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Photos: Jack Western
With the weather as chaotic and inclement as it was out on 22 Acres this afternoon, it was never likely to be a match demonstrative of joga bonito. So it proved. Hideous weather ruled the beautiful game as the two clearly talented but meteorologically hindered sides failed to break the deadlock in ninety minutes of scrappy, disjointed football.
Durham began at full-throttle, taking full advantage of an extra player in midfield to sit high and press with intent. It was York’s Sophie Jermy, though, who would be a constant thorn in the side of the visitors, powering away from a defender out wide early on but not quite able to get a toe on an Ellie Whittaker through ball. Jermy would link up well with Jess Craig moments later, the former racing onto a cushioned volley from the latter only to see the Durham goalkeeper nick it off her toe.
Following a high pressure start, it took Durham a good thirty minutes to carve out a chance of note, and it was no real surprise that when it did come it came courtesy of an intricate move through the middle of the park. Charlie Brown was alive to the danger though, diving on the ball to prevent a free shot at goal for the Durham forward. The only other action of note in the first half would see UYWAFC’s powerful striker Anty Cole turn and scythe an off-balance low strike at goal from a full 25 yards, and was unlucky to see it flash past the post and wide.
With the wind still biting, it was no surprise to see the second half continue in the same vein as the first, with no one anticipating a clever low cross across goal from Anna Middlemiss as she broke free down the left flank. Durham would rally following a few meek attacks, a winger jinked inside only to see a low effort blocked by Decamp before a drop of the shoulder freed a striker to hammer in a shot which had Brown scrambling as it whistled wide of the post.
Though York had the better chances and probably deserved more than a point for their endeavor, a controversial indirect free-kick was awarded as Whittaker saw a Jermy cross poked away and back to the keeper illegally- the goalmouth scramble which followed saw a low ball flash across the face of goal, somehow evading three York players on its travels out for a throw-in. It was then clear to see it was simply not their day.
VISION POTM: Sophie Jermy
UYWAFC captain Ellie Whittaker: “After a 4-0 loss the last time we played Durham, I thought this was a massive improvement. We were a lot better today. I’m really impressed with our development, and if we play like this every week we will have a very strong end to the season.”
UYWAFC(4-1-1-3-1): Brown, Davies, Roy, Decamp, Baldwin, Whittaker(c), Middlemiss, Chambers, Craig, Jermy, Cole
Subs: Larkin, Fazio, Troftgruben