For their second Greater Manchester Women’s League Division 1 fixture of the new season Beechfield United Ladies travelled to play Didsbury Ladies (formally Burnage Ladies) and before the start of the game both sets of players and officials held a minute’s silence for the victims of 9/11.
The match kicked off on a warm Sunday afternoon with Beechy playing a 4-5-1 system for the second successive game. The contest was a very open affair as both teams attacked and defended well and the first half quickly came to an end with the score at nil-nil.
The second half got underway and was very similar to the first half with most of the game played in the midfield area but on the odd occasion’s both teams had shots on target though both keepers including Beechy’s goalie Rachel Howarth showed a safe pair of hands.
Sophie Wainwright who had worked tirelessly in midfield had the best chance to open the scoring when she got on the end of a cross from Alicia Stretton but from close range knocked the ball wide of the post.
With five minutes to go Gemma Winterburn who had been a colossus in defence landed awkwardly on her back/neck and all her team mates rushed to her aid and it was a good six minutes before Gemma sat up and was helped off the pitch.
The game resumed but no matter how much pressure United put onto the home side they failed to breakdown the Didsbury defence.
The game ended 0-0 and this was the first time in four seasons that Beechy Ladies have been involved in a game that ended goalless.
United’s Squad: Rachel Howarth, Gemma Winterburn, Rebecca Watkins, Ashleigh Spragg, Sophie Wainwright, Gemma Ottiwell, Debbie Wright, Faye Cassidy, Alicia Stretton, Rachel Mallard, Rachel Griffin, Rachel Owen, Shauna Smith, Lauren O’Neill. Voted Player of the Match was Shauna Smith.
