Supported by the Sports Council for Wales

       Supported by the Millenium Stadium Charitable Trust

 

 

Cardiff City v Horfield

Cardiff City Squad
Harry Smyth, Josh Cockburn, Dave Thomas, Ceri Jones, Susan Belfourd, Rachel Knight, Kat Crimmins, Sian Hunt, Cally Procter

After watching a impressive winning performance from our ever improving development squad, Cardiff City took to the court against Bristol Horfield determined to put an end to a run that has seen City play well, but lose 3 games on the bounce.

Susan's end started off in attack, and where soon pressing for the opening, the skipper feeding the onrushing Josh who was unlucky not to open the scoring within the minute. Susan herself saw a ball bounce off the rim 30 seconds later, before Josh broke the deadlock with a nice long finish. All this before Horfield had processed a meaningful attack.

Another goal would soon follow as Midge opened her season's account from mid-distance. With only 2 minutes on the clock, and the score already 2-0, Horfield could have been looking down the barrel. Our opponents however, are made of sterner stuff this season, and soon levelled the score at 2-2 with little shots around the post.

From the swap, Josh passed to Taff, who finished from the half way line. City's long shooting would be on display again soon after, as Susan netted from range, and all 4 members of that division had scored within 5 minutes.

If City were shooting long, Horfield were doing the opposite, with 2 more little shots dragging the score back to 4-4. Yet again, this would not last, as Susan again scored from distance.

After this goal-feast of a start, the game finally settled down a little. With both teams having an apparently dominant scoring division, it needed someone to take a hold of the pendulum. Some slack passing saw Terry shout at the home side from the side, a trick that seemed to have an effect.

With Susan marker drawn closer by her dead eye from deep, she adeptly skipped past and netted a runner from Taff's feeding.

This would end the first half at 6-4.

In order to step up the play from their respective sides, some choice and direct words could be heard from both coaches at half time. The effects were immediately obvious as Horfield started the second half by laying siege to City's post. This led to another little shot dropping in.

However, with Terry's words ringing in their ears, City took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Ceri netted the first of three long shots from an end that had hitherto not seen a great deal of attacking, before Josh added another from Cardiff's long range artillery, and another from the spot.

With Horfield's star players rebounding the post, City used their heads and exposed the tactic expertly. Using the 3-1, Harry secured the post and let the girls (Rachel and Sian) draw the post boy in. Once fallen for the tactic, a quick ball over to the open and waiting Ceri was all that was required. Two sweet finishes from the former Uni captain later and City had opened up an 11-5 margin.

With our firing attacking line back at the sharp end, Horfield began to start looking wide open as Taff and Susan used the 3-1 to a different effect by exposing the middle to diagonal feeds.

Whilst both narrowly missed out from this tactic, they would not be denied, and made no mistake once fed from the classic positions.

Terry had asked for a 5-0 performance in the second half and was rewarded with a 7-1 instead to claim the game 13-5.

The result was largely due to a contrast in the two divisions. Taff / Susan / Midge and Josh were simply on fire, and claimed 10 of the goals scored, but somehow also leaked 5!

That meant that whilst they only scored three, (all Ceri), the opposite end of Ceri / Harry / Sian and Rachel were watertight and absolutely exemplary in defence for almost the whole of the game and conceded zip.

With both ends now getting dividends from multiple attacking options and one end simply not yielding anything, Cardiff City are finally in the winning groove, and will hope this lasts for the whole season!


Cardiff City 13 5 Horfield
Susan Belfourd 4
Ceri Jones 3
Josh Cockburn 3
Dave Thomas 2
Kat Crimmins 1













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