Pewsey Reds Match report 25th Jan

Pewsey Reds vs Fitz
 
What a game!!! Looking at the results, it felt like this would be a good match but one which we could play around and try out new positions and new players….. how wrong was I! The two games where I have tried to plan the 4 quarters have been the hardest games so far…. I won’t make that mistake again. Prior planning apparently promotes poor performance. We started and Fitz came out of the starting blocks hard. I threw away the first centre and we went 3-0 down. It was beginning to feel like England vs Australia, we’d bring it back to level and Fitz would take the lead by at least 3 again. We were lucky to go into the first quarter break 11-11. BUT it felt like we could take this, we just needed to relax, allow Fitz to run around and play our game.
 
We started strong in the second quarter, we stuck to the plan and Emma came on for Jodie and there was a shuffle in defence with Hanna coming on at GD and Emily moving to GK. We hadn’t practiced this before but I was interested to see whether it could create a different dynamic in defence. It did and Hanna put the GA under pressure. We went into half time 19-17 up.
 
As a team we were superb and I cannot thank all the players and supporters enough. As the captain, I was at a bit of a loss, my chopping and changing was detrimental but I felt compelled to change it again! LJ came on at WD, Sinem at GA with Zoe moving to GS and Jodie at C. We started this quarter like a dream, we got 5 or 6 goals on the bounce and this was the time that it felt like the game was ours…… then Fitz came back at us. We made some unforced errors and we went into quarter time 28-28. I sought advice from the sidelines, we HAD to win this one!
 
More changes!!! But we went back to our tried and tested positions, LJ back at GK, Hanna WD, Emily GD. Zoe and Sinem switching in attack. The last quarter started and some great interceptions all the way down the court - but we couldn’t capitalise. It felt like this could slip away. Players got tense, it was tense on the sidelines, we started playing catch up and it was not a nice feeling. Trudie asked how we were doing and I said “losing”.
 
This was when I realised that we needed to change our attitude. We could either fight and take it to them, or roll over and accept the loss. Hanna had led “the wall” incredibly well and the noise had a positive effect on the team, so this was the new game plan - noise. We started cheering and shouting for every ball, every interception, every goal, pretty much every pass!!! The support on the sideline became our 8th player. We got momentum and Ella signalled that we were 4 ahead - no time to rest, we needed to push on. “We go again Pewsey” became my chant and Elaine’s “awesome” is always welcome.
 
The final whistle……. It was 42-33 to Pewsey!!! I think we were all shocked by how much we had pulled ahead in that last quarter. We were the Australia to Fitz’s England and boy did it feel good to be on the winning side this time!
 
POM: Emily. 100%, she was a menace in defence and you could hear them on the sideline “no overheads, she’s too good”. A positive influence on court and never gave up.
 
Players player: Emily. As above, as captain, I was thrilled she got both, thoroughly deserved.