'MOVING THE GOALPOSTS'

FA WOMEN’S CUP BLOG – 1^st QUALIFYING ROUND

MORECAMBE v MIDDLETON ATHLETIC

“MOVING THE GOALPOSTS”

Women’s FA Cup Final day and an Indian summer, seem distant memories as a new campaign starts in the pouring rain at Lancaster and Morecambe College.

Having recently, spent an evening watching and meeting the best players in the English game at the recent International, this was as far removed as you can get. 

This was real grass-roots women’s football.  The game means as much, if not more to the players of Morecambe and Middleton Athletic, as it does to the stars of Arsenal or Everton who have won the Cup in recent years.

The nearest these players will get to Cup Final day is going to watch.  Women’s Cup Final day is a fixture inked in the diary of many player ‘plying their trade’ in the county and regional leagues throughout the land.

Plying their trade isn’t quite accurate, as ‘subs’ have to be paid in-order for the officials to get paid.  No Central Contracts or Super League wages here.

Before and after every game, the players of Morecambe LFC have to literary ‘move the goalposts’ into position.  A strange sight, seeing 6 players pick up the goalposts and walk the 400 yards to the storage shed, the other side of the car park.

Another thing I notice is there is no shortage of talent is this game between ‘North-West Regional League’ Morecambe and Manchester League Middleton.

The captain for Morecambe today, is no stranger, as Laura Ivinson (and a couple of her colleagues) played for Blackburn Rovers.  Today, it wasn’t just about the coin-spin, it was ‘meet and greet’ the ref and the opponents, making sure everything was in-place.

As the teams walked out from an imaginary tunnel for the pre-match hand shake they were joined by a young mascot, carrying an inflatable FA Cup.

The rain started to get heavier and Cup Final Day seems along time away.  Its day’s like this that make you realise this is why you started to watch Women’s Football in the 1^st place.

As the game kicks off and favourites Morecambe start to get take control, I notice something out of place.  The Morecambe striker, Jo Norris is an ex-Blackburn Rovers full-back, yet here she is playing striker in the FA Cup.

As often happens in Cup ties, things don’t go to plan.  A long ball across the Morecambe box is prodded home at the far post to put Middleton 1-0 up.

Parity is restored a few minutes later when ‘full-back or striker’ Jo Norris round’s the keeper and finishes with ‘Dowie-esque’ precision.  She later admits that playing striker is “really hard work” and she had her eyes closed when she took that shot. . 

Morecambe go in at the break 2-1 up when  Sophie Fish bundles home from close range, 

The 2^nd half was all Morecambe, with another goal from Norris.  She should have had a hat-trick, cannoning a shot of the bar.  ‘Megan Doherty makes it 4 as it looks like the Red’s are going to cruise home.

Champagne Moment’ of the day goes to the young Middleton keeper you pulled off a blinding penalty save after Norris was felled in the box. 

This didn’t mean that the keeper was later exempt from having to fish the ball from the stream a few minutes later. She went in and got it.

With 5 minutes to go Middleton get a late second with a fine finish. 

One player that I didn’t really notices it the 1^st half was Morecambe defender Hannah Palling. 

A member of the Blackburn team that won the Northern League a few years ago she has lost none of her ability to get up and down the wing and has excellent control. 

It has me wondering why she is wearing red and not blue and white. 

The Morecambe players vote for Hannah as ‘player of the match’.

Something they do after every game.

 As they enjoy the post-match of ‘Pasta and Garlic Bread’ I’m informed it’s normally chips for post-match meal, but today is different, it’s the FA Cup after all.

The Morecambe manager, Nick Barratt is 'mostly' happy with his players today (they never are really happy always wanting more). 

Morecambe totally dominated the play, putting 25 crosses into the box in the second – half.  Morecambe played some nice football and totally deserved the victory but manager Barratt wanted his players to score more goals.  Managers are never happy.

The day ended with Nick presenting 2 of his players (including striker, Jo) with a belated Birthday cake and England shirts.

Morecambe, are a team with incredible team spirit and they have a pure love of playing the game. 

As the game gets ‘more serious’ higher up, has some of this enjoyment of playing been lost as results become all important?

Morecambe are away to Birkenhead Youth in the 2^nd round.  It can’t come round soon enough.