A Flicker of spring was in the air as Carlisle Women’s first team visited Fylde on the Lancashire coast. Did someone hear the twitter of birdsong as the game started in bright sunshine and unusually for the home venue no whisper of a sea breeze? The visitors had given another start to the promising Evie Rook.

The pattern of the game was set early. Fylde full of youthful energy and no little talent but with a certain Stint of naivety being picked off by Carlisle’s more pragmatic approach giving the Cumbrians control of the match.

Carlisle soon made the ascendancy count by gaining a number of short corners but without conversion. So it was very much against the run of play when Fylde opened the scoring midway through the first half. A ball injected into the circle found an unmarked home striker (a bit of a Booby from Carlisle!) who cleverly lifted the ball on the reverse into the Cumbrians’ net.

This served to sting Carlisle into further attacks with Jenny Wright and Katie W-S (the Batman and Robin or perhaps the Delboy and Rodney of the team) working hard to create openings. More short corners followed. Fylde were holding out .Last gasp .Yet another short corner with less than a minute to go. Shot comes in, saved by the keeper but rebounds into the path of Abbey”Tungsten “Steel, carrying an injury but impervious to pain, whose quick reactions led to her Bunting the ball into the net.

Seconds later the half time whistle blew which must have been a Bittern pill to Swallow for the home side but Brilliant for the visitors. Time for a Chat!

After the interval the pattern changed. Far from being demoralized by conceding so late in the half Fylde restarted determined to strike back. They had more structure in their play as they looked to stretch the Cumbrians’ defence.

After only a further eight minutes Carlisle caught them out. Katie W-S (Robin) who is so Swift she can catch Pigeons latched onto a through ball, sped forward as if on Rails and was thwarted by the Fylde keeper .The ball was picked up by the ever alert Freya ”the Baker” Hodgson who put the ball back into the (cake) mix and with the home defence standing like Manakins up popped Jenny Wright(Batman) to Tern the ball into the goal. Pow!! Derder Derder Derder Derder Batman!!

Carlisle were Choughed ! Fylde less so!

For the rest of the game the Cumbrians were mainly on the defensive as Fylde sought an equalizer. On occasions Carlisle keeper Kristian W-S was called into action to keep out Skimmers, Dippers and Screamers from the home forwards.

As time went by Carlisle’s central midfielders and chief Harriers Illidge Myna and Fran “forget-me-not” Schofield were called up to assist the Rheaguard action, the latter being warned for Ruff play.

So in the breathless late stages which had both sides Puffin with their exertions calm was brought to bear when Carlisle captain Alice (the Golden Chalice “) Murray, ace Weaver, who usually looks like a Swan amongst Ducks controlled the play and did not let her opponents gain ownership of the ball.

A hard fought win for the Cumbrians just fitted the bill with no Tits this week Blue, Marsh, Willow or even Great ones.

Congratulations to our player of the match Kristian Walker-Small