After winning the last three matches Harrogate Railway Ladies were in a great mood to take on the might of Sheffield Wednesday, a team well known for playing great football.
Railway certainly weren’t going to give Sheffield to much room to play and pressed hard from the start creating a shot on goal in the first four minutes from Louise Donnelley on the left, Sheffield hit back and very quickly and soon had a shot on goal only for the player of the match, Charllote (Rocky) Donnelly, to pull out the first of many great saves. Jade Holt, in mid field, won a tackle in the middle of the park she manged to play the ball out to the right for Emma Lansdall to get down the wing put a great cross into the box for Nicola Hadley to slot home, 1-0 to Railway.
This really lifted the Railway team even more and they piled on the pressure, Sheffield were rocking but unfortunately the red and greens were unable to finish three good chances in the next ten minutes. On the 24th minute Nicola was one on one with the keeper who bravely went for the loose ball unfortunately she landed badly and had to go off due to an injury received in the save.
The clock was stopped for 7 minutes’ while the keeper was taken off and a replacement was put in goal for Sheffield, this was not good for the Railway girls as the momentum had been lost and Sheffield took stock and after the restart they were the stronger looking team till the half time whistle.
At the break the railway ladies were told to keep it tight at the back keep passing the ball and most of all be aware that Sheffield were going to come out at full steam! Sure, enough the visitors meant business and within the first ten minutes’ railway never got out of their own half but thanks to Rocky and the back four they were kept from scoring.
Railway eventually got back in the game and managed to break through, but as in games before, they just weren’t calm enough to make the attempts on goal count.
On the 63rd minute Sheffield broke down the middle played a ball out to the right which was crossed in and a free player running into the box ducked her head to put the ball in railways net, 1-1.
Sheffield were now starting to dominate play and it was on the 75th minute when another cross came in from the left, Rails defence was back tracking and as the ball came in Rails full back jumped to clear with a header the ball hit the post, fell to the feet of the Sheffield striker who had a simple tap in 1-2.
As the game came to a close Railway pressed hard for an equalizer but it never came, the Railway ladies were unfortunate not to come away with any points as their performance was the best this season yet.