HASLINGDEN SHARKS vs HASLINGDEN PANTHERS

The Sharks team lined up Louise Mackenzie in goal, Eve Hadley and Pheobe Williams in defence, Grace Hadley and Emily Blackburn in midfield, Madison Purdy and Izzy Dunn in attack and substitutes Sienna Limbert, Daisy Halwood, Lauren Horsfield and Jasey Kay.
The two Haslingden team stable mates lined up against each other for the final game of the season. The more experienced Panthers hoping to win against the younger opponents, The Sharks. From the kick off, the Sharks attacked and won a corner. From G. Hadley's corner the ball landed on the penalty spot and was dispatched home by Purdy 1-0, for the Sharks. The Panthers came back strong with most of the play in the Shark's half. Mackenzie in goal for the Sharks was kept busy, but after five minutes the Sharks attacked and G. Hadley had a shot saved. The Panthers pushed on with good passing and movement and they equalised in the sixth minute with a strike from Panther's Flannagan 1-1. The Sharks mounted one of their attacks with Purdy through on goal but another save. With the Sharks attacking the defence was left short and in the twelfth minute Campbell made it 1-2 for the Panthers. Worse was to follow for the Sharks when a tremendous strike from Pollard giving the Panthers a 1-3 lead. A flurry of substitutes for the Sharks with Horsfield for Blackburn, Kay for E. Hadley, Limbert for G. Hadley and Horsfield for Dunn. This did not stop the flurry of goals with the Panthers making it 1-4 in the eighteenth minute through Derbyshire. Mackenzie continued to keep the score down, but in the twenty second minute Pollard added a fifth and her second for 1-5. Action continued at both ends with Sharks Purdy and G. Hadley having shots saved and the Panthers hitting the post. A lively first half came to an end with the Panthers winning 1-5.
Limbert and E. Hadley came on the second half with E. Hadley needed to put a steadying influence in the Sharks defence with Williams again proving a determined defender. Limbert was improving with each match. The fourth minute saw Mackenzie pulling off a fine save, but the Panthers were putting pressure on with three successive corners all well defended.In the fifteenth minute a sixth goal came when Derbyshire shot through a crowd of players to make it 1-6. Could the Sharks hold out until full time, the answer was no as Campbell completed her hat-trick to make it 1-7. The Sharks were not down and a good run by G. Hadley and a slide rule pass to Blackburn send her away to slot the ball home for the Sharks 2-7. Time was nearly over when a twenty yarder from a Panther player was tipped over the bar by Mackenzie, final score 2-7.
The Sharks kept going with smiles on their faces especially Horsfield, who being the smallest but kept getting up and getting on with it smiling. The Sharks Player of the Match was Louise Mackenzie who was kept busy all morning. The Sharks awarded the Panthers Fern Ashworth as their Player of the Match.