Nottingham Forest Res 0-4 Sunderland Reserves

NOTTINGHAM FOREST RES 0 - 4 SUNDERLAND RES

NEWS: 14 December 2009

Sunderland Reserves headed into the game against Nottingham Forest knowing it was a game they really needed to win and on the day the girls put in a performance that they knew they were capable of.

From the start of the game they were confident and looked sharp on the pitch, starting the game in good fashion. It wasn’t long before Sunderland took the lead, with a penalty being awarded for a foul on Dani Scarr. Sophie Williams took the penalty and was quickest to the rebound to score after a good save by the goalkeeper. Williams then doubled the lead shortly afterwards with a quality finish inside the box flicking the ball over the goalkeeper with the outside of her foot.

The Reserves kept up the pressure on Forest, who found themselves three down inside the opening 30 mins after Scarr was sent clean through after cutting in and smashing the ball over the keeper with a left foot drive.

HT… Nottingham Forest Res 0 – 3 Sunderland Res

Sunderland started the second half in the same fashion they started the first and again Scarr was on hand to finish another good move down the right hand side with a left foot finish, this time on the half volley and the ball went in off the post.

Forest however kept trying to play themselves back into the game, but Sunderland’s defence had to be on their toes to snuff out any attack the home team caused. The Reserves could have made it a fifth when Autumn College, who scored against Forest at home, smashed a fantastic effort against the bar but was cleared by the defence.

Sunderland with the game now safe, still tried to play in the attacking third of the field and kept going to find another goal. However Forest defended well and prevented Sunderland adding another.

FT… Nottingham Forest Res 0 – 4 Sunderland Res

Sunderland Reserves... Mctague, Fletcher, Riddell, Bell, Gibson, Clark, Fraser, Caldwell, College A, Williams, Scarr.
Subs Havelock, Simpson, Subs not used Stockdale.

Reserve Manager Mark Pae said after the game … “We spoke before the game about how we needed to believe in ourselves and start in a good manner, taking the game to them. Forest are doing well in the league and were just above us, but this win moves us now two places above them helping us to approach the game against Doncaster Belles at the weekend in good spirits. We played some fantastic football at times and the girls all worked hard deserving the victory.”