19thsept05G

Hard fought point sends Fleet flying into third place

Gravesend & Northfleet Ladies played their first home game of the new season yesterday at AEI Sports and Social club against a high-flying Whitehawk Ladies team, who have started the season well with two high scoring wins, writes Stephen McCartney.

Whitehawk ladies started the more brightly of the two teams, and applied some early pressure onto Gravesend who took a while to settle into the game, finding Whitehawk’s physical style of play, with the long ball over the top, difficult to play against.

The opposition worked hard and physically as a team, which disrupted Gravesend’s usual neat passing game and enabled them to dominate play for periods of the game.

From this they took the early advantage, when another long ball was half-cleared by a home defender and a Whitehawk striker powered a shot in the bottom corner from edge of the box giving Gravesend keeper Tania Law no chance.

Gravesend & Northfleet slowly worked their way into the game, and gave the Whitehawk defence something to think about just before half-time with good runs by the hard working wingers Zoe Morrell and Becky Merritt, which resulted in the series of corners which the Kent side were unlucky not to equalise, as Whitehawk were panicked in to some scrappy and at times desperate defending.

After a few words from manager Valter Antunes, the Fleet came out determined to put things right and to get that all important goal, which they did from the whistle.

With much improved passing and movement and dogged determination the home side continued to grow in confidence and strength and produced some great football in the second half.

The Gravesend & Northfleet midfield were now controlling the pace of the game, and it was a pinpoint pass from Lorraine Grinyer that found striker Melissa Bishop in space, which allowed her to power down the wing and whip in a pacey cross for her strike partner Jade McDermott to expertly place in the corner of the net pass a static Whitehawk keeper.

Overall it was a very well-deserved 1-1 draw for Gravesend & Northfleet ladies, pushing them up the table into third position but with the same league points as the team above.

Gravesend now look forward to their FA Cup 2^nd round match with Oxford-based team Carterton LFC, next Sunday, which kicks off at 2pm at the AEI Sports & Social Club in Gravesend.  All support will be thoroughly welcomed.

The Fleet Ladies team are currently seeking an experienced goalkeeper, and centre back to enhance their squad and a linesman/woman to help out on home games, qualification not essential but experience would be good. Please contact the club for more details.

For further details on the team please use any of the following contact methods. Club website: www.intheteam.com/gravesendladiesfc - Club contact Tina ladies section: 07732 148011 - Club Email: spryamanda@aol.com. 

Club sponsors this season are S.E.A Limited, Secure Electronics Applications Ltd who are a local company specialising in access control and warden call systems and Accord Lift Services who specialise in the installation, maintenance, restoration and repair of all types of lifts.