Saturday December 13th, 2008

CAMBS Ladies Premier League

Market Deeping Ladies 1st XI (2) vs Ely City Ladies 1st XI (2)

Deeping played out a pre-Christmas cracker as they held off one of the league’s top sides in this rearranged fixture. The forwards got all the glory but the defence was magnificent.
From the off Ely looked like the top of the Premier league side they are, and put immense pressure on the Deeping defence, but they could do nothing about Deeping’s well worked shock opener, as a lovely passing move down the right flank found Amy Gwilliam who burst into the area before passing to Kirsten Hackett who produced a wonderful slapped finish from the top of the D.
Ely quickly responded with a cleverly taken goal from their former international centre forward but keeper Angela Cox (Deeping’s player of the match) made a string of amazing saves throughout the match and it was 1-1 until half time.
Both teams came out fighting in the second half but when Ely caught Deeping unawares and scored after a few minutes Deeping must have thought the writing was on the wall.
But they kept their heads up and when an Ely short corner was amazingly defended by Gemma Catlin Deeping broke fast up the right wing. Amy Gwilliam again found Kirsten Hackett in space and she drew the Ely keeper before slipping the ball to Sarah Smith on the penalty spot to equalize into an open net. 
Frantic Ely pressure saw five successive short corners in a row and there was some breathtaking defending from Cox, Ellie Allam, Debbie Bowen, Jan Grace and Rachel Gale.
As the seconds ticked down the excitement of Deepings many supporters rose and Ely hammered at the Deeping goal making chances right up to the last minute. Deeping held on for a draw which brings them to third, on goal difference, as they enter the Christmas break. 

CAMBS Ladies Div 2

Market Deeping Ladies 2nd XI

CAMBS Mens Div 2 N

Market Deeping 1st IX

CAMBS Mens Div 4 NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI

CAMBS Mens Div 6 NW

Friendly

Market Deeping 3rd XI (3) vs Shefford and Sandy Vets XI (2)

This was billed as a fun friendly before the Christmas break but unfortunately nobody had placated the weather gods and it was played in driving freezing rain.
Deeping had taken a mainly 3rd XI side plus four 2nd XI stars and from the first whistle it seemed as if the younger legs of Deeping’s non-veteran players would dominate proceedings. Gradually, though, Shefford’s vets, aided by a young Bedford player from the Premier league, ground into action and when Deeping’s passing and finishing foundered in front of goal, their determined tackling and slick passing began to make a huge difference.
Shefford top the East Veterans league and their extraordinary short corner routines with up to seven players involved must account for many of the goals.
Deeping conceded two short corner goals in the first half while always looking likely to score themselves so they weren’t overly concerned as they fully expected to come back into the game in the second half.
This duly came to pass as Graham Brewer finally managed to complete a pass after one of his driving runs and Ben Walden did brilliantly to get up and tip it into the net. A melee during a short corner a few minutes later saw Walden receive the ball in front of the keeper and after releasing it, tidy up the resulting scramble for his second.
Unfortunately Deeping reverted to some of the poor passing that had held them up earlier in the game and Shefford applied extra pressure. The difficult conditions had seen some interesting umpiring, and with just minutes to go Shefford had what seemed like another good short corner goal disallowed. This led to them chasing the game furiously and huge gaps opened up in midfield leading to Deeping’s winner.
Russ Seton was awarded a free hit in his own half and found himself staring at an unmarked Steve Windsor just outside the D 70 yards away. Seton’s immaculate pass was stopped by Windsor and the ball slipped past the stranded keeper to meet Muddy Waters’ perfectly timed run. Waters smashed it gleefully into an open net for the ultimate sucker punch.