Starting with Georgia, Georgie, Becky C, Becky S, Ellie, Riah, Hannah and Jayde in goal Scotton immediately took the game to Stamford, pushing forward confidently and being rewarded within the first few minutes with a shot from Georgie (beautifully struck from the right of goal) which beat the keeper: 1-0.
Stamford quickly sought to strike back, running the ball down the pitch only to lose possession and see Scotton counterattack. The two Beckys, Georgie and Georgia were constantly causing problems for Stamford, with Becky S's pace enabling her to get into position for a couple of attempts at goal - the second only being foiled by the keeper racing out for a last ditch save. For their part the Stamford girls were seeking to use their numerical advantage to good effect, but were continually thwarted by dogged defensive work from Ellie, Riah and Hannah and good goalkeeping from Jayde. With play flowing up and down the ground at a rapid pace, the last few minutes of the half saw good moves and near misses by both Ellie and Georgie, but the score remained 1-0 at the break.
The second half commenced with Riah replacing Jayde in goal, and Jayde coming out to join the forwards on the left - immediately linking well with Becky C and taking a shot which went just to the left of the post. Stamford quickly responded, working the ball forward and forcing a save from Riah. The Scorchers then attacked again, with first a run from Georgie looking threatening and then a strike from Ellie going just to the right of the goal. Though Stamford kept managing to regain the ball and head towards Scotton's end, constant battling in midfield, great defensive work and constant running by all the Scorchers meant that they not only survived two corners to keep their lead intact but also continued to break out and seek a second goal - which finally came twenty five minutes into the half when Georgia saw an opening and tapped the ball into the net: 2-0.
Though Stamford continued to challenge - and play still ebbed up and down the pitch - this second goal seemed to put energy into the tired Scorchers legs and the last phase of the match saw further runs by Becky S, a good strike from Georgia and a great corner from Georgie just before the final whistle went.
Given their numerical disadvantage this was a terrific display by the Scotton girls, which earned them a well-deserved win against a good Stamford side and delighted the watching supporters.
Player of the match: Becky S
| POS | P | W | D | L | PTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotton Scorchers | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 23 | ||
| 2 | Poppleton Tigers | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 17 | ||
| 3 | Ripon City Panthers | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 4 | Fulford Foxes | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | ||
| 5 | Stamford Bridge | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 6 | Thornton Dale | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 7 | Scarborough Ladies | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 8 | Knaresborough Celtic | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
