DING DING ... Round 2 of SULFC vs Andover New street , and after losing 4-1 to andover away a little over 3 weeks ago there was only one thing on SULFC minds..... WIN!!!

Since the last meeting between the 2 teams, SULFC have signed 3 more vital players, and all 3 started this match. Also returning to the team after missing the last andover match was Finchy And Payne.

Every player knew, that if we did not win this match, then there was NO CHANCE we could win the the league, so it was simple... Win the match, stand a chance at winning the league, lose, And its all gone

With that speech firmly in the minds of the SULFC players, it was all attack from SULFC, we were playing the best football on what can only be described as pitch conditions you would of seen on a World War 1 Battlefield.

SULFC were passing the ball into feet and keeping the ball as low as possible,as we knew that anything in the air would be won by andover due to the size an strengh advantage over us.

The game was played as expected dominated by the midfield and half chances from both teams at either end. However it was SULFC who drew 1st blood and a great ball from midfiled split the andover back 3 and the ball fell to returning striker finchy to slot a low shoot pass the andover keeper 1-0 SULFC

With the 1-0 lead we could not get ahead of ourselfs, and alot of players started looking back to the last meeting where we also took an 1-0 lead but lost the game 4-1

Today was going to be a different story, as new signing scotty used all of her skill to ghost round 2 of andover players out on the right wing a drilled a low hard shot from about 16 yards out ,passed the andover keeper. SULFC 2-0 up

the game went on, but in all honesty it was all in favour of SULFC and we were really looking like the only team to keep scoring.

HALF- TIME

SULFC ..... 2 Andover New Street .... 0

From the 1st half i could see that both managers team talks were going to be VERY different. The team talk from the SULFC bench was full of praise but also not to get to carried away, as there was another 45 minutes to be played and that we were playing andover new street. A team that had only conceded 2 goals ALL SEASON untill today.

Andover did not dissapoint and from the kick off it was all andover, some great passing and movement off the ball, and all that led to a goal within the first 2 minutes of the restart. SULFC we still on cloud 9 after going 2-0 up and were caught napping at the back as a neat low shoot from the andover striker made it 2-1

After that goal SULFC knew that the next 40 or so minutes were going to be the toughest of the season so far.

SULFC kept doing what they did in the 1st half, contolling the game and playing the ball low, and into feet. Before long karleen found herself bombarded with about 3 andover players in the left hand corner of andovers half, somehow she managed to turn them all inside out and get away a high shot from about 18 yards out to lop the keeper and leave her manager speehless. Cracking goal from SULFC top scorer.

This goal was not taken lightly by Andover, and again from the restart andover came right back at us. Some good movment in midfield from andover saw the ball played out wide to the right and a hard, high shoot had just to much power on it for daisy to keep it out. it was now 3-2 and with 25 minutes still to play. it really was anyones game at this stage.

This goal made alot of SULFC players see red and it was not long before SULFC caught andover on the break, and a cheeky lofted pass from the back saw karleen sprint free from her marker and leave her 1 on 1 with the andover keeper, and when a player like karleen is 1 on 1 there is only 1 outcome...... GOAL... but only just. the surface was that bad the ball NEARLY stopped on the goal line, but to the delight of karleen and the rest of the team, it just made it over the line. 4-2 to SULFC

With the game nearing the end, there were some very tired legs, and very tired minds. Both mangers trying to will on their teams right to the very end.

However it was SULFC who really stuck the knife in at the end. It was that girl karleen again who scored to get her hat - trick. 5-2 SULFC

WOW .... What a game. real end to end stuff in the 2nd half. Andover on paper are a fantastic team and have really taken this Division by storm. However it was a NEW team to the Division that inflicted andovers 1st loss of the season. All the praise has to go to the players. I worked them so hard in the training session in build up to this match. SULFC have made a statement to the rest of the division with this result.

Well done andover and we wish you luck for the rest of the season.

FULL - TIME

SULFC ..... 5 Andover New Street Res .... 2