Alright, alright I need to calm down but three from three from The Lady Mags in pre-season with eight new players in the squad is a belta of a start to be sure. Perhaps tougher tests ahead, although the 2 – 1 away win on Sunday at Hibernian wasn’t easy.
West Brom at St. James next Saturday, Sunderland away and Leeds United at Kingston Park all lie ahead and will certainly give Becky Langley and her new first-team coach Andy Cook plenty of opportunity to assess their squad in readiness for the new season ahead.
On the evidence of what we’ve seen so far this is a team that is very UNITED, totally committed, briming with talent and ability and no little character nor determination. They seem to have gelled superbly already and make it an exciting season ahead.
Hibs are a Scottish Premier League side and also a full-time outfit that start their league campaign next week against Glasgow City. This meant that they were further ahead of Wor Lasses in their pre-season but it never showed as NUFC competed superbly from the off.
It was a pulsating 90 minutes of high quality football from both sides. No questions asked no quarter given as the word ‘friendly’ was perhaps not an accurate description of a keenly but fairly fought encounter that felt more like an official competitive game than a friendly.
With skipper Grace Donnelly unavailable. Hannah Reid, an ex-Hibs player, got her first start between the United posts and Charlotte Potts also an ex-Hibs player was made Captain for the day. Both responded with fine individual performances that helped their teammates to an excellent win.
Ex-Sunderland Captain Emma Kelly made her debut for The Lasses and put in a great shift throughout showing real leadership qualities. Jas McQuade last season’s development Captain has been promoted to the first-team squad and also played really well.
Upfront Bridget Galloway led the line and eventually turned in the winner and looks a real handful and threat up top, although perhaps could have at least doubled her tally on the day after missing a golden opportunity in the first half.
But in truth everywhere you looked you saw a United player that looks determined to give her all and fight for a shirt in this team that looks like they’re already benefiting from going full-time.
Hibs actually took the lead in the game on 28 minutes when Hannah Reid made a fine save from a great strike from Tegan Bowie to give the home side a corner. Skipper Ellis Notley whipped in a vicious spinning inswinger that caught on the strong wind and dropped into the net with Reid unable to get to the swerving ball.
That goal came after United thought they’d taken the lead on 23 minutes when Jodie Bartle’s header from Emma Kelly’s cross seemed to be over the line before being bundled clear but the officials thought otherwise.
The sides had been fairly equal in the opening 45 minutes with Notley’s fortuitous opener being the difference. The second half completely belonged to United though who dominated to such an extent that Hibs never had a shot at goal in the 45 minutes.
United on the other hand pressed and pressed and got their equaliser on 57 minutes from Olivia Watt who has returned to the side for pre-season after missing the whole of the promotion winning season through injury.
Galloway showed strength and control to hold the ball up, before playing it to McQuade who touched on to Watt. The defender lined up her shot from 25 yards out, and found the top corner to level the scores.
Three minutes later and the winner came from Galloway who got across her marker inside the six-yard box to bundle Emma Kelly’s corner home for a real poacher’s instinct goal and complete the scoring on the day.
The Lady Mags never looked in danger of relinquishing that lead despite making five substitutions and indeed looked more likely to increase their lead with a controlled professional performance right to the end.
As I say, perhaps we need to tamper down the expectation levels. But clearly Becky Langley has one of those difficult decisions picking a starting XI from such a talent squad that is termed ‘a nice headache!”
