After again missing out on matches last week due to weather Gornal Ladies had a home 2nd round cup tie against Bilbrook Ladies Reserves.
It was a very lack lustre display from Gornal and it seemed that Christmas had been celebrated early with a lot of passing going astray and the players not making their normal runs to find space.
After a couple of attempts on goal from each side Bilbrook took the lead after just 4 minutes.The ball was lofted forward to the excellent Bilbrook No 11 who was tackled in the middle of the park with the ball running towards Gornals penalty area. Gornal keeper Brough chose to not come out for it allowing the Bilbrook number 11 to take a shot which flew over the retreating keepers hands.
Gornal replied after 5 minutes of play. A kick out of the keepers hands found Letford lying deeper in midfield. She cotrolled the ball a defence splitting pass to Moore who reaced through beating the offside trap and hit a half volley over the keepers head.
Gornal then took the lead with another swift move started from a throw in by C Brookes deep in Gornal HalF finding striker Letford who had dropped into midfield to collect the ball. She turned and fed her fellow forward Moore just over the halfway line who played a diagonal ball through to winger Dixon cutting in from the left wing. Dixon cut inside the two Bilbrook covering defenders and then unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top left corner from 8 yards out.
Gornal began to take advantage of Bilbrooks intention to defend deep with numbers behind the ball and had the majority of possession but the usual quality of passing was absent with many attacks breaking down. Another move down the left saw Moore and Dixon link up down the left with Dixon out pacing the Bilbrook right back and delivering a cross into the advancing Letford on the edge of the six yard box. Whilst everyone expected a goal Letford scuffed her left foot shot and the keeper gratefully collected the ball.
A quick throw from Moore released Dixon down the left but she pulled her left foot shot across the keeper and wide of the post.
After a spell of concerted Gornal pressure a ball out from right back Linney was mis controlled allowing the Bilbrook right winger to take a shot at goal which Brough saved on the line at the second attempt.
5 minutes later a ball played behind the Gornal centre halves was latched onto by Bilbrook number 11 who fed the ball out to the right for the number 7 to slot past Brough bringing the scores level again.
Gornal continued to dominate possession but Bilbrook looked dangerous on the break relying on the pace of their two forwards.
Bilbrooks winger did manage to get behind the Gornal defence on the right hand side and the ball was put across the goal line evading keeper Brough in the process without a Bilbrook striker being able to get onto what would have been a simple tap in…. a massive let off!
The third Gornal goal came 11 minutes before half time when Arrowsmith collected the ball in the centre circle and played the ball in to Letford who turned her marker and sprinted past the covering defenders before finishing emphatically with a powerful right footed shot into the top left corner giving the Bilbrook keeper no chance.
The final minutes of the half saw Gornal seeking a fourth goal but too often being caught by Bilbrooks offside trap.
At half time the returning Hutchinson replaced Brough in goal for her first action of the season after recovering from a knee operation.
Gornal kicked off the second. Bilbrook were content to defend even deeper denying Gornal space to work and hoping to get a quick break to score an equaliser which could have happened on a couple of occasions. Gornal seemed to be unable to replicate their controlled possesion and accurate passing of previous weeks and many of the balls played behind the defence were cleared by the Bilbrook keeper.
The final goal which sealed the result came 5 minutes from time. A low corner taken by Arrowsmith was swung into the six yard box and evaded attackers, defenders and keeper to nestled in the back of the net.
This was a far from convincing display by Gornal and has to be put down as ‘a bad day at the office’.
Next Sunday Gornal recommence their chase of the league title with a home fixture against Birch Coppice Ladies.