Page 27 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.32 2022-23

Ward into a fine reaction save. Tia McDonagh was the visiting player who find herself with time to
fire a shot at the target, which took a deflection en route and looked headed for the bottom corner
until the outstretched arm of Ward prevented it from nestling in the back of the net.
It was the Millers who had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and had carried a real threat
down the right thanks to the marauding runs of full back Jessica Jones. Having delivered a series
of decent crosses, Jones almost provided the ammunition for the opener with half an hour on the
clock as she floated a ball in from the right which Winter dashed to meet at the near post, where
she was unlucky to see her glancing header go narrowly over the target.
As the half continued to unfold it was the Millers – and in particular Winter – who looked the
most likely to break the deadlock. Another positive run from midfield saw the Millers no.8 take aim
at the bottom corner with a low driven effort, which Vennssa Kinnerley got down smartly to her
right hand side to save.
Millers forward Halima Essa had made a series of surging runs as she ploughed a lone furrow
in attack for the hosts and had proven to be a thorn in the side of the Stags all evening, although
she had been denied any real sights of goal.
A rare Mansfield break saw some space open up for Amy Dawson 35 yards from goal but she
was unable to generate the necessary power and accuracy to trouble Ward.
With 38 minutes on the clock, Winter’s eyes lit up again as she seized on a defensive error deep
inside the Mansfield half and charged towards the goal, where she was denied a near-certain
scoring opportunity by an excellent recovery challenge from a retreating Stags defender. The last
act of the half in the way of a shot at goal came from Dina Sarayreh, who looked to catch Vennssa
Kinnerley off guard in the Stags goal with a long-range strike, which ended up wide of the goal frame.
The two sides continued to jostle for position following the restart but it was Mansfield who
had come out following the half time team talks brighter. Substitute Jessica Parker thought she had
found some room in behind the Millers defence after four minutes had elapsed and although she
forced a solid stop from Kinnerley in the home goal, she would have been denied by the offside flag
regardless of whether the shot had hit the back of the net or not.
The visitors continued to apply the pressure and tried their luck attacking down the flank when
Dawson found herself in a good crossing position high up the left, but could only find the gloves of
Ward in goal with her deep delivery to the far post. Moments later, Dawson so nearly had the goal
at her mercy when a ball ricocheted favourably into her path in the box after good work from Grace
Shipman, but an awkward spin prevented her from firing at goal from close range and the Millers
recovered in time to clear.
The momentum was very much with the Stags by the time an hour had passed and they very
nearly unlocked the Millers defence when a stray pass was picked off by Millie Edwards on the edge
of the box. Her effort looked to be wide of the target until it was steered back goalwards by
Shipman, who couldn’t do so with enough power to threaten Ward.
The Millers almost swung the tie in their favour with 74 minutes on the clock from a set piece.
A pinpoint Sarayreh delivery from a wide free kick was met at the near post with a stooping header
from Hale, who was so unfortunate to see her contact take the ball inches over the top corner.
A breakaway attack from the visitors very nearly changed the complexion of the tie entirely
when Shipman found herself charging towards goal, where another excellent recovery challenge
denied her from testing Ward. The ball did, however, fall perfectly into the path of the onrushing
Dawson who crashed a strike towards goal where Ward produced a heroic stop to keep it tied at
0-0.
Ultimately and despite both sides knocking on the door and a last minute thunderbolt frim
Jones which was saved, a winner couldn’t be decided meaning that the first ever Her Game Too
Shield ended in a draw which headed to penalty kicks.
The hosts would eventually prevail as victors on penalties in dramatic fashion as they came
from behind in the shootout to win following two Mansfield Town misses.
Rotherham United: Ward, Sarayreh, Corke, Newell, Tart, Jones, Winter, Simmons, Essa,
Hale, Tinker. Subs: McCrory, Wilson, Mitchell, Oyeka, Tattam, Harris, Staples, Goodhill.
Mansfield Town Ladies: Kinnerley, Taylor, Price, Bowley, Foulkes, Dawson, Beckwith,
Edwards, McDouagh, Chincharo, Evans. Subs: Hutsby, Parker, Shipman, Cousins, Bell.
(Report by Julian Barker)
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