Falmouth 2 - 2 Swindon

Thanks to Gemma for this week's match report:

The sun was shining (thank you Cornwall) and we could see the sea from the pitch!! But, the message from captain Adriana Boullosa was to concentrate, keep composed and take our game to Falmouth.

The game started a tad frantic with Swindon not handling Falmouth’s players switching positions. Mary Goldsmith took control of us and orchestrated the Swindon midfield especially well which settled the game down.

Falmouth however continued to have the edge and attacked relentlessly. Lots of great clearances from all the defenders, including an outstanding stop on the line by Ella Jayne Caldwell (Ella also chucked in some top class aerials!).

Swindon gained confidence and began to play better and press higher. Unfortunately this allowed a break away goal from the half way line which Swindon failed to stop leaving keeper Alexis Hogarth a one on one that sneaked it’s way under her pads.

Half time chat was clear, we’ve nothing to lose, let’s go out and enjoy ourselves!

Much more positive start saw some energetic hockey. Utilising the previously well drilled transfer from last season, Swindon made Falmouth forwards work hard which paid dividends eventually.

Before that though, Falmouth snatch another goal. Angela Cooke & Gemma Scrase were sure they’d blocked her shot by basically building a rugby scrum around her, but she managed to spin and whip it in.

Much to the teams credit, heads did not go down and in fact gave Swindon further incentive to get something out of the game. Cooke & Rachel King’s work rate up the left flank was tireless and deserves a mention - Falmouth determined on pinning them in failed on countless occasion.

The final 20 minutes saw plenty of magic moments in the right end of the pitch. Meg Poole & Shona O'Dwyer turned hunter, gatherer stepped up to steal possession and drive forwards. The rest of the team indulged in their positive play and supported in numbers, something we’d lacked in the first half, and a tired Falmouth were beginning to crack.

First claw back was old skool - Emily Best drew a foul within the 25, she played it quickly to Scrase who spotted the unmarked goal machine on the P spot, from there, Lynsey Wall is never going to miss.

Bollousa showed us why she’s a double international with some extremely swift skills fathoming Falmouth’s defence winning Swindon a run of penalty corners. We messed up a few but finally converted one. We still messed it up, but Linda Brouwers drove round from the top of the D to the right, slotting it under the defender to find Wall again on the P spot but this time with her back to goal..a pirouetting Wall spun and squeezed the ball into the corner.

Final minutes played out with Swindon defending a number of short corners, tension was high but the ladies again showed composure and calmly dispatched the ball to seal Swindon’s first point back in the Premier league.

MoM’s: Lyno, goal machine & Mary, midfield conductor.