Batley get their first WIN of the season!

This week we actually managed to get some subs!!! So 13 of us met up at home, ready to take on an incredibly young looking Leeds Uni 6. I mean young, these guys made us all feel old, especially when they were playing hip hop I the changing rooms.

We welcomed Mel back to the team, Mel has joined us from Dewsbury (who apparently have so many players that they have to drop people. It’s an alien concept that I don’t really understand, but it’s working out well for us!!)

We expected that they would be fit and fast, they'd probably run rings round us. I’m pretty sure they expected that too.

The match started much as we expected, Leeds Uni were fast and using that to their advantage. there were strong to start with and got a few quick balls into our D. Our defence were on form though and kept any attacks at bay.

We made some strong attacks back, taking advantage of loose balls and making strong tackles on Leeds Uni. We played our game well and stopped Leeds Uni from playing the way they wanted too. Soon their frustration was showing.

Our first short corner was terrible, Newby was injecting and a miss-hit meant it was so slow it didn’t make it out of the D. Janna did a great job of picking it up, but the poor start meant we couldn’t make anything of it.

Leeds attack after this was quick and Batley had to get back and defend well in order to keep it out. We did well, just keeping a threatening shot at bay. Helen was on top of her game and her excellent keeping along with the great defenders was frustrating Leeds Uni all the more.

This was soon followed up a second short corner however, that was injected quickly and accurately, Tina received and after a scuffle with the defence put a clean flick that landed sweetly in the top left corner of the Leeds Uni net our first GOAL and Batley were 1-0 up!

It was 1-0 at half time, we were really pleased with our play in the first half, but were worried that we would tire before Leeds Uni did. We knew we needed to get an early goal in the second half, to keep the pressure off at the end of the game when we tired.

The beginning of the second half was similar to the beginning of the first, Leeds Uni came out strong, we found ourselves facing some short corners and some strong initial attacks. Helen and Mel kept our clean sheet with some great tackles.

We kept up our attack, keen to get another goal and give ourselves some breathing room. We won more short corners and eventually it was one of these that allowed Tina to hit a clean shot straight into the bottom corner of the GOAL 2-0 to Batley.

Leeds Uni were strong in the latter minutes of the game, and we found ourselves facing more short corners and defending more, but we were still getting some attacks through too. We kept our clean sheet right through to the end and the game finished 2-0.

Mel got MOM for her great game in defence, there were lots people mentioned in the votes, a sign of a great game by everyone on the team! We are really proud of our performance.

Next week, we have Driffield away, a match we have never managed to get a full team for all the time I’ve played for Batley - however, we already have 11 people who can play! The signs are looking good!!

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