The Sarnians were entering in the unknown, but with opponents JTC Wanderers having beaten Grouville 10-0 in their domestic league the previous weekend, it looked as if it would be a tough test for the 14-strong squad who travelled to Springfield along with coach Jose Alvarez and manager Brian Horsepool.
Obviously brimming with confidence from their previous result, Wanderers started strongly and took the lead after just four minutes.
A free kick wide on Ormer’s right wing was driven hard across the box, and who else but Wanderers’ Jess Page – a Guernsey girl and former Ormer player now living in Jersey – got to the ball first and volleyed it hard into the net.
That led to a nervous 10 minutes for Ormer, but they gradually settled down and realised that opportunities were coming mainly with through balls over the top starting to cause problems in Wanderers defence.
It took until the 27th minute, but patience played off when an excellent through ball was pounced on by Candice Bougourd, who advanced on the goal before calmly sliding the ball past the Wanderers keeper to equalise.
Things got better for Ormer when on 39min., new girl Kelly Gorman, who has already formed a strong centre-back pairing with Vicki Rang, received the ball in her own half and, with the Wanderers midfield retreating, she calmly lifted the ball over the Wanderers defence to find Holden, who quickly turned the keeper and passed the ball into the net.
Ormer took that 2-1 lead into the half-time interval.
In the second half, Ormer continued to press, with Holden being the focal point of the attack but ably supported by Vanessa Brown on the right and Dee Marsden on the left, with Donna Gallienne and Lynsey Strange quickly closing down and then initiating further attacks.
It was from one such move that Holden found herself with the ball wide on the right outside the penalty area.
One look and an exquisite chip later, the ball travelled over the keeper and high into the far top corner of the net – an outstanding goal to open up a two-goal cushion after 63 minutes.
Ormer were not finished there.
Another attack down the middle on 68min. saw the ball played to player-of-the-match Holden, who turned her defender and put the ball past the onrushing keeper.
Wanderers did not give up and had several attacks, but found it difficult to get past the Ormer centre pairing of Rang and Gorman, ably supported at full back by Kirstin Laine and Anna Gauvain.
Behind them young keeper Alice Hunt had an increasingly confident time in goal, rarely troubled in effect with few shots and mainly through balls, often over hit, to contend with.
Alvarez had the luxury of bringing on substitutes Jo De Mouilpied, Sian Butt and another new player Abi Le Prevost towards the end, but the pattern was set and Ormer finished with a satisfying victory.
Their next CI League game should have been against Rozel Rovers on 11 November, but difficulties in arranging travel have resulted in the Combination League agreeing to postpone this game into the new year.
Therefore, the next competitive game for the Ormer Ladies is in the Hampshire Women’s Senior Cup on Sunday 25 November when they will play the winners of Rushmoor FC v. Widbrook FC, who play their preliminary round game this weekend.
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