COUNTY BLOWN OFF COURSE
TRANMERE ROVERS 1 COUNTY 3
After last weekend's disappointing defeat to Lincoln the first team travelled to Merseyside hoping to get back to winning ways against Tranmere Rovers.
It was the Stockport side who hit the netting first and they didn't have to wait long for their opening goal. It came after only four minutes when Kerry Jackson played a pin-point pass to Chloe Spencer out on the left flank. After out pacing her marker Spencer then played a powerful low cross into the Tranmere area which Keeleigh Savage met at the front post six yards out and fired it into the goal with the inside of her left foot.
The home side didn't let their heads drop, though, and on 15 minutes they pulled themselves level. After some good passing play down their left side the ball ended up in the County goal with an accurate left foot shot into the bottom corner.
23 minutes into the game and County were forced to make their first substitution when left winger Chloe Spencer had to go off with an injury. Abbie Wynn was brought on to play in midfield and Pheonix Chow took up position on the left wing.
Chow didn't take long to get in on the action down the flank either when she made a strong run and put a good cross into the area which nearly led to a second goal for the away side.
On 34 minutes County forward Jane Fox, who was making her first start of the season after injury, got through on goal and hit a shot from the edge of the area but the Tranmere keeper got behind it and collected it well.
Five minutes before the break the away side did manage to get the ball into their opponent's goal again from a corner but the referee disallowed it because of pushing in the area.
On the hour County had their second disallowed goal of the evening when Krystle Johnson broke through the Tranmere defence, rounded the keeper and placed the ball into an empty net but the referee adjudged a County player to have been offside and in an active position so the goal didn't stand.
Two minutes later County went close again when Savage got onto the end of a cross only to see her header go just wide.
63 minutes in and the Hatters made their final substitutions of the game. Caroline Price came on to replace Phoenix Chow and Rachel Pearce came on to replace Jane Fox.
Five minutes later County went 2-1 up. Krystle Johnson put a quality cross in from the left wing to Kerry Jackson at the back post. Jackson calmly brought the ball under control and placed it low into the far corner of the home side's goal.
With 10 minutes remaining Rovers nearly brought the scores back level when a cross from their right nearly went in at the back post but County keeper Sian Payne got her hand to it and diverted it away to safety.
Five minutes from time County went 3-1 up when Keeleigh Savage got up for a header outside the Tranmere area and nodded it on into the path of the on running Sarah Howden who got herself to the ball just before the outrunning Rovers keeper and calmly slotted it into the goal to make the game as good as won for the visitors.
County Squad: Payne, Clarke, Howden Harrop, Johnson, Doig, Jackson, Chow, Spencer, Savage, Fox, Price, Pearce, Wynn.
COUNTY 1 NOTTS FOREST 2
With a very strong wind blowing from one end of the pitch to the other the side that played with the wind behind them would have a big advantage.
It was Forest who had this advantage in the first part of the game and the home side found it difficult to get the ball out of their own half and they spent most of that period camped out on the edge of their own penalty area.
The visitors played a fast moving and an accurate passing game and County were struggling to keep them at bay.
Forest could quite easily have been two up after only a couple of minutes and County were happy to see two long-range shots just miss the goal. One went just wide and the other rebounded off the crossbar.
The visitors were using the wind to their advantage and were shooting on site and it wasn't until 15 minutes into the game that County had their first attack that finished with a shot on goal by Caroline Price.
On 23 minutes the Hatters went a goal behind when they failed to clear their lines on the edge of their area. Forest striker Andi Bell collected the ball and sent a low, powerful shot curling into the far corner of the County goal.
The rest of the first half was played out with the visitors having most of the play and with them creating more long range goal scoring opportunities and after about 30 minutes County were forced to make a substitution when defender Claire Harrop had to go off with injury and was replaced by Chloe Spencer. The home sides defence held on to the break and the Hatters walked off happy that they were only one goal down.
The home side went out for the second half knowing that the wind would now be in their favour and hoping that they would be able to create some chances.
Only three minutes after the re-start, though, they fell further behind when the Forest attack broke quickly and went 2-0 up.
After this the Ladies started to create chances and they started to get the ball wide and put in some good crosses and have some shots on goal. On the hour mark County's Chloe Spencer broke down the right flank and hit a shot over the keeper's head only to see it rebound off the Forest bar.
78 minutes in and Stockport made their second substitution with Jane Fox coming on to replace Abbey Wynn.
On 80 minutes County pulled one back. They won themselves a corner on their left and Krystle Johnson played a quality ball into the area that County striker Keeleigh Savage met with her head and fired it into the Forest goal to bring the score line back to 1-2.
With time running out though the home side weren't able to find another goal and the game ended with the visitors winning by two goals to one.
County Squad: Payne, Pearce, Harrop, Jackson, Howden, Doig, Higginson, Wynn, Johnson, Savage, Price, Fox, Spencer, Sloane, Cummins.
UNDER-16s
The Cheshire League Under-16s side had an excellent 9-3 win over Frodsham Rangers. Goalscorers were Sophie Williams (3) Carla Yates (2) Chantelle Kelly, Cheryl Burns, Lianne Clarke plus an OG.
UNDER-14s
Sophie Acton scored twice in the Under-14s 4-1 away win at Deans Sports.Tiree Vallance and Cory Fritz also scored. Player of the Match was Abby Cooke.
UNDER-13s
Another fine performance gave the Under-13s a 7 - 0 win over a very determined Hillgate Blues team. Player of the Match Kirsty Ward bagged four for the second game in a row, with Lauren Thorneycroft (2) and Millie Turner completing the scoring.
UNDER-11s
The Under-11s lost 7-2 to Hough End.Scorers were Chloe Ankers, Bethany Clark and the Player of the Match was Lucy Kilheeney
