The Mancunian Women’s Warm Up

This Sunday I took the whole day out of my life and go on a trip through the Women’s football on offer in Manchester at the WSL level. This of course meant heading first to Wigan and then on to the little village of Leigh a 25 minute bus ride away. My destination was Leigh Sport’s Village and my first game of the day was Manchester United Women vs Tottenham Hotspur Women.

This was 3rd in the league hosting the team just below them in 4th, there was nothing separating the teams on points coming into this one and only settled into their respective league places on goal difference. I was expecting a competitive game once I get there, but first I did have to get there.

Getting to Leigh in time for the noon kick-off meant getting up early enough on a Sunday to get a 9:13am train out of Lime Street to get to Wigan for 10am and then get either the 9 or 10 bus towards a place called Higher Folds. That is an hourly bus service and as such missing one bus would’ve meant not getting there for kick-off and I couldn’t risk that. I chose the 10 over the 9 because the bus stop for the 10 was right outside North Western station, whilst 9 was across the road and round the corner so imagine my annoyance seeing the 9 head off up the hill and off to Leigh whilst I was left waiting.

Luckily I wasn’t waiting long as 5 minutes later my bus turned up and after a scenic journey through Lancashire I got to the ground with just over an hour till kick-off. With no club shop to go buy a keyring from and no programme sellers outside the ground I went for a walk in the nearby woods before taking a lap of the stadium and heading inside.

The lap of the stadium was interesting in that it revealed the huge car park on the other side of the stadium that I hadn’t explored yet, that also serves Leigh college next door and the large Morrisons across the road from the stadium. The stadium seemed more set up for rugby league games than football games though and the statue outside the West Stand was of a rugby league player just referred too as ‘Woody’, who seemed to be a club legend for Leigh in rugby league. This statue was right outside the main entrance to the stadium, but this entrance looked more like the entrance to a shopping centre than one to a football stadium.

The turnstiles were at least normal for a football stadium though and whilst I used an E-Ticket to gain entry there is also a ticket office selling paper tickets at the stadium, so you can pick your preference. Once inside the south stand I headed to the food kiosk at the far end of the stadium to grab some food and pick up a programme before heading into the stand itself to find myself a seat.

The seats were first come first served and this made the way that the food kiosk was managed particularly annoying. There was one steward managing the queue who decided that the one queue for the two tills was too simple and so decided to split it into a queue per till. Perhaps this would have worked better than the single queue if the steward in question had then let people choose which queue they wished to join instead of assigning each person a queue as they arrived. He seemed determined to always direct people to whichever queue was moving slowest at the time and woe-betide anyone who dared try to use their own initiative to pick a queue for themselves. It was truly infuriating, but I kept my cool and after a needlessly long wait I had my pie and programme and went to grab a seat.

The seat I chose was half way up the stand behind the goal in line with the left side of the 6 yard box, with the only screen in the stadium away to my right and the dugouts away in the stand to my left. For this game the East Stand away to my right was closed as was the North Stand at the other end of the ground to me, but the two open stands were both at least 75% full and this was a promising sign for the growth of the Women’s game.

The strange thing about the location for this game though was that it was not taking place in either a non-league Men’s team stadium or in a purpose-built stadium for the Women’s game. Perhaps this had something to do with the lack of proper use of the stadium’s screen, which showed the first 6 starters for the visitors and then cycled through 6 different screens in quick succession and then was never used again in the match other than to show the current score. The tannoy was not much help in working out the squads either as it was certain that Man United were starting with 2 players wearing the number 12 shirt. I had to go to google to find the actual team sheets for the match and the second number 12 for the hosts was actually their number 17.

These few problems sorted though the teams were ready for the off with the visiting Spurs shooting towards the fans stand in the first half, whilst Man U were saving this advantage for the second half. The orange clock that was actually tracking the game was not nearly as prominent as the large red clock that was not being used so the timings, till I noticed the clock in the 39th minute, will be approximations. The timings from then onwards will be exact.

Despite these two teams possessing some of the best attackers that the WSL has to offer, including Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Leah Galton for the hosts and Jessica Naz and Rosella Ayane for the visitors, the first ten minutes were completely devoid of any attacking threats from either team. Every time either team came forward in the opening minutes of the match the respective defences were able to cut out the move before it developed enough to become a chance for the attacking team to score.

This extremely disjointed opening to the match was not helped by the referee who was blowing up and interrupting the match for even the smallest infraction from both teams. This was in line with the laws of the game, but it was draining the momentum from the game. It took till the 12th minute for either team to create a chance that actually threatened. The home team created this chance with a pass through to the right corner of the penalty area that forced the Spurs keeper to get down to her left and gobble the ball up at her near post. From this save Korpela set Spurs on the break down their left which finished with a slide-rule pass across the 6 yard box from Jessica Naz, only for it the be called back for an offside against Naz.

The next two presentable chances came from free-kicks and it was one per team. First the hosts created their first threatening chance through a free-kick on the right which was flicked on in the box and slides just wide of the left-hand post in the 16th minute. Then came Spurs free-kick chance in the 24th minute from the right-hand touchline that got cleared to the edge of the box and was then sent back in with venom only to be deflected out for a throw-in. This corner was put behind for a Spurs corner and from that corner Untied broke upfield. They worked it to one of their strikers, at the far end of the pitch from me, who shoots high over the bar from 20 yards out.

This was the closest either team would come to scoring for a while as the game settled back down into it’s previous midfield battle as it has been up till this point. The 29th minute bought the first card of the game and it went to Ella Toone of United. She went into the book for blocking off Naz on the left hand side of the pitch as the Spur’s player looked to turn and run at the United defence. It was an unnecessary card for Toone though as Naz was not turning her with any speed at all and, like most of the game so far, the attack looked to be completely threat less.

Given the lack of excitement in the first half hour of the match it was almost a relief to have a break in play that allowed the game to reset. I say almost because this break in play came due to a Spurs player being down in the visitors penalty area needing treatment. It’s never a good thing to see a player down injured and needing treatment, but this break in play seemed to do all the players the world of good. The player needing treatment was able to continue after her time with the physios.

This break seemed to recharge the hosts more than their visitors though as it was them who had the best chance of the match so far in the 37th minute. This came from a deep freekick that landed to Toone on the left hand side of the box, who flashed a powerful shot right across the face of goal which skimmed the post on it’s way behind for a corner.

From this corner, in a game of so few quality attacking moves so far, we had the first goal of the game. United’s corner from the left was turned home in the centre by their number 8, Vilde Boa Risa, but I only know this thanks to the announcer over the tannoy as I was so amazed by the chance a minute earlier that I was making a note of it safe in the knowledge that nothing was then likely to happen until half-time. Whether I saw it or not though United had scored the first goal of the game and now lead 1-0.

In the aftermath of this goal and determined to focus more on what was happening on the pitch, this is when I spotted the dim orange clock on the railings of the deserted East Stand and was now able to tell for certain how far through the match we were and thus when things were actually happening.

This is how I know that having taken so long to take the lead it took just 4 minutes for the hosts to double their lead, I saw this one. United found space down the left and the cross into the box was pin-point perfect to the waiting Hayley Ladd in the centre of the goal who had the simple job of directing it into the goal off the left-hand post. I may not know exactly how United took the lead, but their goal to make it 2-0 was a move of sheer quality.

It was also the last action of note in the first half and a first half that was sorely lacking in excitement and quality for the first 36 minutes ended with 2 goals for the hosts and a lead that would prove to be unassailable for the visitors. It certainly shows why you should never leave the stands early at the end of a half. The two goals for United at the end of the half were perfectly timed to change the half-time team talks for both managers and take all the momentum away from their visitors in a way that they would never be able to recover from.

Despite the lack of quality attacks from their side in the first half, the Spurs dugout decided against making any changes at half time. Man U for their part also decided to stick with their team from the first half, though given their brace at the end of the half this was perhaps more understandable.

In half time I joined the queue for food, but with just one kiosk working and having not moved an inch after 10 minutes I decided to cut my losses and head back to my seat for the second half. I hoped it would be more entertaining than the first, but with the last 10 minutes of the half fresh in my mind it was going to have a lot to live up too.

The second half started well though as the hosts went on the attack in the 47th minute and really should have had a third goal. A mistake in defence by their visitors gifted the ball to Russo and her delicious cross picked out Galton 2 yards out in the centre of the goal. It was the easiest tap-in I have seen at a football match but somehow, with the goal at her mercy Galton managed to send the ball over the bar. It will go down as one of the miss of the season in the WSL without a doubt.

Having nearly taken a 3-0 lead at the start of the second half the hosts almost gifted the visitors a way back into the game just 3 minutes later. Mary Earps in the United goal tried to clear the ball upfield, but the clearance was a little wayward and the ball smashed straight into the face of Jessica Naz. She was able to continue without needing treatment though and luckily for the hosts the ball ricocheted out for a throw on the right hand side.

These two early chances in the second half were a good sign that this half would be a much more exciting half than the first. Unfortunately not as for the next 10 minutes the game reverted to the midfield battles of the first half and it looked like the game might fade out to the end with United happy to settle for just the two goals and a win that would move them clear of their visitors in the table.

Imagine my relief then when Russo wrestled the ball free from a melee on the right and surged forward with intent. Her cross found Galton at the near post, but her deft finish at the near post was kept out by Korpela who stopped it going in. However, she could not paw it behind and the ball flew across the face of goal where there were no waiting United players to turn it home for a third goal.

This was the last straw for the United bench who decided the time was finally right to make changes. They decided on two at this point with Kirsty Smith and the exceptional Alessia Russo replaced by Martha Thomas and Hannah Blundell. No movement from the Spur’s bench yet though.

These changes had the desired effect within minutes for United as they were gifted a third goal by their visitors. Galton won the ball on the left and put in a dangerous cross on the edge of the 6 yard box. Luckily for the hosts though Neville looked to be in the perfect place to clear the ball away, but in going for the clearance she got her feet caught underneath her. The keeper had switched off, relying on Neville to clear the ball and this left Vilde Boe Risa with the simplest of tap-ins from the centre of the goal. This one went in and now it was 3-0 to United and game over.

This finally sparked movement on the Spur’s bench as, in the 65th minute, they removed Josie Green and bought on Angela Addison, their most dynamic midfielder, and not before time. United made a substitution of their own as this point too bringing on Jackie Groenen, but a mishap in my notes means that I have no idea who she replaced.

These changes did nothing to help Spurs as they almost gifted United a fourth goal in the 69th minute. A simple pass to the keeper was allowed to run across her body by Korpela and then she slipped as she went to clear upfield with her right boot. Galton was on the ball and rushed in looking for the goal her play so far deserved, but the keeper recovered to poke it off her toes just in time.

By this point in the match United were easily on top and barely having to try in order to maintain possession. They were also attacking with speed and intent now and looked likely to score every time they came forward. That said Spur’s had not completely given up and they threatened on a rare break in the 72nd minute as they found space on the left, then worked the ball out to Ayane on the right. Ayane let fly in an attempt to beat Earps at her near post, but the United keeper was equal to this effort.

This excellent chance for Spur’s would also be the last involvement in the game for Rosella Ayane as she was substituted 5 minutes later with right-back Asmita Ale coming on in her place. This change freed up Ashleigh Neville to move forward into her more natural winger position, with Ale taking the defensive role on at right back.

This change almost bore fruit for Spurs in the 79th minute as they broke down the right. The cross to the back post from deep was pin point and the onrushing Rachel Williams met it with purpose, but her header knocked the ball just wide of the post as she collided with the post instead. Thankfully she was just a little winded and was able to carry on after treatment.

This chance bought the game into it’s final 10 minutes and with United clearly feeling that the game was now won they removed Leah Galton from the action, to a standing ovation, and bought on Ivana Ferreira Fuso in her place. This was an excellent call from Untied as it was Fuso who had the last chance of the match.

In the 86th minute Fuso came close to setting up a goalal that would’ve put all the other goals in the game to shame. She picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area and then proceeded to turn 4 Spurs defenders inside-out, bamboozling them with an exquisite show of skill that would have graced any game in any competition in the world. Her whipped cross across the 6 yard box was just begging to be turned home by any of her teammates, but the defence beat them too it and the best move of the match was denied the finish it deserve, keeping the score at 3-0.

This was the last chance of the game as the action faded through the final 5 minutes, with both teams just waiting for the match to end. When the game would end though was not made clear to anyone though as no board was put up for the added time at the end of the 90, leaving the 1,518 spectators in the stands none the wiser as to how long remained in the match.

Not even the match clock was any help as this stopped recording time at 91:16 and the game just kept going. There was just enough time for the visitors to make one final substitution, taking off Jessica Naz and bringing on Isabella Lane. I’m still trying to work out why they waited till this stage of the game to make a substitution though as the game was gone by then and there was nothing that the new Lady on the pitch could do to change the course of the game.

Minutes later the ref blew the final whistle and the game ended in a deserved 3-0 win for Manchester United Women over their sub-par visitors Tottenham Hotspur Women who will certainly have better performances this season and will hope to turn things around soon, because if they have more days like this they will get turned over again and again.

As for me I now had 5 hours to get out of Leigh and across to the far side of Manchester for the second game of my day to watch the blue side of Manchester take on the red side of North London, who also happen to be the league leaders.