Rossett Sports Centre, home of Harrogate Town Ladies based in North Yorkshire and play their trade in the North East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division. “In the TOWN of Harrogate! Lies a ground near Rossett School! Women’s football for the win! It’s gonna be rainy! It’s gonna be cool! Jake and Jack are battling the storm! Battling the storm! We’re battling the storm!”
I’ll save the song writing for another time but yes me and the Merry Miller are not phased by the storm and were on the lookout for a Sunday Special!! Brayton Belles, Sporting Khalsa Women or Harrogate Town Ladies is on the agenda, can the Merry Miller find us a game…? After a lovely chat with the manager of Wakefield Trinity Ladies, the Merry Miller has confirmation that Harrogate Town Ladies vs Wakefield Trinity Ladies is ON!! Off we go! Time for another sing song… But unfortunately Mrs Merry Miller isn’t here to capture it… Maybe next time…
Onto the A1 and it’s looking like it could be the rainiest ground hop we’ve ever done… After taking the wrong exit on a roundabout we are here at Rossett Sports Centre with 15 minutes to go before kick off… We could just watch it from here couldn’t we…? The Referee calls the players in ready for kick off, time to brave the storm! Free Entry for this game! Lovely!
Kick Off! 3 minutes in and Wakefield’s number 9 finds herself with the ball on the left, she gets inside the box and goes for goal… Good save by the keeper!! It’s a corner for Wakefield, in it comes… Number 10 is there with the header… Off the line! It comes back for Wakefield and they get a shot away… But it’s wide!
10 minutes on the clock and the Wakefield keeper has the ball in her grasp now and she kicks it long… But only to Harrogate’s number 10 and she shoots from distance… Keeper parries it and here’s number 5 running in… Brilliant double save! Wakefield clear! The weather is certainly a shocker today… The rain is getting worse by the minute and the wind is absolutely awful…
25th minute and Harrogate come forward with number 15, she glides past the Wakefield defence and gets into the box on the left, she goes for goal… Keeper saves but it’s loose, it falls in Harrogate’s favour and the shot comes in again… It’s blocked but it falls to Harrogate’s number 8… Who puts it away!!! 1-0!! “No nil nils here in 2022! In 2022! In 2022!” This is the year for goals for me!! The no nil nil year! Come on!
1 minute later and Harrogate have the ball in their half… But Wakefield have dispossessed them and they play it to number 9, she’s 20 yards out and she goes for goal… And she finds it!!!! THAT’S HOW YOU RESPOND!!! It’s 1-1! Just like the late Tommy Cooper once said!
Harrogate have responded well to conceding as well and are taking the game to Wakefield now. 2 minutes after conceding and Harrogate play down the left flank, it’s played in low… The keeper stretches for it and gets a hand to it but it’s fallen to Harrogate’s number 8 to shoot… Good block! Wakefield clear.
31 minutes on the clock and Harrogate come again, number 15 has it on the edge of the box and she shoots… Keeper spills it to number 5 again… She saves again!! She’s got away with it for a second time now. 1 minute later and here come Harrogate again, they have it on the edge of the box again, here comes the lob effort… Tipped onto the bar brilliantly by the keeper!!
35th minute and Harrogate work it across to the right, it’s played into the middle for number 7 who shoots… And she scores!!! Harrogate deservedly in front!! 2-1!! 2 minutes later and Harrogate aren’t finished yet! They play down the left, it’s with number 4 who cuts inside 30 yards out and she goes for goal… OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! IT’S UNBELIEVABLE!!! What a strike! WHAT A GOAL!!! Lashed into the top corner! 3-1!! Eat that!!
42nd minute and Wakefield are showing signs of coming back after going 3-1 down now, they have it on the left with number 10, a brilliant piece of skill there as she backheels it to number 17 who gets the cross into the middle, number 9 runs in for it… It’s gone in!!! It might have been an own goal but I’m sure Wakefield won’t care!! It’s 3-2!! It’s game on!! The Referee blows for half time and off we all go for some shelter…
Great to meet the Media man for Harrogate Town Ladies at the break but sadly the rain is getting worse and worse and the players are becoming more and more reluctant to go out and finish this game… The Referee mentions of a potential agreement between the 2 managers… I hope he’s not talking about the abandonment of this game… The players do go out for the second half… Thank the lord!!
Second half, 51 minutes now and the Wakefield keeper hits it long, it falls for Wakefield’s number 9 and she gets into the box and she goes for the volley… Over and out! Both teams are working hard in this half but it’s certainly slower than the end of the first half sadly for the neutral…
64 minutes now and Wakefield come forward, number 19 plays a 1-2 and gets it back in the box and she shoots… Great defending by Harrogate who slide in to stop the shot and out it goes for… A goal kick according to the Referee… Definitely a corner for me! “Put a Yellow shirt on Ref!” Shouts the Wakefield keeper.
75 minutes on the clock and Harrogate have a corner, in it comes… Number 16 wins the header… It’s off the bar!! Wakefield clear. Wakefield are starting to pile on the pressure as the game goes on as they chase the equaliser. Number 9 has had a few shots from distance that have gone just wide but Harrogate are looking strong at the back. Into stoppage time and Wakefield keep on coming forward, Harrogate clear for a throw in in the Wakefield half, one last chance for Wakefield perhaps…? No! The Referee blows for full time! Game over! Let’s all go and get warm!
And here’s a few from the Merry Miller:
FT: Harrogate Town Ladies 3-2 Wakefield Trinity Ladies
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 2/10 – Not many here today but Wakefield had one of those partisan parents giving it a good go which I love so I’ll be generous and give an extra point for that!
- The Ground: 2/10 – Not a fan of these modern cages but it was a better than usual cage so it’s an extra point again!
- Expense: 10/10 – A cracking game and for free!!
- Overall Experience: 9/10 – A big thank you to Garry, the Assistant manager of Wakefield for letting us know about today! Great to meet the Harrogate Media man today! Another cracker of a day with the Merry Miller and it was a great game which storm Eunice did not ruin! Just wish Wakefield had equalised…
23/40