With a starting line-up of Georgia, Molly, Georgie, Ciara, Becky C, Becky S, Riah, Hannah and Jayde (in goal) Scotton immediately took the game to Thornton, Georgia hitting the post within the first minute and having a second shot shortly after. The Dale girls responded as expected, quickly racing to the attack but in turn losing possession to Scotton's defence who promptly pushed the ball forward again.
With Ciara and Georgie working well in midfield the pressure appeared to be building on Thornton and after ten minutes another opportunity came when Molly ran in from the right to deliver a strike that saw the ball scoot just past the post. Continuing to push forward Scotton gained a corner (well taken by Georgie) but Dale's defence continued to hold out well.
The rest of the first half saw the game see-saw up and down the pitch with first one side then the other attacking. Though constrained from playing their favoured expansive game by the confines of the pitch, Scotton probably had the greater part of the possession and saw chances created for both Georgia and Georgie to have further shots at goal. On the other hand Thornton were moving the ball round well and forced a save from Jayde after twenty minutes. However Hannah, Riah and the Beckys were coping with what was thrown at them, and for the most part getting the ball away before too much danger arose.
Substitutions were made as half time approached, with Ellie coming on for Riah and Emily for Ciara. Another run from Molly led to a corner and a strike from Ellie which was blocked by the keeper. Thornton's subsequent break-out was quickly smothered and Emily then ran the ball in from the left. Two corners followed in quick succession but still a goal eluded the Scotton girls, while Dale ended the half with an assault that saw a shot go just left of the post.
A quick talk from the Coach at the interval and Scotton re-started with one change as Riah entered goal in lieu of Jayde.
The next quarter of an hour saw the Scorchers' best phase of the match with a demonstration of some impressive football - the ball being rapidly run out of defence and then passed fluidly between the forwards, culminating in a cross from Georgie and strike from Georgia that found the back of the net: 0-1.
Further substitutions were then made (Ciara and Jayde going on and Emily and Becky C coming off) as Scotton went searching for a second goal - which nearly came when Molly put the ball just over the crossbar from a pass from Georgia. Further attempts from Molly and Georgia followed quickly, but each time Thornton weathered the storm and sought to counter-attack. A final change in the dying minutes (Emily and Becky C going back on and Georgie and Becky S coming off) coincided with a flurry of activity at each end of the pitch, with first the Scorchers scrambling to clear the ball away and then Dale seeing another shot from Molly cross their goalmouth. However the score remained at 0-1 as the final whistle blew.
Once again this was an entertaining clash between these two good teams, played at a great pace and with chances being created at both ends, but with Scotton coming away with the single (and well-earned) goal.
Player of the match: Hannah.
