4th January 2009
Radcliffe Olympic 6 - 0 Mansfield Town

Lex (2)
Meg (2)
Soph (2)

New year and a blinking cold one at that (well it was certainly frosty on the touchline anyway - sorry about that Sportsfans), but a cracking start to '09 for the girls with a solid Olympian performance that saw the visiting stags treated to an impressive display of splendid passing footy from the home team. The visitors put up a good battle and were mostly under pressure the whole game (especially when they dropped to ten players) much to the relief of the stand-in (well actually mostly standing!) keepers of Soph, Daz and Lex for the absentee Cat. But despite the excess of festive pleasures over the hols all the girls put the effort in and made the footy enjoyable to watch in the centre of the park. The Mansfield keeper put in a worthy performance and managed to keep the scoreline reasonably respectable as by the latter stages of the second half the Olympian frontline was rattling shots from all directions at her (which was the problem!), but all credit to the keeper for ruling the roost in her own box. Two goals in the first half, one for Meg with one of her super blasters and one for Lex after a gutsy Saffy session deep into the Mansfield half. Second half saw more cracks appear in the visitors' defensive line and another one each for Meg and Lex, followed by a couple for Soph Banana Foot on the back of her New Year's resolution to try and avoid hitting the pavilion every other shot (just the bin this time - but it was nearer to the goal than the pavilion in all fairness).

Well done to the girls again for a good performance from all (homey's and visitors alike - who says Rooky isn't hip and can appeal to his readers, sorry reader) on a hard and wind chill swept pitch. Worthy of a special mention today (in the absence of Gemma) were the Olympian back liners of the Alice twins, Tillsy and finally Webbo, who earns the first 2009 PLOP hands down, and the prize for the fastest on the park? Easy one this - on occasions the Lino flag, you just couldn't get near it!

Yours, Rooky 'Have a Go' Pulitzer