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29/07/07
Lynn-Avon Go Nap Thanks To Moorwood Masterclass
by Jeremy Ruane
Lynn-Avon United proved too good for Claudelands Rovers in the only Northern Premier Women's League game played on July 29, trouncing the travelling team 5-1 on a puggy but playable Ken Maunder Park.
It was made so by the tireless pre-match efforts of club members, who literally mopped and squeegied away the rainwater which had fallen in an all-morning deluge that had put paid to the day's two other league fixtures.
Although late in arriving due to the uncertainty surrounding the fixture's commencement, Claudelands began the game far more assertively than their hosts, and gave Lynn-Avon goalkeeping legend Yvonne Vale reason to get her gloves dirty on a couple of occasions early doors, most notably through Katherine Robinson's efforts.
Vale was deputising for the injured Stephanie Puckrin, but, contrary to rumour, she is not making a late bid for a World Cup place. Instead, she caught a Sarah McLaughlin corner in the seventh minute and promptly launched a counter-attack, Emma Kete the recipient of her raking clearance.
The striker's deft lay-off culminated in Rebecca Parkinson taking the ball on in her stride before lashing a shot past the post. Charlotte Wood's resulting goal-kick was not her best by any means, and Parkinson's hanging cross wasn't dealt with by Nicole Christensen. It presented Hayley Moorwood with a volleyed chance which, from twenty-five yards, she sent careering past the post.
It was soon evident to all and sundry that Moorwood was well and truly in the mood to have some fun at Claudelands' expense. Free of knee strapping and bandages for the first time since Anzac Day, United's captain for the day wasted little time in returning to something very close to her imperious yet impish best.
Hers was a midfield masterclass to savour, combining the teasing and tormenting of opponents aplenty at every turn - sometimes literally - with passes short and long, one-twos … in short, her full repertoire. And if something didn't come off, Moorwood had the courage of her convictions to try a variation on the theme soon afterwards, invariably with success.
In an age where football generally - not so much the women's game, mind - has become functional and pragmatic, and is stifled by a “playing not to lose” mentality, it's a real pleasure to watch an artist such as Moorwood at work, playing the game with a genuine air of elan and joie de vivre while all the time harnessing her copious talents for her team's greater good.
It's not much fun for those faced with the dilemma of containing such craft and guile, however, as Rovers' players can well testify. You would bank a healthy amount from this match if you had ten dollars for every time a visiting player dived in to tackle Moorwood, only to find themselves tacking thin air as their target exploited the space behind them via a sharp turn, a deft flick or a svelte side-step.
Generally, however, the visitors contained Lynn-Avon fairly well, although they were left to feed on the scraps which fell from the rich man's table, and they were few and far between at the best of times.
Having travelled north with just the bare eleven players, Rovers should be grateful to referee Harold Duimstra for ensuring they retained their full quota throughout proceedings.
A less lenient official would almost certainly have booked Jeanette Edwards for her frequently over-zealous sliding challenges in the first half, and may have opted for an even heavier punishment, such was her persistence in the practice. But the referee kept his cards in his pocket, and to her credit, Edwards eventually got the message - her team certainly benefited from her more upright approach to proceedings!
For it meant an extra body for Lynn-Avon to endeavour to get past, and they managed to penetrate Claudelands' defences on a few occasions in the first half. In the eleventh minute, Moorwood played the ball into Kete, whose first-time lay-off picked out Ria Percival on the right. Her deep cross arced beyond Parkinson to Melanie Hansen, whose lay-off invited Kete to pounce, only for Wood to react first.
Three minutes later, Petria Rennie rampaged down the left in tandem with Hansen before delivering an early cross. Moorwood met it in her stride and sent a twenty-five yarder fizzing low past Wood's left-hand post.
In the twentieth minute, Vicki Rainbow's precise pass picked out Percival's probing run behind the defence. Wood raced off her line in an effort to thwart the young speedster, who hurdled the goalkeeper but ran out of real estate before she could fire a shot at the target.
Four minutes later, a well-weighted Moorwood pass picked out Kete, whose first-time lay-off saw Hansen take charge. Her lovely through ball invited Percival to unleash a left-foot shot on the run, but Vanessa Lambert was covering her progress with every stride, preventing a clear sighting of goal.
Percival returned the ball to Hansen, who swiftly returned it to her team-mate, who this time found the space in which to shoot first-time. Christensen's sliced clearance landed straight in the midriff of Wood - a let-off for Rovers.
Lynn-Avon were probing openings from all sides. A neat triangle of passes involving Kete, Percival and Dana Humby saw the first-mentioned fire over a lovely 28th minute cross for Hansen, who played the ball back to Moorwood. Her shot was deflected to safety by fourteen-year-old fullback Cayne Schooley.
Three minutes later, Percival was struggling briefly after being clattered from behind by Edwards. When the defender tried the same trick on Moorwood, the wily midfielder completely outfoxed her opponent with a turn into space which created the chance to shoot from twenty-five yards. The ball flew just over the bar.
Five minutes later, Hansen - a lively first half - whipped in a super ball in behind the defence for Kete to latch onto. She fired a shot on the run across the face of goal on this occasion, but was to do far worse two minutes before the interval.
Rainbow, Moorwood and Percival combined to engineer this chance, Kete finding herself with just Wood to beat, a goal seemingly at her mercy. Had you put the house on the striker to score, one trusts you like camping, because Kete's finish was as woeful as it was wide.
This was some four minutes after Lynn-Avon had
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 Hayley Moorwood (LAU)
 Sarah McLaughlin (Rovers)
 Jenny Carlisle (LAU)
 Tarryn Laing (Rovers)
 Ria Percival (LAU)
 Charlotte Wood (Rovers)
 Dana Humby (LAU)
 Pip Meo (LAU)
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finally broken the deadlock. Jenny Carlisle received a pass from Moorwood, but found herself the latest target of Edwards' sliding tackles soon afterwards - not a wise move by the youngster, it must be said.
The combative defender avoided the threat well before returning the ball to Moorwood, who had drifted out to the right flank. Cue some magic, with Naomi Courtney-Tennant bewitched by the Pele pass as Moorwood played the ball between the defender and the touchline while scampering round the other side at pace, glancing quickly at the state of play in the goalmouth in the process.
Among those arriving in anticipation of a delivery was Parkinson, who found herself on the receiving end of an invitation to score, in the form of a beautifully weighted cross to the far post. The striker didn't spurn the gift - 1-0 Lynn-Avon.
Heads dropped among Rovers' ranks at this development, and the home team were swift to capitalise. Kete's glaring miss soon followed, but she more than made amends for it in the two minutes before the half-time whistle.
Moorwood and Carlisle combined with Rainbow, whose through ball sent Percival spearing into the penalty area. She coolly lured Wood out of goal before unselfishly squaring the ball to Kete, who turned the ball home into an empty net.
Sixty seconds later, a near carbon-copy of that goal brought about the 3-0 half-time scoreline. This time Moorwood worked a one-two with Carlisle before her defence-splitting pass put Percival in on goal with just Wood to beat. Out came the `keeper, on the scene appeared Kete, and into the net went the ball.
Rovers' coach, Paul Nixon, took his team to the dressing rooms at half-time, and got their heads back in the match - a wise move, given Moorwood's mood. Just two minutes into the half, she was at it again, riding a challenge before linking with Parkinson and Kete.
The latter's low cross, intended for the former, was pounced on by Wood, who saved well at the feet of half-time substitute Sarah Gregorius two minutes later, as she looked to capitalise on Humby's through ball.
Five minutes later, Kete was beginning to wonder if it wasn't meant to be her day. Another wayward Wood goal-kick was pounced on by Gregorius, who played the ball across to Parkinson. She worked an opening with Kete en route to the penalty area, where the slush proved a welcome twelfth man for Rovers' cause. Kete was following up, however, only to see her first shot blocked, and the second crash against the crossbar.
Three minutes later, Rainbow played the ball in for Gregorius, whose delightful drag-turn did Lambert all ends up. But the slush thwarted the United player, who found Kete charging in to try and capitalise. Her first effort cannoned against the post, while her second, from the rebound, rattled the sidenetting.
It was Kete's last chance, in this match, to join the pantheon of hat-trick scorers in Lynn-Avon's history, for Pip Meo was soon unleashed on Rovers' rearguard, not to mention former Rover, Katie Hoyle, who was soon brought into the action by the mesmerising figure of Moorwood.
Three defenders fell under her latest spell just outside the penalty area twenty minutes from time, with Hoyle gifted yards of space from which to let fly as a result. The midfielder's drive was well saved by Wood, who recovered well to prevent Gregorius from turning home the rebound.
Two minutes later, Moorwood was at it again, twisting and turning past two defenders before riding the challenge of a third to present Meo with a shooting opportunity, which was deflected to safety.
Fifteen minutes from time, Rennie, Meo and Percival combined neatly to put Gregorius in on goal with just Wood to beat. But the substitute lost control of the ball in the act of shooting. Rovers cleared the danger, but their reprieve was brief.
For Moorwood was soon on the ball, and her pass to Parkinson ignited the move which brought about Lynn-Avon's fourth goal. The striker picked out Carlisle's overlapping run as she galloped down the right, from where she fired in a cross to the far post. Looming large was “The Pocket Rocket”, and Meo made no mistake with an unerring finish - 4-0.
Rovers had rarely been sighted as an attacking force since the opening five minutes of the match - Vale's role was largely that of a spectator as Terry McCahill and company plotted Claudelands' downfall.
But they hadn't reckoned on McLaughlin's persistence in the 81st minute, her dogged pursuit of a lost cause forcing United to yield a rare corner. McLaughlin herself took it, and picked out Holly Nixon at the near post. She beat Vale to the ball and headed home a goal which Claudelands' efforts to contain Lynn-Avon just about merited.
While the visitors were still celebrating, United charged down the left, Rennie the principle raider. Gregorius and Meo also chimed in, with the latter's pass to Parkinson allowing the striker to rattle home a rising twenty-yard drive on the turn into the roof of the net - 5-1.
Lynn-Avon weren't satisfied with that tally, with Moorwood's performance itself thoroughly deserving of a goal. Five minutes from time, she worked an opening with Rennie down the left prior to the overlapping full-back's cutback for Hoyle. She turned the ball into Moorwood's path, and a dipping, curling twenty-five yarder was destined for the back of the net until Woods produced a top save to turn it over the bar.
Two minutes later, Meo was released by Parkinson down the right. Her low cross for Gregorius stopped in the slush, and Schooley stepped in to deny Parkinson the pleasure of a hat-trick goal.
The striker was denied twice more before the final whistle, firstly after Rennie and Gregorius had commandeered the left flank, then as a result of a delightful move featuring Rennie, Hoyle, Moorwood and Meo, the last-mentioned playing a one-two with Parkinson which saw her burst into the penalty area, only for the hat-trick chaser to be thwarted by Wood, the pick of the Claudelands contingent.
Lynn-Avon: Vale; Carlisle, Humby, McCahill, Rennie; Percival, Moorwood, Rainbow (Hoyle, 62), Hansen (Gregorius, 46); Parkinson, Kete (Meo, 62)
Claudelands: Wood; Schooley, Christensen, Lambert, Courtney-Tennant; Nixon, Laing, Shadbolt, Edwards, Robinson; McLaughlin
Referee: Harold Duimstra
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