Ben Rhydding Ladies 2 Beeston Ladies 0

AFTER a six goal thriller away at Beeston in the first match of the season which ended all square, both teams were looking to come out victorious in this tough third/fourth place clash.

Beeston opened the match with blistering pace, applying pressure on the home side that at first proved challenging to cope with. Inside forwards Sarah Bell and Jess Purvis worked well in the middle to protect critical lines to goal and push the attack out wide.

A few early chances were squandered from the visitors, including one ball that went unanswered straight across the face of an open goal. But Ben Rhydding, a team that used to buckle under pressure, kept their composure and built from the defence to create movement going forward.

The focus of the match shifted in Rhydding’s favour, and a polished press forced a rattled Beeston’s defence to make some wayward passes off the side and back lines.

Kate Hesketh opened the scoring for the Yorkshire side just after half time. At a short corner, Rachel Doherty injected to Tanisha Janzen at the top of the D, who fired it in towards the penalty spot area. The ball glanced off Hesketh’s stick and flew into the bottom left corner.

Ben Rhydding proved why they had so few goals scored against them this season, with Charlotte Smith in goal denying any likely scoring chances and calm defending from a solid back four. Their rapid transfer of the ball from one side of the pitch combined with the tireless running of Jodie Bridger and Sarah Whitehead in midfield allowed Ben Rhydding to advance successfully up the pitch.

El Trafford led by example from the front, placing constant pressure on the Beeston centre backs. Two block tackles in quick succession turned possession in her favour, where she slipped the ball to Laura Smith in the circle. One on one with the keeper, Smith dragged the ball wide right but only managed to place it onto an arriving defenders foot.

Two minutes from time, Ben Rhydding cemented their victory with another successful short corner. Doherty dragged the ball out once more to the top of the D, where Janzen slapped it towards goal. Jen Wilson’s deflection was collected by the keeper but Doherty came to the rescue, scooping up the rebound and slotting it home.

Doherty won herself Player of the Match, after some silky skills akin to wizardry, and a plethora of superb shots on goal- one of which was spectacularly saved off the line by the last defender.

With those key three points added to their total, Ben Rhydding leap frogged Beeston in the league table into third place, their highest place held to date, and only four points shy of first place with two games to go.

Saturday brings another tough game to Countances Way, where Ben Rhydding host second place Brooklands Poynton at 1:30pm.