Warriors hit new heights in Glossop

Forwards: Lucy Maylor, Lola Fray, Michelle Price, Grace Baird (Captain), Jess Rowlands
Backs: Jennie Fasolino, Tina Millan (Vice-Captain), Sam Wills-Eve, Charlotte Walmsley, Tanya Jordan, Becky Solan, Sam Olle.

Forward of the Match: Jess Rowlands
Back of the Match: Sam Wills-Eve
Glossop’s Player of the Match: Tina Millan

With a long history of friendship between the two women’s teams, the Warriors were filled with excitement to make the short drive to Glossop on Sunday for a floodlit evening fixture.

With unfortunate injuries plaguing both sides, the game would be a fast-paced, 10-a-side battle which would leave both teams smiling and cheering at the final whistle. The 80-15 scoreline not reflective of Glossops excellent attacking press, yet still served a huge reminder as to how far we have come as a team, given the hefty defeat we suffered the last time we were on the very same Derbyshire turf.

The first five minutes saw strong pressure from the home side, with a try held up by Becky Solan just a few minutes into play. The Warriors, with some excellent defensive work from all, held firm and were able to force an error that put us back into possession. Some clever handling work and quick offloads saw the ball fall into the hands of speedy winger Charlotte Walmsley who had no trouble breaking through Glossops defence to put Warriors in the lead. Converted expertly by Becky Solan.

The next 20 minutes would be dominated by Wirral, with powerful carries made by all five members of the depleted forwards pack, this relentless hard work would open up spaces that would be continuously capitalised by Tina Millan and Charlotte Walmsley, as they scored another three tries between them - putting Wirral 26-0 in the lead.

With Wirral firmly holding the scoreline, we decided to try something new and myself and Tina made the decision to switch around the team to allow our newer players to try a new position. Sam Olle played a strong game at number 10, allowing Jess Rowlands and Lola Fray to enjoy a stint in the back line, both rewarded with a display of exceptional footwork, clever decision making and extremely strong ball carrying skills. Glossop also had a change of play and were rewarded with their first try of the game. Despite this, a couple of stolen rucks and quick passes to the wing, meant that as the whistle blew for half time, the scoreline would be Wirral 40 -5 Glossop.

Not a team for wasting time, an error from the kick off saw an excellent pick up from Jennie Fasolino out of a Wirral scrum, converted into a try by the fast and powerful legs of Tina Millan. Glossop would return strong, with a further two tries before the final whistle, however it was Wirral’s day in the end and a further 4 tries would be scored in maroon and white shirts.

As the final whistle blew and the teams walked off the pitch together, cuddling, laughing and reflecting our our previous encounters, I quickly realised that the scoreline was the least important part of Sunday’s game. Wirral never fail to make me proud with their respectful attitude, resilience on and off the pitch and their continuing desire to perform better. Everyone who stepped on the pitch on Sunday tried something new and, as a captain, I could not ask for more.

What better way to prepare for our home game this Sunday (1st December) against local rivals Sefton Panthers.

This will be our toughest test to date and, I am sure, an exciting game for spectators.

Our previous two clashes have seen exceptionally tight scorelines and hard fought battles on the pitch, with warriors last defeating Sefton on Wirral ground in April.

Please get down and support if you are able, we look forward to seeing you all there,

Grace Baird
Warriors Captain