HASLINGDEN SHARKS VS BURNLEY 05/03/17

The Sharks team was Madison Purdy in goal, Eve Hadley and Louise Mackenzie in defence, Phoebe Williams and Isabella Dunn in midfield and Emily Blackburn and Grace Hadley up front with substitutes Jasey Kay, Lauren Horsfield and Daisy Halwood.

It was cold and wet and the resilient Sharks were up against a strong Burnley side, who had beaten them 9-1 away. The game had started with Burnley on the front foot pressing forward but were stopped getting near the goal by the defensive wall that Mackenzie and E. Hadley had put up. Behind them Purdy was stopping all that was required of her. On the fifteenth minute the first substitute, Kay, came on for Williams. Just after that Purdy made two fine saves to keep the score level. In the twenty-first minute Burnley finally broke the balance, from their corner the Sharks failed to clear and Burnley scored to go one up 0-1. Halwood then came on for Kay, and then in the 24th minutes McKenzie received the ball in defence, drove up field and just failed in her final pass to Blackburn, who was having a quiet game though did not receive much of the ball. Half-time came and a very commendable scoreline of 0-1.

In the second half there was a change of goalkeeper for the Sharks with Mackenzie taking over from Purdy, who went up front in place of Blackburn, who was replaced by Horsfield. Two minutes into the second half Burnley got a free kick fifteen yards out, resulting in a shot and goal from Burnley's No.5. On thirty seven minutes and under pressure, Burnley scored a third goal, though the defence particularly E. Hadley were playing well. The Sharks got a break and from Dunn's pass they broke free and with a one on one with the keeper, the keeper just managed to save, chance missed. Mackenzie next made a double save from Burnley's No. 5, then on forty three minutes and the defence overrun Burnley had a tap in for 4-0. The Sharks were not down and kept playing and were rewarded in the forty fifth minute when Purdy slotted the ball home from a corner to make it 1-4. Play was getting open and with both sides getting chances, but the next and final goal went to Burnley and the match finished 1-5.

Louise Mackenzie was the Sharks Player of the Match with her outstanding displays in defence in the first half and in the goals in the second half. Burnley's Player of the Match was Jessie Anderson. At the end of the match Eve Hadley was presented with the February Player of the Month Trophy.