QPR Ladies Reserves 0:3 Oxford City 3rds
The QPR Ladies Reserves lost today against an experienced and well marshalled Oxford City side in a match which proved to be a valuable learning lesson for the Hoops.
We are a young and new team and it showed. We only have a relatively small squad at the present time due to first-team call ups and injuries and when we come up against strong sides like this, then we need a full squad to be able to compete properly.
This match proved that we’re still very much a work in progress and that we can’t blast teams out of sight every week. We went in at half-time 2-0 down and it could have been more, but having said that, the two goals we actually gave away were incredibly sloppy from our point of view and could have easily been avoided had we done the basics right.
I learned an awful lot about our players today and understood a little more about where our strengths and weaknesses lie and where we need to improve as a team. It also served as a potent reminder that many of our players are still young and learning the game. We lacked experience and authority out there in one or two places and needed a bit more maturity to get a proper foothold in the match.
Despite saying that, I was delighted with their response after half-time. They got a bit of a rollicking for their lack of work ethic and desire and came out much improved. We had a fantastic period for about 5-10 minutes where we create two glorious opportunities to get ourselves back into the match, but the Oxford keeper was equal to it with some great saves.
Then we went and condeded another crazy goal that could easily been avoided. Oxford did create more chances though and thanks to a fine performance in the sticks from a half-fit Syan Armstrong we came away unscathed and despite the visitors dominating most of the play, we still created three glorious chances in that second-half which on another day may have yielded goals.
It’s pleasing to see that we can still create opportunities against solid defences and when I look back and think about the actual football that led to those chances, it was some of the better stuff played on the pitch in comparison to Oxford’s goals, which mainly came from individual errors and mistakes.
I’m pretty confident that with some hard work on the training ground, we can solve where our weaknesses lie and improve our strengths, so I’m really looking forward to seeing that evolve as the season progresses.
Team: Syan Armstrong, Stephanie Lupano, Jade Thirkettle, Melanie Randall, Kelley Bloomquist, Katie Smith, Scarlett Hanrahan, Jade Creighton, Jade Bowley, Sarah (Chloe Julien) and Allana Ashmeil.
Meanwhile the first team won 3-0 against Swindon making it six wins out of six, having beaten Team Western last week 5-3!
