Guiseley ladies travelled down to Barnsley, hoping to bounce back from the 5-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town last week
Due to injuries, illnesses and the capital one cup final, the ladies found themselves down to only 11 players on the day. Despite this, the ladies were positive and ready to work hard and set up in a fantastic attacking formation of 3-4-3. Faye shipman made her return to guiseley after a spell at vixens playing upfront with Rachel white and Caroline Hulme. Jamie Leigh smith returned to the team in centre midfield with Alarna fuller. Polly fildes and Julie Richardson took up with wing back roles with a back 3 of Caroline Cropp, Katie Matthews and alannah jones. Due to keeper Erin Boswell being ill, Katie Jesson stepped up and went in goal.
The game started off pretty scrappy with both teams struggling to play the ball about and create any chances. Both fuller and JLS were battling hard in the middle against their play makers and the back 3 stopped the strikers from getting any clear chances on goal.
Guiseley had a couple of chances though getting the ball out wide and playing in Caz Hulme whose shots were saved by the Barnsley keeper. Shipman and white worked tirelessly to stop the defence and the Barnsley playmaker getting into the game.
Half-time 0-0
With a change in formation which involved white moving into a more of a midfield role, guiseley started to test Barnsley in the 2nd half.
After a spell of good play, Barnsley won a corner, the ladies cleared it but unfortunately fell to the feet of a Barnsley player who fired the ball into the back of the net.
1-0 Barnsley
The ladies were determined to not let this set back get to them. Another Barnsley corner saw the ball get cleared to the feet of white, who took on 4 barnsley players and and over the to ball for Hulme to run onto to score
1-1
Guiseley started to play with confidence and fuller started to fire some superb balls out wide to the wing backs to create chances to try and grab the winner.
A blatent foul on striker caz hulme that wasnt awarded saw, Barnsley catch guiseley on the break and scored a 2nd. Again the girls came back at Barnsley determined and worked hard to try and get a 2nd goal. A quick throw in from fildes to shipman who laid it back to fildes,who knocked the ball over the top onto the path of Caz Hulme to score her 2nd with 10seconds to go!!!
Extra time
Extra time saw both teams battle with guiseley creating more and more chances breaking down the flanks trying to get the 3rd goal, with no joy.
2-2 full time
Penalties
Fuller stepped up first for the ladies and calmly slotted the ball home, In which Barnsley did the same. Captain Katie Matthews stepped up and fired her home. Barnsley then scored their 2nd. Top goal scorer Caz Hulme stepped up and fired her penalty home to which the referee made her take it again, 2nd time around the Barnsley keeper managed to get a hand onto it and saved the penalty. Barnsley then scored their 4th penalty, The pressure was on Richardson to keep the ladies in the shoot out who stepped up and fired a well hit penalty to which the Barnsley keeper dived the right way and made a superb save.
Man of the match was awarded to Rachel white for her endless work rate
Liam’s comments after the game were as follows
‘I personally cannot think of a time in my Coaching career where I have felt so much pride in a group of players.
Today’s game was your typical scrappy cup tie in the middle of winter, chances, mistakes, goals and passion and it was a tough test.
Losing on penalties is never easy to take, but for the greater good of the future of this Club, we achieved something more important than a semi-final place. We learned passion and work ethic is our strongest component, we learnt how together we actually are as a Football Family and we hopefully learnt how good we actually can be.
My challenge to the players now is to harness this, move forward with this, and with added quality every week to archive our expectations’
