SCRFC Women match report 16th September

Gerard Shanahan.

Women's NC Midlands One

Sutton Ladies proud home record remains intact as a big statement was made last Sunday at the RSG with an emphatic 49-10 success over their visitors from Olney who, unbeaten in 2018, finished 2nd last season in ‘Women’s NC Midlands One’ and arrived on the back of an opening day 63-0 win the previous week at Old Northamptonians.

Sutton opened the scoring after 12 minutes when Jessica Nally scored a trademark try breaking from the base of an attacking scrum. The lead was short-lived though as visiting fly half Jen Miles scored in the left hand corner after 16 minutes to level the scores at 5-5.

The home side began to get a grip on the game, dominating possession and territory and getting a nudge on in the scrums with the pressure eventually telling after 27 minutes when 17 year old Carla Malek squeezed over in the left hand corner to give Sutton a 10-5 lead.

The hosts continued to press and after 36 minutes Carla’s 17 year pal from school, Chanelle Stankard, much to the delight of her teammates, scored her first senior try in only her 2nd ever senior game when went over in the right hand corner to extend the lead to 15-5.

Deep into 1st half stoppage time the visitors got themselves back into a game that looked beyond them when No8 Lianne O’Reilly forced her way over from close range to reduce the Sutton advantage at the break to 15-10.

The floodgates that had threatened to open in the 1st period eventually did in the the 2nd with Sutton running in 6 further tries against tiring but valiant opponents. The tries came through Katie Gregory(2), Carla Malek who ran the length of the field for her 2nd of the afternoon, captain Charlie Byrne, Kerrie-Anne Melsom and Alison Livermore, who also knocked over two 2nd half conversions in blustery conditions for a goalkicker.

The final score of 49-10 was a fair reflection of the whole game on the balance of play but whilst the margin of victory might be wide great credit must go to Olney, a fine side, and who with depleted resources never gave up and kept fighting till the final whistle and we look forward to the return fixture at their Bedfordshire base in December.

From our point of view the coaches must have been impressed, particularly with the 2nd half showing, against much-fancied opposition, where we finally managed to take a reasonable number of the many chances we created. Huge defensive sets from the girls today with the line-speed we’ve been working on in training paying great dividends.

A telling factor today unquestionably was the strength and depth of the Sutton squad, arguably the strongest 22 we have ever put out despite still missing a few big hitters. Great to see the two teenage wings, both products of the Junior Girls pathway tearing it up whist still learning the game, a great outlet to have, it’s hard to defend against real gas…!!

Thanks for all the support today; we now have a break for a couple of weeks before our next game away at Old Northamptonians on 7th October.

Team: Vicky Sullivan, Tara Wheeldon, Abbie Buttery, Athena Jai, Mollie Campbell, Liz Fletcher, Natalie Kennett, Jessica Nally, Karen Adams, Alison Livermore, Carla Malek, Maria Crowfoot, Charlie Byrne(Capt), Chanelle Stankard, Katie Gregory. Subs(used): Kerrie-Anne Melsom, Christine McEvoy, Holly Wheeldon, Genna Pilling, Harriet Parkes, Natalie Hall, Rhian Etheridge.