Chipping Sodbury Ladies 4-5 Ladies Pre-season friendly (20th August 2020)
After Sunday’s below par performance the ladies had an earlier than expected opportunity to put things right with Chipping Sodbury offering the ladies a midweek game following a cancellation in their own pre season schedule. The match would have a special feel to it under the floodlights but sadly without supporters due to the current restrictions.
No defeat is ever a loss if you learn from it and in just four days the difference in Olveston was immense. Up against a side again two leagues above them the ladies set the early tone and just three minutes in they would take the lead. A pinpoint corner from Emily Nicholson picked out summer signing Sarah Bailey and the full back made no mistake with her header to grab her first goal for the club!
With the game being played at a frantic pace and often end to end the home side equalised just 7 minutes later after a rare mistake while playing out from the back and the Sodbury attacker made no mistake with the finish. Three minutes later that mistake had all been forgotten though when Jazz Pither played a sensational through ball to the ever busy Nicholson and she raced onto it before finishing from an acute angle!
Olveston were looking more than a match for their higher league opposition and unlike Sunday players were winning their individual battles and moving the ball around with such composure but it was Sodbury who would again level the scores with a tap in after what looked like a foul on the keeper but the referee waved away the protests and the goal stood.
As the half wore on the tempo of the game continued with Olveston perhaps looking the more threatening and just a minute before the break the ladies took the lead for the third time. Influential midfielder Sally Gill this time turning provider with a defence splitting pass sending Courtney Lusmore one on one and the striker made no mistake with a cool finish!
HT 2-3
The second half got underway with a fresh breeze in the air but the temperature on the pitch was red hot with the players flying into challenges and putting bodies on the line. Both sides continued to create chances but the score remained unchanged until the 70th minute when Lauren White produced a moment of brilliance as she received the ball into feet, turned her marker and raced into the box before squaring for the incoming Olivia Hood who finished brilliantly across the keeper to give Olveston a two goal cushion.
Credit to Sodbury who refused to lie down and continued to create chances of their own with some impressive defensive work by Olveston and some strong saves from Becky Douglas keeping the hosts out. What followed was nothing short of high drama as Sodbury got their third with an absolute worldie of a strike that Douglas had no chance with and 12 minutes later the hosts levelled with another great effort to complete an incredible fightback with four minutes to go.
Olveston showed great character throughout the game to bounce back after each Sodbury goal and with the clock ticking down they would grab a deserved winner. White and Hood combining excellently again with the latter once again slotting home at the back post to seal a fantastic and much improved performance from last weekend.
FT 4-5
