April Shines in March
Another Sunday and another decimated fixture list. The weather is seriously threatening the possibility of completing grassroot's league campaigns by the end of May; waterlogged pitches seem to be the norm these days.
Those clubs that play their home games on 3G pitches are the exception, and it is something the FA probably need to look at going forward. Money has to trickle down to grassroots clubs and facilities, to enable them to meet the requirements of a league season fixture list - with games being able to be played weekly.
Harrogate Railway Women Firsts, Devs and Under 18s games were all cancelled due to unplayable pitches, but the Reserves are fortunate enough to play their home games on the 3G at King James School in Knaresborough.
So it was game-on for the team from Station View.
The visitors to King James on Sunday were Tyersal FC Women for a WRCWFL Division Three fixture.
As the end of the season approaches, the Reserves found themselves in third place in the table at the start of the day, level on points with Lower Hopton Devs, but having played one more game.
Lower Hopton were playing in the League Shield, so this was a chance for Railway to leap above them in the table and put pressure on table-topping Skipton Town.
Tyersal started the day third from bottom, but with plenty of games in hand to lift themselves into mid-table.
Any game plan Tyersal had to frustrate Railway went out of the window immediately as April Kennedy raced through the centre of the Visitor's defence to score after about 40 seconds.
By the tenth minute, Railway were 4-0 up and the game was won. It was a question of just how many they could get and a measure of how well their concentration would hold up.
Tyersal FC Ladies to their credit kept challenging throughout the game, winning some of the individual battles, and genuinely making the game difficult for the home team. The visitors had also travelled with only 11 players; and with a lack of substitutes, they found themselves several times during the game with only ten on the pitch.
Half time and Railway led 11-0, already achieving a couple of the goals for the day - namely earning the three points needed to maintain their push for promotion, and also bolstering their goal difference [that may become that elusive 'extra-point' needed when it is so tight at the top of the table].
The second half followed on from the first, as the Reserves scored freely. There were stand-out performances by April Kennedy, who ended the game with eight goals, Emma Landsall who bagged four, and Georgia France who also scored four.
The final whistle blew just before 5pm and Harrogate Railway Reserves had won the game 20-0. Yes this was a one-sided game, dominated by the home team...a team team pushing for promotion; however, that would be doing a disservice to Tyersal who played their part, fought all over the pitch, played football in the right way, and never let their heads drop, when many others would.
With this performance, Railway lifted themselves above Lower Hopton into second spot, one point behind leaders Skipton Town. Railway have also boosted their goal difference to only a few behind the league leaders having played the same number of games.
With seven games remaining, Railway are in the mix for promotion. Looking at the table, the top five teams are all in the hunt. Field, Pontefract, Lower Hopton and Skipton Town are all within a point or two of each other at the time of writing.
If Railway can win six out of their seven remaining fixtures, I believe they will claim one of the top two promotion spots. This team has the quality to do that; it all comes down to holding their nerve, keeping their concentration, and being as clinical in front of goal as they were during this game.
You can read Harrogate Railway's match report here.