple of challenges only to see her shot turned around the post by the keeper.
We ended the half much the better team and we were happy with our first-half performance.
Credit to Hull City though, as in the second half they really stepped up their intensity to match us and the game became a really frantic and physical encounter< with two good side going at it and leaving it all on the pitch.
Our attacks were becoming less dangerous as the half wore on and we had to rely on Faye to keep us at nil-nil when she did really well when faced with a one on one.
We were caught on the counter when the ball fell to an unmarked player on the halfway line and she played a ball through to the attacker, who I felt was just offside, and this time Faye was unable to keep the ball out of the bottom corner.
We regrouped and tried to raise the tempo but we never really got that one clear cut chance to get us back in the game. There were a couple of missed opportunities from set pieces where we just needed the rub of the green or a bit of luck to go our way.
Even a double deflected shot from skipper Kenedy with the last kick of the game fell straight into the grateful arms of Hull’s keeper.
Hull will more than likely go on to win the league this season and when you don’t play your best and somehow grind out 1-0 wins, that’s what defines teams who win things.
These are the things I said to the girls at the end of the game. I was incredibly proud of our work-rate and endeavour in the game, but we just lacked the quality in the final third to get the breakthrough when we were on top in the first half. And it’s those fine margins that we are all working hard to improve on not just this season, but heading into next season and beyond.
Once again a huge thank you to the travelling fans who made the journey over to watch us, it really does make us feel apart of the County family.
We are on the road again next Sunday as we travel to the northeast for our game against Chester Le Street.
Four league games to go, and of course a cup final against Runcorn Linnets Ladies. Our own personal targets are still attainable and we are doing everything possible to reach them.
