Women's FA Cup, 2nd Qualifying Round,
The Central Ground, Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1NL 03/10/2021
This weekend I have decided not to go to any games on Saturday as the weather forecast is pretty dismal and I notice that it's the Women's FA Cup being played on Sunday. I have a look at the fixtures and decide to go to Coles Lane, for the Sutton Coldfield v Redditch United game at 2pm.
I get the train to Sutton Colfield, have a snack and a coffee and a quick look around the Gracechurch Shopping Centre and walk for 20 minutes to get to the ground.
I'm greeted by a friendly lady in a blue tracksuit and I pay my £3 entrance fee. Later on I think she may be the manager?
The forecast is sunny with showers for the first part of the match and I have gone to stand at the far end of the ground by the side of the goal to keep out of the direct sunlight and under some shelter.
The teams come out with Sutton in an all royal blue strip and Redditch in all red. As soon as the game kicks off, the rain decides to start falling!
Sutton Coldfield hit the match running and take the lead after just 2 minutes. The ball is lobbed over from the right and their No.14 heads home.
The same girl scores a second but I must confess to not seeing it as I had been checking some previous shots on my camera.
Sutton are quicker to the ball and in speed of thought and I am beginning to fear that they will be totting up a cricket score at this rate but Redditch do gradually get more in to the game and they have a few attacks of their own down the left.
They don't trouble the home goal keeper while the Redditch keeper has had to save several shots in this half although most have been straight at her.
So it's half-time with Sutton two goals to the good and Redditch will be looking to get an early, confidence boosting goal in the next 45 minutes.
Both teams are in the West Midlands Regional League, Premier Division and I have noticed the difference in class between this level and the first 2 levels of the Women's football pyramid which I have watched in the past.
The weather is mainly still rain and sometimes it's heavy too.
'The Royals' of Sutton Coldfield are attacking towards me now and they are pressing from the off again.
After 55 minutes, there is a nasty collision between the Sutton No.10 who bravely goes to head the ball with the Redditch keeper rushing out. They both collapse to the floor but fortunately they are just winded rather than injured and are able to resume after about 2 minutes.
After 62 minutes, Redditch have their best attack of the match when they have a shot turned away by the home keeper for a corner.
They have a few attacking forays down the left but it's still The Royals looking the most likely to score. I am impressed with their No.19 who seems to be their driving force from midfield (shown in action in the photo below).
As you can see, the playing conditions got a bit too unpleasant at times but luckily the real downpours didn't last too long.
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