Saturday February 16th, 2008

CAMBS Div 1

Market Deeping Ladies 1st XI

No match

CAMBS Div 2

Market Deeping Ladies 2nd XI (1) vs Huntingdon Ladies 2nd XI (3)

Sunshine greeted Deeping’s first game back after a long enforced Cambs Div 2 break caused by weather and opposition cry-offs and they were able to field a large squad of second team regulars.
The game was extremely close throughout and a lot of the final score rested on luck rather than individual skills. Deeping had their chances before Hunts opened the scoring. This was unfortunate for Deeping’s defence who were doing a decent job with newcomers Fran Lyon and Rachel Everitt supporting regulars Debbie Bowen and the courageous Rachel Gale.
Bowen and Gale were consistently strong in clearing the ball but Deeping could just not seem to convert this to scoring. Up front a slightly injured Anya McKenzie was not the usual terrifyingly pacey torment to opposition defences.
At half-time Deeping were losing 1-0 but any result still looked possible. Unfortunately Hunts forced another goal through early on. Deeping quickly hit back after some lovely passing down the right wing and clever work in the box. Sophie Goodrum’s first time sweep wrong footed the Hunts keeper. Deeping then enjoyed some real dominance for five minutes but could convert this to goals.
Jo Addison was outstanding and worked tirelessly in the mid field to keep the supplying the forwards with the ball. Unfortunately Hunts got another softish goal, before Deeping pounded out five successive short corners and were only denied by a sharp reflex save from the Hunts keeper.

EAST 3NW

Cambridge Nomads 3rd XI (0) vs Market Deeping 1st XI (5)

There was no repeat of Deeping’s 22-0 thrashing of Nomes earlier in the season, and there was a cost to this comfortable 5-0 defeat of basement opposition. Despite their success in NE14 3NW this year Deeping have not been flush with first team quality players. Ben Dalgliesh has been a regular squad member despite a bad knee injury before Christmas. Sadly a broken fibia in this match has ended his season prematurely.
Deeping started off at a slow and lazy pace and continued it for the rest of the game. The deadlock was broken by a very well worked short corner which was converted by Ali Rowledge at the far post. Ten minutes later he followed up with another goal from the back post. 
Nomads rarely threatened the Deeping goal, but they did get some short corners which were dealt with by keeper Ben Hotchkin.
Just before half time Paul Tancred deflected a cross from Jason Purllant to make it 3 - 0 at half time.
The second half was much the same as the first and Tancred popped up again with two goals to seal his hat trick.
Dagleish went down late on in the second half after a collision with one of his own players.
It’s a measure of Deeping’s now high standards that they were disappointed with the result.

Div 4NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI (0) vs St Ives 2nd XI (3)

Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be your day and this was a prime example. Deeping’s recent results had seen them march up the table above St Ives in the NE14 4NW league, but this deflating defeat probably ends any lingering hope of promotion.
It could have been very different. Most spectators thought that Deeping were denied a penalty stroke in the first minute as Russ Seton was pole axed at the second attempt by the St Ives keeper, as he broke into space to get his shot away. The umpire saw things differently though, and the resulting short corner was cleared and there was no sign of a yellow card..
To rub salt into Deeping wounds a break down the St Ives right resulted in a cross cum shot which skipper Graham Brewer diverted into his own goal.
Then the basics seemed to desert Deeping as too many sloppy individual errors turned over possession far too easily. St Ives for their part looked well drilled, especially at penalty corners, highly organised, and sharp all over the pitch. Deeping were working hard but didn’t look out of the game when they broke.
A frank half time appraisal saw Deeping come out of the traps with renewed energy and determination and for the next 15 minutes they besieged the St Ives goal and made at least four cut-glass chances to score. But if it’s one thing Deeping need most to get themselves out of this division it’s a 20 goal a season striker. Air shots and misses with the keeper beaten finally seemed to break Deeping’s hearts and though the midfield four of Mike Gregson, Daniel Medd, Paul Byrne, and Brewer worked tirelessly to force the issue, tired legs began to take their toll, and a clever touch past a flat Deeping defence by Neil Tuffin got him one on one with the keeper and he coolly slotted the ball past Joe Wray to make it 2-0..
Simon Bollom then converted a well worked short corner routine with just minutes to go. The 3-0 scoreline flattered the visitors more than a little, but Deeping need to find more goals from all areas of the team. Now they are under no real pressure at either end of the league, perhaps they will relax and enjoy scoring some goals.

EAST Div 5NW

St Neots 3rd XI (4) vs Market Deeping 3rd IX (3)

Deeping’s third team continued the “what might have been” day as they let a 3-1 halftime lead slip at St Neot's.
St Neot’s beat Deeping 5-1 earlier in the season but Deeping got off to a flier and were 3-0 up inside ten minutes.
Simon Burnell opening the scoring with a superb reverse stick shot from a short corner, and Simon Taylor followed with a strike under the keeper from another short corner. Steve Waters forced home the third.
But Deeping lost shape after Burnell limped off with an injury and the midfield started to lose control of a strong St Neot’s forward line who managed to pull one back before half time.
The second half saw Deeping side struggling to stay on top. St Neot’s took their chances and managed to put three well-worked goals past Adi White.
Deeping fought back and the last ten minutes saw Nick Maxey go close and in the closing minutes Jeremy Phipps screamed a shot just over the bar.
Tom Allam worked tirelessly throughout the match with probably his best performance of the season.