The deadlock couldn’t be broken at the Chesterfield Panthers Rugby Club ground on Sunday afternoon as Chesterfield Ladies and Mansfield Town Ladies had to settle for a 0-0 draw in the East Midlands Women’s Premier Division.
The point means that Mike Noon’s outfit remain in third position in the league table.
The hosts certainly had the better of the first half in awful weather conditions and had a number of opportunities to take the lead.
Chesterfield’s first big opportunity of the game arrived after only seven minutes. An excellent free-kick delivery from Kel Fidler on the right flank found the head of Amy Pashley but her 12 yard header was tipped around the post superbly the Mansfield goalkeeper. The visitors fired their own early warning though just a minute afterwards when a long range effort whistled just wide of the post.
Amy Pashley came close again to taking the lead for Chesterfield Ladies midway through the first half when her 25 yard effort following a well-worked corner kick routine curled just inches past the post with the goalkeeper well beaten.
Chesterfield’s best opportunity of the whole match arrived after 28 minutes when the returning Millie Standen fired wide of the post when in a great position from around ten yards out. The pressure continued to mount from Chesterfield as the rain poured down. Just three minutes after Standen’s missed effort, another excellent free-kick delivery from Fidler on the right wing found centre-half Millie Jebb-Geer inside the penalty area but her 12 yard right-footed effort was well held by the opposition goalkeeper.
The first half certainly ended with plenty of momentum for the hosts but the second half was a very tight affair with both sides cancelling each other out. Mansfield’s defence did a superb job in keeping pace with in-form striker Georgina Williams while Louisa Anderson and (in particular) Millie Jebb-Geer were outstanding at the heart of Chesterfield’s defence.
With both defences on top, clear-cut chances in the second half were a rarity. The best chance of the second 45 minutes fell to the visitors just before the hour mark when the returning Nic Watson produced an excellent save to parry away a rapid 15 yard effort from Mansfield.
Aside from that, neither goalkeeper was properly tested in the second half and the game came to a goalless conclusion.
With just one point collected from the last six available, the Blues are now six points behind league leaders Notts County Women. However, a win away at Notts County next weekend would put Chesterfield Ladies in a strong position with a game still in hand on the Nottinghamshire outfit.
Chesterfield Ladies team: Watson, Pascoe, Jebb-Geer, Anderson, Warren, Pashley, Standen, Baker, Fidler, Williams, Camfield. Used subs: Frances-Creaser, Smyth, Young. Unused subs: Cook, Phillips.
Attendance: 125
Mike Noon Quotes:
“Based on the performances, I think a draw was probably fair. We created a few good chances, as did Mansfield, and I think for the neutral it was a decent game of football to watch. For us, we’re obviously disappointed. We want to win every game we play but we just couldn’t find the breakthrough today. But it’s another point on the board and as the saying goes, if you can’t win the game then don’t lose it. We’ve got to be positive, keep ourselves motivated and we go again next Sunday at Notts County.”
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