at the John Fretwell Centre
Notts Ladies League
Market Warsop Ladies (3) 6
OG 25, Kelly Clayton 31, Jodie Ellis 41, 52,
Stacy Bridge 69, Becky Braithwaite 79
Mansfield Town Ladies (Dev) (1) 2
Claire Burrows 28, Elizabeth Harris 89
Click here for a few more photos from this game
Emma Horsnall, Jenna Ellis, Stacey Bridge, Emma Potter, Gemma Hodgkinson, Shelley Marriott-Smith, Kelly Clayton, Marie Wayne, Tracey Marriott-Smith, Becky Braithwaite, Jodie Ellis
Rolling subs - Georgie Herring, Anji Cooper, Justine Turley
Mansfield Town:
Jay-Leanne Fenton, Charlotte Meads, Natasha Ingleby, Amy Scott, Charlotte Maxted, Elizabeth Harris, Chloe Elphick, Brigette Warrender, Claire Burrows, Nicky Flood, Kelly Crunston
Rolling subs - Saffron Ball-Jones, Lauren Steer, Kasie Coyle, Rebecca Wood
It did look at one point as though the promotion contenders were going to rack up an even bigger margin of victory that they actually did in the end, but if anything, they were possibly in a bit too much of a hurry to pile forward like a cavalry charge at times, which saw them 'spooning' one or two rushed chances over the bar; when in fact, they might have benefitted more from slowing the tempo down a bit around the Stags goalmouth and adopting a more patient approach, rather than shooting on sight at every given opportunity.
I think what I'm trying to say is, that although they are obviously a good side, in fact a very good one, from what I've seen today, they have the potential to be even better with just one or two minor tweaks, which will stand them in good stead when/if they go up to a higher division next season.
But don't take any notice of me, when all is said and done, I only have a limited knowledge on the subject of football... and my own personal tactical incisiveness and nous, stems from the fact that I recently read Johan Cruyff's autobiography 'My Turn'.
So keep on, keeping on ladies.
Shelley Marriott-Smith broke forward into the visitors area inside the first minute and tested Jay-Leanne Fenton, the visitors keeper, who saved with her feet.
Play switched to the other end and Brigette Warrender carried the ball through the right channel into the home side's last third, but planted her shot from twelve yards into the side netting.
Natasha Ingleby blocked Tracey Marriott-Smith's shot at the expense of a corner and then cleared (S) Marriott-Smith's header from Kelly Clayton's delivery off the goal line. Before denying the (S) Marriott Smith on the line again, when she latched onto the loose ball, after Fenton had parried a close range effort from Jodie Ellis.
Despite Ingleby's dogged determination and bravery, she was unlucky to open the scoring with an own goal in the twenty fifth minute when Fenton kicked the ball against her while attempting to clear Kelly Clayton's shot from the edge of the area.
Elizabeth Harris almost replied immediately for Mansfield, but steered thee ball narrowly wide of the upright, but three minutes after going behind the visitors were on level terms, when Claire Burrows struck a long range free kick from out on the left flank, that beat Emma Horsnall as it dipped just under the crossbar.
(S) Marriott-Smith went close to restoring Market Warsop's lead, as she hooked a fifteen yard shot just wide from fifteen yards, but Clayton beat Fenton via the left hand post in the thirty first minute and the league leaders were back in front.
Nikki Flood almost put the visitors level again straight from the restart, but she shot over from the edge of the area.
Fenton ran from her line to clear, as Gemma Hodgkinson chased the ball down on the edge of the Stags area, and her opposite number
Mansfield failed to defend a right wing cross and the ball found it's way through to Jodie Ellis who had ghosted in at the back post and turned the ball into the back of the net.
Horsnall did well to save from Warrender, who had been played in on goal by Flood and as play switched from one end to the other.
On the stroke of half time, Ellis was unlucky twice, as she saw her close range effort deflected past the post and then headed inches past the post from the resulting corner.
HT: Market Warsop 3 v Mansfield Town 1
Mansfield launched the first attack of the second half but Horsnall was equal to it as she prevented Flood getting a clear shot on goal from Chloe Elphick's forward pass.
Ingleby made another goal line block from (S) Marriott -Smith's header as the home side began to turn the screw on the visitors, and seven minutes into the second half Ellis underlined the way the game was now going, when she broke through the Stags back line and lobbed the ball over Fenton to net Market Warsop's fourth goal, just inside the right hand post.
(S) Marriott-Smith and Ellis, both put efforts high and wide as they peppered Fenton's goal. Their was still a high level of urgency in the home side's approach play, but with a three goal cushion to sit on, they could afford to relax and take their time now.
Warrender cleared (T) Marriott-Smith's header over the bar and Ellis planted a header inches over from Georgie Herring's right wing delivery.
In the sixty ninth minute, Stacey Bridge got forward and met another Herring corner kick from the right with a firmly placed header that beat Fenton to put the home side 5-1 up.
And Becky Braithwaite put the result beyond doubt when she got in front of Fenton from a left wing corner and nudged a header over the line.
Bridge nearly added a seventh but skimmed the left hand post with a header from (S) Marriott-Smith's cross from the right.
Ellis and (S) Marriott-Smith both went close to finding a seventh for the rampant home side, but they had to settle for six. While Mansfield scored their second in the last minute, when Elizabeth Harris hooked the ball over Horsnall from just inside the area, to end the afternoon with a well taken strike.
FT: Market Warsop Ladies 6 v Mansfield Town Ladies Dev. 2
The Stags next Notts Ladies League fixture, as an away game at Sherwood Youth next Sunday, while Market Warsop don't play again until 12th March, when they travel to the Oaklands Sports Ground to face Retford United Ladies.
