Pre-season friendlies

Comberton Crusaders - 8-0 win

Bury Rangers - 1-1 draw

Looking back at our two pre-season friendlies, I couldn't be happier. We decimated Comberton with stylish and at times ruthless passing football and great finishing despite the long grass at Grange Paddocks. Not only will our goal scorers take confidence from finding the net so regularly but our defence was solid and looked comfortable both with the offside rules and in coping with the Crusaders strikers. Our midfield also worked tremendously hard and began the process of learning each others running lines, how to find space, support each other in the larger format etc.

Sunday's opposition were a completely different kettle of fish and an ideal follow up to the day before. BuryRangers were excellent. They matched us for large chunks of the game and had a lightning quick striker to trouble our defence. Going a goal down was arguably no bad thing in that it asked a big question of the team physically, psychologically and technically, to which by the second half we began to find the answer - great credit to the girls for digging deep and doing that. 

Analysing the game afterwards as we move on from 7 aside, formations add a new dimension to the game and match tactics. Our 332 formation was matched initially with Bury playing 431 (and later 341). This stifled our attacking two and closed the space available to Faye and Inka as well as Abby and Simi on the flanks. Switching to 341 in the second half, with Inka dropping back alongside Scarlett was in retrospect a switch I might have made earlier and though Inka's equaliser was a finely finished interception, I thought having 4 across midfield increased our control and penetration as well as lessened the defensive burden on Scarlett who put in a phenomenal amount of work in both the games. I am also very proud of the way everyone responded to the physical demands of the game, after a slightly tentative first-half, led by Tyler and some great commitment from Emily. In correspondence today, Grant was very complimentary towards you all and ranked the game as one the two hardest they have ever had (along with their game against Garston Ladies). We have agreed to  look towards having a further friendly later in the season to judge how both teams are progressing and are also looking into touring together at the end of the season - more on this later on.

So an ideal pre-season is now completed and the real stuff begins. We must use games when we find ourselves comfortably on top in the future to refine our tactics and shape, as over the coming few weeks we have important games in the Herts and League cups and the league to contend with.