Women's league cup 3rd round. Cardea Ladies v Peterborough Sports Ladies.

On a cold and damp afternoon, the biggest crowd of the season so far descended on the Nene Valley ground, to watch this eagerly awaited cup tie.
It was a tie where something would have to give, with both teams undefeated so far this season and a quarter final spot up for grabs, it’s no wonder one team had been trying to boost up their squad in the build up.
After a minutes silence where both teams and spectators showed their respect, it was finally down to business as the whistle got the game underway.
After a slow start caused by Cardea’s entire ball collection failing the referees inflation test, as well as the PSL team having forgotten the no jewellery rule, both teams approached the first 10 minutes at a cautious pace.
From the first Cardea attack, it was clear to see what the PSL tactic was going to be, with a wall of defenders setting up camp across the PSL area, looking for the quick long ball up field to their solitary attacker.
It was a tactic that would disrupt the usual free flowing football that the Cardea ladies like to play and one that would frustrate us throughout most of the first half. Wave after wave of Cardea attack failed to penetrate the PSL defence, which at times was made up of at least 8 across the back line, a solid wall of green.
Pollard’s reputation for putting the ball into the opposing net, resulted in her being swamped every time she received the ball by at least 3 green shirts and a man to man marker and even our prolific striker was struggling to find a way through.
The Cardea team continued to push forward, our midfield,controlling the pace of what was becoming a scrappy game with us being forced to play far below our normal standard against the PSL tactics. Our wide players, Olivia and Titch, caused the PSL defence problems, but again with the amount of green shirts in the PSL box they too failed to find the perfect delivery into the box.
With Helen commanding the middle of the park, telling everybody to calm down their play, Cardea began to hold onto the ball more and any early panic started to settle as we got more of a grip on the game.
With the first 33 minute period over and frustration showing on the Cardea play, the game needed a moment of magic to ignite the tie. After another Cardea attack was ended by a reckless tackle on the edge of the PSL box, it was to be the moment we had been waiting for.
Pollard took charge of the ball, placing it gently and precisley onto a perfect tuft of grass just outside the PSL 18 yard line, before making her way into the crowded box, leaving Sof, our very own ‘David Beckham’ to step up and bend the perfect free kick over the PSL wall and into the top corner of the net to give us a well deserved lead.
With the deadlock broken, the Cardea team continued where they had left off, attacking a wall of Green shirts, hungry for a second goal.
PSL themselves appeared to have suddenly awoken and pushed forward themselves on several occasions looking for a quick response. Good news for Cardea, was that the only thing quicker than the PSL counter attack, was the speed of the Cardea back three in Maisie, Laura and Mia who soaked up everything PSL could throw at them.
As the game once again settled into the same format of the Cardea attack knocking on the PSL wall of defenders, it looked like we would go into half time at a disappointing 1-0. However, it was to be a second moment of magic on 41 minutes that would take us into the break with a 2-0 lead.
Ruddy collected the ball from a poor PSL clearence and fed it through to the feet of Pollard who appeared to have nowhere to go with two PSL defenders velcroed to the back of her shirt. With a perfect flick over her head, and a quick turn to lose her markers, our number 7 found herself where she loves to be, one on one with the goalie who had no chance to stop the perfect finish, 2-0.
As the second half whistle got the game underway again, it was immediatley clear that PSL had changed their tactics and were now in a far more attacking formation, a tactic that would cost them dearly as it allowed the Cardea team to open up the play and begin to play the game their way.
Whereas before we had tried to batter our way through the ‘great wall’, now we were free to spread the ball around freely, opening up the PSL defence time after time with precision balls through to our attack.
PSL tried to counter attack but only appeared to have the same tactic as before with the long balls forward which were dealt with time after time by the Cardea defence.
It was a much more dominant Cardea who would again make the first break through of the second half at 51 minutes. After further Cardea pressure, PSL conceeded the first corner of the second period and up stepped Georgie to take charge of the cross.
Not to be outdone by the magic of her team mates, the mighty Elsom decided to perfom a little trick of her own by swinging in the perfect corner straight into the PSL net, 3-0.
It was to be the moment that would open the floodgates for the Cardea attack to get back to business, cutting open the PSL defence again and again and seeing further goals from Pollard on 57 minutes with her second (Georgie assist), a poachers goal from Brooke on 61 minutes and captain Ruddy smashing a 6th seven minutes later on 68 minutes ( assist by Brooke), to make it 6-0.
A rare mix up between the Cardea defence and goalie Poppy, allowed a loose ball to be collected by the PSL striker for a late concellation goal to make the final score 6-1 to Cardea who will now take on Eaton Socon ladies in the last 8.
Overall, not the tidiest Cardea display that we will see this season, but one where we showed we could adapt to the opponents tactical set up and where we just had to be patient.
No player of the match as it was an excellent team performance by everybody.