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Hibs - Musselburgh Windsor
Match Report - 10th Sept 2006
Hibs Girls lined up in their first home game of the season against one of their local rivals in Musselburgh Windsor Girls. This top of the table clash was on a beautiful Sunday Autumn morning at St. Augustine's School, Edinburgh.
The match started with both teams determined to remain at the top of the League. For the first 15 - 20 minutes, Hibs Girls were kept fully extended by a very powerful and energetic Musselburgh Winsdor outfit. The match swung from end to end in an exciting and fiercly fought match with both teams very evenly balanced and chances being created at both ends.
It was Musselburgh Windsor who opened the scoring with a strong 10 yard shot from the left hand side of the box after some very scrappy defending from Hibs. At this point Musselburgh Windsor were proving to be a real handful for Hibs but the girls seemed to realise if they didn't do something the game would move beyond them. They moved up a gear and really took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Emma Gray was causing problems for Musselburgh on the left side and Nikki Burns was putting the central defenders under intense pressure from the through balls being provided by the midfield. Mariel was making a good contribution on the right flank and Jinky , Claire Mooney and Lisa Yarwood together with Danni Diey started to get things together in midfield. Bex Moore was outstanding at right centre back and Coral and Megan were holding their own under some intense pressure at times from the Musselburgh attack.
It was no surprise to anyone when Lisa Yarwood scored the goal of the season so far from 25 yards out with her right foot. It screamed into the top right corner of the net giving the goalkeeper absolutely no chance! Hibs were now well and truly in the game and both Emma Gray and Nikki Burns had chances to extend our lead shortly afterwards. Musselburgh Windsor were not out of things though and hit the top of the bar just before half time with a deflected shot which beat Michelle Beech in the Hibs goal.
At half time it was 1 - 1 and the game was fairly evenly balanced.
In the second half Laura Connolly came on at right centre back with Bex Moore moving to left centre back and Megan Turnbull being withdrawn. Hibs went straight into the attack and started to move the ball about a bit better and with a bit more confidence than they had done in the first half. Musselburgh Windsor were determined not be be outfought and were still giving everything to try and win this intense and finely balanced match between two very committed teams. No quarter was being given as both teams fought for the second goal.
Jinky , Claire and Lisa were starting to play the ball round and Mariel , Emma and Nikki were causing Musselburgh Windsor real problems now. The girls were very determined to win this game and when Lisa Yarwood took possession of the ball about 25 yards out, she moved the ball from one foot to the other and at the same time ghosted past a Musselburgh defender and hit an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box to put Hibs 2 - 1 ahead.
Danni, Emma and Lisa were linking well on the left side and Laura Connolly was linking well since she came on with Jinky, Claire and Mariel as our girls went for the kill. Claire Mooney then had a tremendous run from the central midfield moving past two Musselburgh players before striking a tremendous shot from 20 yards which the goalkeeper done well to keep out. Emma Gray was then put clean through on goal by our midfield bur unfortunately hit the bar from about 6 yards with the Musselburgh goalkeeper beaten.
Emma then had another chance having used her fantastic pace to get behind the Musselburgh defence but missed from around 3 yards . Hibs were now in complete control with Musselburgh unable to get out of their own half. Nikki Burns was working extremely hard and nearly scored from close range but the ball just slipped past the right hand post. Lisa Yarwood then struck a shot from fully 20 yards but the goalkeeper managed to get a hand to it and push it round the post when it seemed certain to become Lisa's well deserved hatrick. Jinky then picked up the ball about 30 yards out and moved passed two Musselburgh players to hit a shot from 20 yards but again the goalkeeper saved.
At this stage of the game Hibs could and should have put the game well out of the reach of Musselburgh Winsor. However, they just could not seem to get the third goal which they richly deserved and would have put the game beyond a very capable Musselburgh side. Musselburgh, although visibly tiring and having lost their captain after a 50 - 50 tackle with Lisa Yarwood, were still in the game.
Hibs started to give away needless free kicks and as a result were having to defend a bit further back than they really needed to. In the last minute , Hibs conceded a free kick outside our box on the right hand side and , knowing that this was their last chance , Musselburgh threw everything at the Hibs defence as the ball came into the six yard area. The ball took a deflection off a Hibs player who was trying to clear the danger for her team but cruelly ended up in the back of the Hibs net. The game ended 2 - 2 and was a credit to both teams.
Musselburgh Windsor never gave up all morning and Hibs Girls, although the better team throughout the second half, just could not get that elusive third goal which would have ended the match as a contest. Credit must go to both sets of girls who played out a very exciting, often nailbiting, game of football today. It is likely both these teams will win more games this season than they will lose.