Sun 6 Oct 2019, 14:00
Witney Angels arrived at their Hailey road grounds on Sunday 6 October ready and rearing to go for what would be a battle on the field, right from the first whistle. After a three week break and a disappointing first loss at the hands of Cheltenham Civil Service the ladies were really fired up for their first home game of the season.Despite Witney making a great start and spending the first 15 mins in the visitor's half, Wolverhampton Ladies, who brought a physical side, were quick off the mark to be the first to score. But the Angels soon perked up and established their dominance in the contact zone, with every player making hits that would ultimately keep the Wolverhampton Ladies in their own 22 for a gruelling 20 minutes of defence.Sharp passing and strong running from a scrum in the Wolverhampton 22 led to Witney’s first try, scored by all-rounder, Amber Moran.The battle continued into the second half. With some speedy breakaway runners from the Wolverhampton Ladies, the Angels saw a little more of their own half of the field than desired. Try-saving tackles from the Witney back three and a continuation of the physicality seen in the first 40 minutes kept Wolverhampton away from the try-line for as long as possible, but a drive over the line and a swift conversion put Wolverhampton 9 points ahead for the next 15 minutes of the game.A number of strong runs by the newbies and some smooth turnovers gained Witney welcome possession in the final quarter and in no time, they were back in the Wolverhampton 22 where a crash ball in the centre, followed by some quick-thinking led to Witney’s second try, scored by Captain Becks Liddell.With the clock ticking, both teams continued to fight for more points to secure a win. A spate of high tackles led to Wolverhampton receiving a yellow card and losing a player for the last few minutes, but the final whistle blew with Wolverhampton holding their 2-point lead.Final score: Witney 12: Wolverhampton 14A credit to themselves, the Witney girls kept their cool in a hot-headed game and left the pitch smiling, looking forward to meeting the Wolverhampton Ladies on their own turf later in the season.Player of the match (sponsored by Lambe Contractors) goes to Claire Mills for high work rate around the pitch and supporting players with the ball.Back of the match went to Emily Houghton for her big tackles and strong runs.Witney Angels Ladies sponsored by AirDri
