Women's football news
Written by: Stuart
The Rooks drew 0-0 with Durham in a competitive stalemate at the Dripping Pan on Sunday.
Assistant manager Jesús Cordón was pleased with the result,
“I think that it was a good game, a really tight game, obviously against a very good team. So, I think we have to respect the point, we had a fantastic game and to see the girls put in the work that they did was fantastic”.
The fixture was rearranged from January because of COVID-19 cases at Durham and today it was us that was without interim manager Craig Gill (through Covid 19).
“When the manager is not in, and, this is different for everyone, but in the girls took it well, they dealt well with it. I’m on the bench usually and yes, it’s a bit different without him [Craig] but, it was a good experience for me.
Both teams wasted no time in piling on the pressure
The teams battled for every ball with Durham pressing high up the pitch and unsettling the Lewes back four, especially from short goal kicks.
However, the Rooks did not crumble under that pressure and, even though some of the passing went awry, they stuck to their game and built up from the back still.
Jesús commented “I think we were chasing the game and we were trying to score a goal. I think we were the better team and we created more chances than them. And as I said, we have to respect the point.”
Lewes threatening to score
The main threat of the Lewes attacks were from dead balls. Early in the first half Ellie Mason’s free kick from just in the Durham half got a flick on but the keeper gobbled up the opportunity just before the Lewes players could reach it.
In the second half especially, corner routines from Izzy Dalton and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford saw many Rooks piled into the box, surrounding the keeper and causing chaos.
The best chance of the game for Lewes fell to Georgia Timms. A ball hooked up field was chased down by Timms but Durham keeper Naoisha McAloon reached it first. Her clearance was sent back up towards the Durham goal where Heidi Logan put the defender under pressure and managed to get away with the ball before crossing across the box, just a touch too far for Timms to connect with properly and the ball went just wide.
Durham had a few chances of their own but every time found Tatiana Saunders in imperious form, catching, punching and saving anything that came her way, meaning she, and the Rooks, now have two clean sheets in a row.
Onwards and upwards
Looking ahead to the next game Jesús wants to see us push harder for points “We will prepare for the next game to go and win it, to be aggressive to try and get the three points.
I think we can compete with any team in this league and with that mentality and being positive for that and and go for the game.”
Next up: Lewes are London City Lionesses
– away at Princes Park on Sunday 27th March. Kick-off 4.30pm.
With only four games to the season left, The Rooks will hope to stretch their unbeaten streak to 3. Join us if you can!
Come on you Rooks!!