Coventry City Ladies F.C.   2   .V.  1 Rotherham Utd.Ladies L.F.C.

The Millers arrived at top of the table Coventry City, without actually kicking a ball in over 4 weeks.

The home side having played already once this year looked sharper as expected and with the

advantage of playing and training on the 3G plastic pitch, looked more relaxed than their “football starved”

visitors.

A competitive opening ten minutes saw both teams create good chances with Coventry squandering

 2 relatively easy chances along with Rotherham’s Helen Lynskey ballooning a good chance over the

bar. Lynskey was again guilty of wasting a clear cut opportunity when Hayley Wood picked up possession

  just inside the Coventry’s half and sped to the by-line before laying the ball back only for Lynskey to

hurry her shot and blast it over the bar.

Coventry City had to wait until 30th. to open the scoring with a fine headed goal from an inswinging

corner.  As half time approached only a vital interception from Rachael Rutherford prevented Coventry

from going in at half time 2-0 up.

Coventry City started the better in the second half and deservedly went 2-0 up after a fine through ball

 sent the Coventry forward away towards goal and calmly placed it passed the advancing Whiteley.

To their credit Rotherham refused to lie down and Lynkskey scored within 3 minutes of the restart with

a deflected  25 yard free kick.

The home defence were the busiest of the two for the remainder of the game as Rotherham pressed

forward for the equaliser.

Rotherham started to believe in themselves and after tactical changes began to pressurise Coventry and

after good chances fell to Clarke and Spencer, Coventry held on to take all three points but they also new

that they had been in a gripping game that probably Rotherham did deserve to go away with a point, but that

 just wasn’t to be.

13/12/09  F.A.Cup Second Round Proper

Liverpool Fed Ladies F.C.  3 – 2 Rotherham Utd Ladies F.C.

Fielding a team short of 6 regulars due to injuries and non-availability, the Millers started this  F.A.Cup clash in Merseyside the better and earned an early goal lead from Hayley Wood after fine work from Charlotte Spencer.

The young Rotherham team looked in control of the game until midway through the first half when a defensive error gave the Liverpool forward a chance to equalise and she did so with ease.

Liverpool had a lot of possession for the remainder of the half but the Rotherham defence coped admirably with whatever was thrown at them.

Hayley Wood should have taken the visitors into the half time brake after rounding the keeper she allowed the a Liverpool defender to clear.

The second half saw the home side control most of the play and scored 15 mins into the half direct from a 20 yard free kick after a silly hand ball by Sarah Saxon who caught the ball after saying “she heard the whistle” but the referee was having nothing to do with her comments.

The home side scored their third 15 mins from time after the Rotherham defence was caught “napping” but in fairness to the Liverpool forward, she very calmly converted her chance so Liverpool took a 3-1 lead.

After loosing Hayley Wood to a reoccurrence of her hamstring problem that kept her out for 3 weeks,  Helen Lynskey was pushed up front for the last 10 mins and she was rewarded with a fine strike just near the end.

Liverpool held out the last few minutes and deservedly went through to the next round.

All the Rotherham players were commended by their manager for their effort but that just wasn’t enough on the day.