Match report

Match report

After a two-week pause for holidays and weather cancelations, play resumed on a cold and showery afternoon. The two sides were soon locked in battle through the midfield with Mt Barker running with a variable breeze and Stirling working into it. Mt Barker brought some good build-ups and many pacey entries that troubled the Stirling back four of Lily Holland, Izzy Bailes, Emma Dalton and Jae Fitch and had Aubrey Adams working hard in goals to keep a clean sheet. Despite many entries and many close calls, including some “hitting the woodwork” the ball just wouldn’t net for Mt Barker. In reply a Zora Huang, Zoe York and Hannah Noonan worked hard to build good entries from the midfield with Feiya Huang, Jasmijn Weits, Zoe Clark and Rosalie Taylor in the forward line troubling Mount Barker but also unable to score. Then at about the 30-minute mark Nadia Bidwell took a long shot for Stirling and found the Mount Barker keeper too far off the line – the ball swirling in the breeze and lobbing into the right-hand corner of the goal.

After a quick half-time turn in the shelter of the dressing rooms the players were back on. This time Stirling had the breeze and were able to apply more pressure. Many build-ups through the centre by Zora Huang and Nadia Bidwell as well as pacey entries down both wings by Jasmijn Weits and Feiya Huang ensued. The Barker defence however was up to it and repelled most attacks until Nadia Bidwell found a way to net Stirling’s second. Zora Huang was rewarded for her work also when only a few minutes later she spotted and slotted a good shot through a small gap in the many bodies inside the 18-yard box. Stirling didn’t have it all their own way and Barker were able to make several troubling entries and gain several corners. One such entry late in second half saw their #11 slot a fine goal into the RHS of the Stirling goal to bring the score back to 3-1 at the final whistle.