St Ives 3A (0) v Market Deeping ladies (8)

This week Deeping travelled to St Ives to play their second game in the Cambridgeshire ladies league and continued their excellent start to the season with a repeat of the 8-0 score-line from the previous week. The Deeping team admitted nerves prior to the game although these were settled by an early goal by super-striker Sarah Smith. Two further goals followed before half time with Smith again hitting the target.

Deeping were dominant throughout the game with player of the day Helen Middleton seemingly invincible in midfield.

Highlights of the second-half included Heather Greenhalgh's first goal of the season with a fine first time strike. By the end of the game Sarah Smith had repeated her feat of scoring 5 goals in a game.

Deeping begin the season at the top of Cambridgeshire Ladies League Division 2.

East Div 3NW

St Ives 2nd XI (1) v Market Deeping 1st XI (1)

Deeping retained their unbeaten league run of over a year but it was tough. They fielded a novice and youthful defence, following a couple of last minute withdrawals through injury and as a result they looked slightly unsettled. They soon regained their customary composure and began to control possession for long periods of the game. The untried defence of Richard Woods, Andy Cannings and Pete Jeffery snuffed out any threat from the opposition forward line and clear-cut goal chances were at a premium with the best falling to Deeping. They were denied by the brilliance of the St Ives keeper and the cross bar.

After the break the St Ives keeper continued to perform heroics and Deeping began to lose their shape by trying to force the game with too many people running with the ball and forgetting their usual passing game.

With fifteen minutes left, and against the run of play, St Ives scored from a free hit just outside the D. There was some discussion about whether this was touched by an attacker inside the D.

The Deeping response was excellent – they besieged the St Ives goal and justice was done three minutes from time when Jeffery arrived at the far post to slot home the equaliser.

There was still time for a further siege of the St Ives goal but the home team managed to hold out. Whilst slightly disappointed at drawing a game they controlled for the vast majority of the time, Deeping are not too unhappy with an away point in this league.

East Div 4NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI (4) v Alford 1st XI (0)

Deeping can take a lot of positives from this easy victory, but they mustn't get carried away. A poor and clumsy Alford side was comprehensively beaten by Deeping's passing game but it still lacked the necessary ball speed to trouble the better sides in the league and despite four well-made and taken goals, Deeping's dominance should have yielded a higher score. Their short corner routine really should produce more goals.

Phil Yetzes finished off a slick passing move in the first minutes of the game, and 3 rd XI skipper Ben Walden added a second shortly after. Muddy Waters was exceptionally sharp in converting a third half-chance before the interval.

Most good things stemmed from skipper Mike Gregson's mazy runs in midfield and the dominance of Phil Yetzes at centre half, but the Deeping backline played well to ensure that Ray Isaacs didn't touch the ball until late in the second half.

When Anthony Barnes was subbed on his extra pace caused even more problems for Alford, and arguably Deeping made even more chances in the second half, when Waters scored another but could have had four or five.