Ballymena Showgrounds was the venue for match day two of the UEFA WCL which saw Sk Slovan Bratislava kick-off proceedings against Glasgow City. Having suffered a 3-0 defeat against FCR 01 Duisburg on match day one, spectators expected to see a more offensive formation from the Slovaks. This was not the case, however, and they persisted with a defensive formation of two banks of defenders which made for a frustrating afternoon for the Scots. Captain, Suzanne Lappin, opened the scoring for the Scots on 26’ while Jane Ross made it 2-0 just before halftime (45’). Two more in the second half from Rachel Corsie and Ruesha Littlejohn completed the scoreline which left them sitting top of the table before the second match of the day between former WCL winners FCR 01 Duisburg and Crusaders Newtownabbey Strikers.
Watched by a noisy 304 spectators, Crusaders looked to reignite some home pride after their disappointing start to the tournament. It looked a case of premature floodgates when they were 2-0 down within 7’ to two headers from Luisa Wensing. Strikers’ Lisa Armour led from the front with her commitment and tenacity in the tackle and this sparked the crowd and players into action. For the remainder of the first half, Crusaders were back to their old selves – battling hard in the tackle, organised across the field of play and giving only the requisite amount of respect to their opponents. The Germans obvious dis-satisfaction with the home team was reflected in the demeanour of their bench though they did score two more before halftime courtesy of Mirtle Rolevink.
Billy Wylie’s halftime team talk was enough to remind players of their own personal and sporting achievements in taking the field of play against top level European competition. Strikers went a step further than this and they had the home crowd on their feet on 53’ when outstanding defender Julie Nelson converted a goalmouth scramble. Cue the game of two halves in which the Strikers’ threw everything at the Germans to protect their goal. Angela Platt was the saviour on a few occasions while the determination shown by every player wearing the black and red won the home crowd’s respect. FCR found the Strikers’ resolve to be unwavering and while they scored two before the final whistle (Krahn and Kiesel on 74’ and 85’), they were obviously unhappy with their own standard of play. So it was a case of 2-1 to the Germans in the second half and a moral victory for Strikers. Tournament ambassador, Kate Hoey, was present for what she described as a “very proud day for everyone involved in the club and in women’s football in Northern Ireland” and she spent some time with the players after the match.
Match Day Three sees Glasgow City FC and FCR 01 Duisburg face off for the top position in the group (KO 5pm at Ballymena Showgrounds) while Strikers move to Stangmore Park, Dungannon to take on SK Slovan Bratisalva (KO 5pm). A-free-ka provide the entertainment for spectators at what promises to be a special occasion for Strikers’ bid to build on their performance against the Germans and take their first European points.
Author: Katie Liston
