This round one of the FA WPL cup fixture was played in the Sir Tom Finney stadium, home of Bamber Bridge FC. Despite the Lancashire drizzle the team were warmly met, and the pitch condition was excellent. With Blackburn sitting 2nd top one league above Barnsley in FA WPL Northern Division and with some of the highest possession stats, this was going to be a tough game, one though that the Ladies were up for as they prepared for kick off.
Barnsley FC Ladies in Red tops and Black shorts kicked off, however were quickly into defensive formation as Blackburn Rovers Ladies, in Blue and White, passed crisply pressing first down one wing channel then back and across to the other wing channel trying to fashion an early opening, as Barnsley crabbed across and held firm.
4 mins gone Blackburn slid a ball through into the right wing corner for No15 to break onto, but Darcie Greene was equal to it, racing back to make a clean sliding tackle just inside the penalty area and out for a corner, from which Abby Parkin strongly headed clear.
Another Blackburn corner after 7 mins was cleared, but played back down the left wing, where Emily Ward made the tackle and Barnsley broke forward with Drew Greene and then Rebecca Fevers playing a ball to Demi Pringle who was flagged for coming from an offside position to receive it.
17mins gone the defensive training drills were showing as Barnsley midfield and defence stayed disciplined preventing any chances on the Barnsley goal. It was only after 18 mins that the Blackburn No9 managed to bumble through 2 challenges from Lucy Turner and Georgina Wilson on the edge of the penalty area to get a weak shot away which Georgia Wattam gathered easily.
19 mins Barnsley conceded a corner on the left which was swung into the centre of the goal area and under pressure Abby Parkin managed to head over her own crossbar.
Georgina Wilson tracked the run of No9 forcing here into the corner but from the conceded corner the Barnsley clearance fell just outside the penalty area to Blackburn No12 who hit her shot well wide. She then tried another long shot after 23 mins that skittered off the surface wide with Georgia Wattam diving to cover her goal just in case.
Blackburn were being forced to play in front of Barnsley and after 24 mins when they tried a cross field ball over the top into the right wing channel Darcie Greene showed good shoulder strength to compete and come away with the ball, trying to release Holly Findlay, but Blackburn were also strong defensively and quickly won the ball back to start attacking Barnsley again.
32 mins Drew Greene and Emily Ward managed to make some progress down the right wing to win a Barnsley throw in the Blackburn half, from which Blackburn pinched the ball to set up an attack down the right wing all the way to the goal line. Darcie Greene dived across to try and prevent the cross which was hit low and went straight through the goal area without anyone able to make contact.
35 mins another Blackburn long range shot was caught by Georgia Wattam.
40 mins Rebecca Fevers won the ball just inside the Blackburn half, she played into Demi Pringle who found Drew Greene, then back to Rebecca Fevers again, but her pass through fell to a Blackburn player who set up an attack down their right wing. This was broken up by Holly Findlay just managing to get her toe to the ball to dislodge it out to Darcie Greene, breaking forward she released Rebecca Fevers who was quickly closed down, but encouraging that Barnsley were getting small opportunities to start to attack.
41 min gone Lucy Turner received the ball from Georgia Wattam centrally, not being challenged she stepped up into the midfield before hitting the ball over the top for Demi Pringle to race on and shoot into the net as the whistle went for offside as she was deemed to have come from an offside position before getting onside and running after Lucy’s pass. Goal disallowed.
45 mins gone Blackburn attached down their left wing pulling Lucy Turner into the left channel. When they switched play inside they tried to thread a central ball, but Emily Ward had the speed to get there first and won a free kick in the process. Georgia Wattam took the kick towards Rebecca Fevers who was bumped heavily from behind with Blackburn commencing an attack again down the left wing which was again defended by Lucy Turner and Emily Ward, however the ball was played to the edge of the area and hit strongly goal ward. Georgia Wattam was well place but the shot thudded off her chest and despite quick reactions by Georgina Wilson the Blackburn No9 (Saffron Jordon) managed to toe poke into the open goal from 4 yards out. A cruel end to a half where Barnsley had defended resolutely for long periods with hardly any possession of the ball. 1-0 Blackburn Rovers Ladies at half-time.
Barnsley started the 2nd half lively from the kick off with Holly Findlay breaking through the centre midfield before releasing Drew Greene down the left wing to cross centrally just out of reach of the Demi Pringle as she tried to get into the penalty area. Then from a poor Blackburn goal kick, Drew Greene picked up the ball and played it centrally to Demi Pringle, she was quickly under pressure from the Blackburn defence and the ball was cleared up field with Lucy Turner having to be quick to slide across the attacker to concede a corner as Blackburn broke quickly. Georgia Wattam safely caught the corner ball as it swung into the goal area.
49 mins gone Holly Findlay cushioned a header into the path of Rebecca Fevers, she threaded a ball through to the right wing channel where Drew Greene completed with the Blackburn left back who managed win and clear.
52nd minute Demi Pringle was awarded a free kick inside the Blackburn half centre circle. Danielle Lowe crossed toward the left hand post but it was cleared by a strong Blackburn header.
57 mins Demi Pringle burst out through the centre of midfield, but found herself the middle of a Blackburn defensive sandwich, still managing to get a toe to the ball for a shot but it went wide of the goal.
60 mins Blackburn attacked but the final shot went wide of the Barnsley goal, then Barnsley were a little too eager to restart with Georgia Wattam’s goal kick sent straight back into the danger area by the Blackburn midfield to the feet of No9 and despite pressure from Lucy Turner and Emily Ward trying to recover their defensive positions, she slipped the ball into the path of the Blackburn sub Faye McCoy to score into the right side of the Barnsley goal as Georgia Wattam covered her near post. 2-0 Blackburn.
Time for changes after 61 mins with Rebecca Fevers, Demi Pringle and Emily Ward withdrawn replaced by Nikki Hogg, Amy Woodruff and Anna Cairns. Abby Parkin went to right back and Darcie Greene encouraged to join with the midfield more as Barnsley now pressed for a goal. But before they could settle on 63 mins Blackburn attacked through the centre and threaded a ball into the right side of the goal area into the path of No 9 Saffron Jordon. Georgia Wattam was quickly off her line and bravely down at her feet, but Saffron slipped the ball passed her towards near post where despite quick covering by Abby Parkin on the goal line it squeezed into the goal, Georgia receiving a boot to the shoulder for her efforts which took a few minutes physio to recover from.
73 mins gone Blackburn continued to pass the ball from side to side in front of the Barnsley defence before unleashing a 20 yard shot which Georgia Wattam diving to her right smartly pushed out for a corner.
74 mins Drew Green burst through and linked up with Holly, with Anna Cairns to her right she sent a through a ball to release Amy Woodruff, but she was fouled before she could threaten. From the free kick Nikki Hogg crossed into the goal area, however the Blackburn goal keeper commanded her area and caught it.
78 mins a cross field pass from Blackburn released their left winger, she took on Abby Parkin and when she was unable to get past, played back into midfield from where an 18 yard long shot was hit goal wards which was saved again by Georgia Wattam diving to her right this time.
85 min another long range effort on the Barnsley goal from 25 yard by the Blackburn No 16 was more routinely saved by Georgia Wattam.
88th min Barnsley throw released Drew down the right wing channel, this time she managed to get around the Blackburn left back to bear down on the Blackburn penalty area, but her cross was gathered by the Blackburn Keeper.
Final score 3-0 Blackburn Rovers Ladies, but Barnsley FC Ladies can be proud of their performance, because there were long periods of the match where they we forced to defend, which they did in a very concentrated, disciplined way as a full unit, limiting Blackburn to long range efforts. The experience gained should help the team going forward and with improved pass completion when the rare breaks Barnsley come, this should help relieve some of the relentless pressure that they had absorbed in this game. Georgia Wattam was named by Blackburn as opposition player of the match with Darcie Greene named Barnsley FC Ladies player of the match.
Back to the league next weekend with the visit of Chorley Ladies to Oakwell, All welcome to come and support as The Red’s seek their first league points.