Cosford v AFC TELFORD UNITED LADIES

Match: December 5th, 2004

Well you can rip up the form book when it comes to a local derby, especially when the teams playing are AFC Telford United Ladies and Cosford Ladies. It was always going to be neither here nor there that the teams are at opposite ends of the division, and so it proved, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw.

Telford took control in the first half with both Kerry Walker and Debra Slater having numerous chances to put their side ahead, but they just couldn't seem to get the ball in the back of the net. The visitors looked the stronger side but rode their luck on occasions, allowing Cosford to get shots in, which thankfully they fired well wide.

Telford took a deserved lead, albeit through a Cosford player deflecting Vicky Harper’s corner into her own net.

It seemed as though the floodgates would open now as the creative Steph Walker on the left appeared to have the measure of the excellent Isha Al-Sadek and sent some intelligent balls forward to K. Walker, who terrorized the defence but could not dig out the end result.

Skipper Jackson would surely have scored two screamers had it not been for the heroics of Jess Lucas in the Cosford goal who stayed calm and palmed away both efforts. S. Walker was also thwarted by the keeper when she hit a hard shot goal wards from the edge of the area. Telford later named Lucas their Player of the Match.

Half time

After the break Telford still looked the most likely to score, with Harper and Jackson pulling all of the midfield strings, but it was Cosford who equalised through Al-Sadek. She foxed the defence, who were completely caught out by her cutting inside and running through them. Sarah Martin, who had a quiet afternoon after the goal, could do nothing to prevent the No.7. striking the ball home.

Slater and K. Walker had a frustrating afternoon, both were supplied excellently by the midfield but either shot wide or found Lucas in sparkling form. Telford changed tactics, swapping a defender for another attacker to try to force the winner.

Stacey Aitken Best immediately set up Jackson who launched a rocket of a shot over the bar.

Cosford never really looked like they would score again, but Telford should have punished the home side for their defensive errors, and failure to do so meant that they took home only a point instead of the three that were on offer.

Final score

Cosford 1–1 AFC TELFORD UNITED

AFC Telford United

1. Sarah Martin, 2. Sam Rodway, 3. Dani Petrovic, 4. Jess Sarges, 5. Vicky Harper, 6. Lisa Cleary, 7. Kerry Walker, 8. Debra Slater, 9. Linzi Brown, 10. Lisa Jackson, 11. Steph Walker.
Subs: Nikki Mason, Cheb McGivern, Jodie Williams, Stacey Aitken Best.