Today gave me game 38 and 39 of the season to put me six ahead of where I was at this point last season. It’s almost certain that this season, I’ll get to my 1,000th game since I started keeping track of them in the 2013-2014 season. I’m bound to have done over 1,000 games in total, but as you know, I haven’t got a full record of all the games I did prior to the 2013-2014 season. I would think that I’m probably approaching 1,200 games in total, but I don’t know. Exactly a year ago today, I was at Easington Colliery to watch a 1-1 draw with Brandon United. It could be a while until my next Durham Women game. They’re at home three weeks today against Blackburn, but I’m down at York Races that weekend. I will be coming home on the Sunday, but I doubt I’ll be back in time for that game. And, after that, their next home game isn’t until the first weekend of November.
Match report:
Durham claim Continental Cup win against Aston Villa
Durham Women claimed an impressive 3-0 Continental Cup win over Women’s Championship table toppers Aston Villa Women on Sunday afternoon.
Molly Sharpe collected a brace for the Wildcats, while Abby Holmes also scored a header as the Wildcats started the group stage in impressive style.
Megan Borthwick started in goal for Durham, while Nicki Gears started up front and new signing Julia Weithofer came off the bench to make her debut.
Durham looked bright in the opening exchanges, but it was Aston Villa who created the first chance as Shania Hayles’ free-kick forced Borthwick into a save.
Hayles then had another effort fail to find the target, before Emily Syme’s effort came to the same fate.
Although Villa were creating the early chances, Durham were looking bright, and they broke the deadlock in the 14th minute. Good work from Gears out wide gave her room to cross. Her low cross found a way to Sharpe, and she managed to bundle the ball into the net from eight yards.
A couple of further half chances followed, before Megan Bell went close to doubling Durham’s lead. A fine first touch from Bell gave her an option to shoot, and she tried her luck with a fine dipping half volley. It had goalkeeper Sian Rogers beaten, but bounced off the crossbar.
However, only two minutes later, Sharpe collected her second and Durham’s second of the afternoon. Beth Hepple’s attempted through ball bounced off Elisha N’Dow to play Sharpe in, and she charged down on goal before drilling past Rogers.
With just over half an hour played, it was almost three. Bell played Iris Achterhof in on goal, but her effort was saved by Rogers.
Syme then had an effort saved at the other end, before Bell fired wide for Durham.
The Wildcats had a couple of corners as the first half came to a close, but there wasn’t to be a third goal in the first half.
Following the break, good work from Gears picked out Bell, but her effort was crucially blocked by N’Dow.
Durham stopper Borthwick was then forced into a save to deny Syme, before Amy West curled a Villa free-kick wide.
Aston Villa Women were having a decent spell at this point without creating any clear-cut chances.
However, in the 65th minute, Durham added a third. Hepple curled a corner towards the back post where Holmes was able to direct a header into the net.
As the second half wore on, Achterhof had a couple of big chances for the Wildcats, but she was denied on both occasions by Rogers’ saves.
Villa did go close to pulling a goal back inside the final 10 minutes as Jade Richards rose to meet a corner, but her header hit the crossbar.
Nadine Hanssen headed a cross wide in the 90th minute for Villa, but they weren’t to find a goal and an impressive win was topped off with a clean sheet for Durham.
Full-time: Durham Women 3-0 Aston Villa Women
Next up for me is probably Seaham Red Star vs Heaton Stannington on Tuesday night.
Durham Women: Borthwick, Hill, Christon, Holmes, Robson, Robertson, Hepple (c), Sharpe (Manders, 68′), Gears (Weithofer, 72′), Bell, Achterhof
Unused subs: Salicki, Reid
Aston Villa Women: Rogers, Franklin, N’Dow (Ewers, 69′), Richards, Ale, West, Warner (Haywood, 65′), Syme, Hanssen, Hayles (Johnson, 78′), Welsh
Unused sub: Follis
Admission: £6 adults, £3 concessions
Programme: £2
Attendance: 359
Referee: Jonny Urwin
Connor's Football Travels 