Shame that, finished 1-2 to Palace. The lasses played some decent football, much more on the deck than I've seen before. Needed to close their defenders down from the front but we allowed them to play out too often.
Summed up perfectly mate. On numerous occasions, their number 6 played out from the back and was right into our midfield before she was challenged. I don't know if Liz Ejupi is carrying an injury, but she looked laboured all game. Palace played a high line and were susceptible to the ball over the top. Our problem was that we didn't look along the line and were caught offside loads of times. The game was crying out for a striker with pace. Does Brigit Galloway fancy a return? I hope so. The difference Neve Herron made when she moved into midfield was very evident and imo it's time for Grace McCatty to return to central defence to allow Neve to play in the middle. Personally, I don't think Dani Brown brings enough to the midfield either. She's a box of tricks but the game just seems to pass her by. I would have taken her off instead of Abby Joice, who looked our most dangerous option all game. Keira Ramshaw is a massive miss in our midfield too. We played well first half, but didn't get started in the second until they scored. Constant visits to the field by Palaces trainer didn't help the flow of the game either. It was great to see Louise Griffiths back and hopefully she will get her chance on the pitch very soon.
Ejupi seemed to be more concerned about the Palce midfielder behind her rather than closing the defender down. Herron made a cracking run from defence all the way to their box in the first half, she is a talented lass and needs to play higher up the pitch. She ended up playing right up top and did more closing down in tbe last 10 mins than Ejupi did all game.
I normally come on here and give the lasses a pat on the back whether we win, lose or draw, but I can't defend yesterdays performance. The 5-0 scoreline actually flattered us. Had it not been for Claudia Moan, the score could have been double that. Our defence was abysmal, particularly the central pair. Grace McCatty is getting on a bit and it showed. She wasn't helped by Bree Westrup, who had a shocker. Louise Griffiths played well at right back, but is very one footed, so wasn't as effective at left back. The only positive I took from the game was proof that I was right all along that Jecca Brown is much better as a marauding Right Back than a right winger. It was great to see Rachel Furness back at Hetton and given our midfield display, I think she could have taken them on single-handedly. The normally excellent Neve Herron looked lost at times, but she wasn't helped by the totally ineffective Emma Kelly and Dan Brown. The midfield sat too deep and consequently there was a huge gap between them and our lone striker. Too many times we resorted to hoofball, both from defence and midfield. I felt heartily sorry for Liz Ejupi, who battled up front against 2 centre halfs and a referee with selective eyesight. She received next to nothing in either service or support from her colleagues or the referee. Looking towards next season, I feel we need to strengthen certain areas or face a relegation battle. The goalkeepers are fine and we are well served at Right back, with Jess Brown, Louise Griffiths and Megan Beer. I would like to see us sign 2 centre backs to vie for places with Bree Westrup and the returning Abby Towers. We also need left back cover for Abby Holmes. Esther Morgan isn't the answer for me. Prior to Covid, we had Keira Ramshaw, Maria Farrugia and Mollie Lambert in midfield. The latter two are now at Durham and have not been adequately replaced. Even Georgia Gibson, who was an understudy to the 3 above and left for Newcastle, was a better option than we have now, despite being 1 league higher. We need 2 new combative midfielders to compliment Keira when she returns from injury. Also prior to Covid, Neve Herron played as part of a front 3. Both Neve and Abby Joice have pace and skill in abundance and would compliment Liz Ejupi perfectly. Emily Scarr would provide competition in those places, along with Emma Kelly, who used to play wide in her first spell here. Katy Watson and Tyler Dodds are useful prospects, but need time to develop. I'm yet to be convinced by Grace Ede, although I would love to be proved wrong. If we are going to persist with balls over the top, we will need a pacy striker too. I hope to see a much improved performance against Blackburn and us casting the net further in the summer than the Regional Academy and other local sides in our search for new recruits. Here's hoping and Haway The Lasses!
I agree that some SOL season card holders may fall by the wayside. Eventually though the lasses need to create their own paying fanbase. We attracted reasonable crowds when we were in the top flight and 1500 turned out last season to watch us against Man United. 1200 against Durham. The fact of the matter is, the club need to be competitive if they are going to attract more people to the games. As it stands, a lot of people won't go to watch cannon fodder. Personally, I'll wait and see what investment is put into the playing staff before I decide whether to purchase 2 season tickets or just pick my games. The current squad needs a big upgrade if it's going to be competitive and attractive to potential payees.
I won't be able to commit to a ST and the jump to a tenner a ticket could be too much. Might get to 1 or 2 but not as many as I have done in the past which is a shame. We usually spend a few quid in the cafe as well.
Blackburn ladies - eating cake in Leonards Coffee House in Durham. - ideal preparation for today's game
This just proves that we need to strengthen massively in the summer. Too many of our squad are either not ready yet or simply not good enough for this level of football. Abby Joyce retiring won't help either. Terrible end to the season losing the last 4 games. Big summer ahead.
Hopefully the news about the academy means we can attract better players. A few like Neve Herron are quality but too many aren't good enough. Wonder if they follow the mens model and promote a lot of the 23s
Ironically, Abby Joice is one of those I would have kept, but she's decided to retire, so good luck to her. Towers, Westrup, Holmes, Ramshaw, Moan, Griffiths, Herron, Kelly, Jecca Brown and Ejupi are all good enough for the squad and we have some good youngsters like Katy Watson, but we need half a dozen new faces including 3 regular starters to be able to compete in the top half of the league. We have the weakest midfield in the division and this needs addressing. If we just rely on the academy next season, I think we'll struggle big time. The academy needs time to develop.
