After a couple of weekends of no fixtures with only the smooth artificial pitches for training , add to that the strong wind blowing down the pitch and being back on grass probably made this a tricky fixture. Following 10-0 Barnsley win last time it was a more determined and very spirited performance by Scunthorpe & Bottesford Ladies this result was a hard one to come away with.

Barnsley played the first half with the wind behind them, they looked lively attacking well down both wings but so many times the final ball was not good enough or found the gloves of the Scunthorpe & Bottesford Goal keeper and gratefully received. Darcie & Drew Greene both had the beating of their markers, Holly Findlay drifted across their defensive line and Kathryn Smith charged forward from the midfield, but the goal just didn’t come. Scunthorpe & Bottesford marked close, they tracked runs and worked hard for each other frustrating Barnsley who seemed to be forcing the play.

HT 0-0

At half time, Rebecca Fevers and Emily Ward were replaced for Laura Shepherd and Amy Woodruff, with a slight formation change, Holly Findlay moving to a left wing position, Amy through the middle and Darcie Greene dropping into a left wingback position, which as the half went on became more of a left midfield. The Barnsley back three of Rebecca Wilson, Georgina Wilson and Abby Parkin coped well with the Scunthorpe wind and forward threat. As the wind grew stronger many forward balls were blown too long into Bryony Hudson who apart from one shot which came back off the right hand upright was hardly threatened all afternoon.

Barnsley were though getting no time in the middle of the field, Kathryn Smith and Danielle Lowe receiving the ball to be quickly closed down by 2 or 3 Scunthorpe players, so it was down the wings that the opportunities were sought.
Best play of the half came when Rebecca Wilson found the feet of Holly Findlay on half way, she rolled the ball round her marker and into the path of the looping Darcie Greene. She drove to the corner before pulling it back to Holly Findlay, playing a lovely one-two on the edge of the area she drove towards the goal line before playing the ball across the box to Amy Woodruff whose shot beat the goal keeper, but not the despairing lunge from a defender covering back on the line. From the corner taken by Abby Parkin, Holly Findlay rose to head just the wrong side of the right hand upright. Barnsley were knocking on that door but it had the feeling this may not going to be their day.

Then on 85 mins Rebecca Wilson cleared strongly into the wind up into the midfield to Amy Woodruff, she played it out to Drew Greene and picked up the return pass at the edge of the penalty area, she had to be strong to hold off 2 defenders and hit a low shot into the bottom left hand of the corner. The relief was visible in the celebration that finally all their possession had seen reward.
Kathryn Smith was replaced for Rebecca Fevers as Barnsley continued to press forward making a couple of further chances as Scunthorpe tired, but nothing that was close to adding to the score.
Final Score 0-1, not one a classic Barnsley Ladies game but a win is a win and these days happen occasionally. It is the sign of a strong squad that when they do you find a way of coming home with the points.

FT 0-1