#1 [url]

Nov 26 07 12:48 PM

Here you go - my press release for this game

Newcastle Utd 1 – 4 Lincoln City Ladies F.C.



The Lady Imps made a welcome return to their early-season form on Sunday when they beat Newcastle Utd. 4-1, with Stacey Aisthorpe and Kerry Smith netting one apiece and Jodie Snelson shooting a brace to take an invaluable three point haul away from home.



Although City utterly dominated much of the first half, they were only able to go into the break on level terms with the Magpies, with goals each from City’s Northern Division top scorer Jodie Snelson and Newcastle hotshot Mel Reay.



Firery shots from Megan Harris and Stacey Aisthorpe early on just failed to give the visitors the advantage – Harris’ flying just over the bar and Aisthorpe’s forcing a brilliant save from the Magpies keeper – but with 12 minutes on the clock Sophie Barker marked her return to fitness with a fine through-ball to Aisthorpe, who fired a hard shot that rebounded off the Newcastle goalie only to fall at the feet of Snelson who cleverly lobbed the ball into the net to give the visitors a vital lead.



Snelson and Kerry Smith both found themselves one-on-one with the goalie but each time the Magpies keeper was good enough to stop difficult shots from the Lincoln pair. And with just six minutes of the first half remaining Mel Reay won the ball on the left and produced a spectacular lob-shot that soared over the head of City keeper Kay Hawke and dipped under the bar to keep the home team in the game at the end of the first period.



With just two minutes of the second half on the clock Harris again hit the bar, and on 61 minutes Aisthorpe once again found herself alone in front of the keeper, but she managed only to slice the ball wide with her right foot. Just two minutes later though Aisthorpe was brought down during a surging run at goal just outside the box – Snelson stepped up to take the free kick and fired with pin-point accuracy into the opposite corner to restore the lead for her side. With 20 minutes of the game left Kerry smith put in a huge tackle to win the ball in the left, she then powered towards the box and fired from a tight angle to make the score 3-1.



Aisthorpe eventually wrapped up affairs when she again found herself driving alone towards the Magpies’ goal – this time the City striker found time to switch the ball onto her preferred left foot and stylishly slotted the ball past the helpless Newcastle keeper to make the final score an impressive 4-1 to the Lady Imps.



“This was one of our best performances of the season, the players did everything we asked them to do and came back to form in style. We knew Newcastle would battle and make it hard for us, but to be fair and with no disrespect to Newcastle who are a very decent side, with a little better finishing on our part, the game should have been over by half time. We have to be pleased with a 4-1 away result at Newcastle but we could easily have scored eight today. Our shape was good and some of our counter-attacking football was the best we’ve ever produced. When we play like this I don’t think there’s a team in the Northern Division that can live with us, but we must find it within ourselves to produce performances like this week-in week out - I can’t be more happy for the girls!” he said.