Wotton Rovers 2 v 1 Westbury Park Foxes

Title hopes dashed in harsh defeat!

After a return to football and a win last week it was make or break time for the Foxes as they headed up to Wotton, knowing that only a victory would be good enough to keep the title hope alive.

The small sloping pitch, and even smaller goals clearly did not suit either side. The Foxes started down the hill, and had to maintain shape and stay organised as Wotton enjoyed the early territorial advantage.
The Foxes soon grew into the game and started to attack the narrow flanks, with good runs from Ella and Mara, supported by Emily and Rhi.
Zoe's attempts to find space worked well going forward, but the Foxes were guilty of surrendering the midfield to the dangerous Wotton pairing.
Worryingly the  Foxes were forced into an early change as Emily suffered a hamstring injury, with the versatile Milly joining the defence.
The steadily improving Foxes started to open up the home team and a well worked play down the right caused panic in the home defence. The defender handled the cross and Zoe stepped up to smash home the resulting penalty. 1-0 and the Foxes were deservedly ahead.
Further injury problems for the Foxes meant Ella had to come off, with Lauren coming on to the left and Mara switching flanks.
The Foxes rode the inevitable Wotton pressure, before a breakaway saw Sim charging towards the box only to be cynically felled by the defender, resulting a further injury and substitution.
The 3 enforced changes and subsequent positional rearrangements were always going to be difficult to cope with against such strong opposition, and Wotton showed intent as they played the striker in and only a world class save from the Foxes keeper, diving right prevented the equaliser.
Having indicated that the half was in the final minute, it came as a surprise when play was allowed to continue and Wotton mounted a further attack that this time the Foxes were powerless to repel.
So 1-1 at the break, and time to reorganise!
Needing to win the ball in midfield, the Foxes removed a wide player and pushed Milly into central midfield.  The Foxes played out a superb half of determined football, unleashing wave after wave of attacks up the hill, only to be thwarted repeatedly by the quagmire on the edge of the box, causing strikers to lose footing just as they were ready to hit the ball. A rare Wotton attack resulted in a corner and eventual heartbreak for the Foxes as the ball ballooned skywards off a boot and rebounded off the body of a Wotton player over the goal line!
The Foxes never gave up with Emily and Mara tirelessly feeding Zoe down the left, Rhiannon charging down the right, Milly scrapping for everything in the middle and Amelia and Lulu stopping any breakaway by the home side in their tracks.
Sadly all the endeavour was in vain. Wotton will win the league, and are a strong team, but the result today was harsh on the Foxes, who deserved at least a point from a game they dominated for long periods.
All of the coaches heaped praise on a team that had left everything on the pitch, but had not had the luck they deserved.
Focus next week turns to the Cup, before a return to the congested league fixtures. On this form though there is still a pastry laden buffet spot with our name on it!

Captain of the Week : Rhiannon

Girls of the Game: All of them!