Month: December 2019

by Sam Tabuteau

AFC Unity built on their recent resurgence with a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Kiveton Park.

There were fears that the discipline and intensity exhibited in Unity’s snatch and grab victory over Milmoor Reserves could not be replicated with complacency a trope prominent amongst teams struggling towards the bottom of the table. Unity, however, showed that their recent run of form is by no means a combination of good fortune and indistinguishable momentum. Sunday’s performance was a delightful culmination of the purist footballing philosophies Unity have admirably persisted with through in light of some poor results.

Kiveton were direct in their approach and their physicality, especially at the back, could well have paid dividends with Unity often susceptible to being caught ball watching. Unity’s backline held a superb defensive line and their positioning ensured they could get goal side of their runners. Movement off the ball meant Unity were able to dominate in the middle of the park, working the ball around Kiveton with pace and accuracy. Their cautious attacking mentality, however, meant that they rarely tested the keeper early on.

A dominant first-half display showed little reward and it would’ve been easy for frustrations to boil over, but experienced heads ensured Unity were able to adapt their game accordingly. Having enjoyed plenty of possession in the midfield, Unity’s passing became more direct and played on the gaps between Kiveton’s centre-halves. With willing runner Jo Wadsworth stretching the defence and creating space for Jane Watkinson to unpick.

Unity deservedly opened the scoring through Emma Howe who capitalised on Lizzie Smith’s looping delivery to prod in from close range. Having finally taken the lead Unity became more expressive and the scoreline took on a certain grandeur once Jane Watkinson found the bottom corner with a drilled finish from just inside the 18-yard box.

After a week of disappointment in the polls football did the talking once again and defender Jaimee Reeve’s Football for Food campaign received great engagement as Unity sent out a strong message both on and off the pitch. Donations are still being taken for Reeve’s incredible campaign and can be made at this week’s instalment of Solidarity Soccer.

by Sam Tabuteau

AFC Unity are looking to build on an impressive victory over Milmoor Reserves last weekend, with a win against mid-table Kiveton Park this Sunday.

In the final fixture of 2019 Unity are looking to make progress both on and off the pitch as the Football for Food initiative returns to support the local community ahead of the festive period. Christmas is a time in which many people celebrate the dawning of a new year. For some, however, this luxury is not afforded to them and Unity have begun to use their position as both a social enterprise and a football club to ease people’s fears and spread hope not fear across Sheffield.

Jaimee Reeve, who leads the Food for Football campaign had this to say: “It’s the last game for donations to our festive Football for Food campaign. There has been such an amazing response so far and it’s great to be doing good things on and off the pitch.”

On the pitch coach, Jay Baker is more than wary of making too many changes to the team that won at Milmoor and as such he is likely to persist with the three-woman formation he implemented last time out. For all the defensive solidity the formation allowed Unity they appeared hesitant to spread possession and exploit the space out wide. There should hence be a far greater emphasis on transitioning the ball into the feet of Unity’s forwards before laying it back and ultimately distributing into the flanks. Such space will be afforded to them as a result of transitioning play through the centre of the park, dragging the opposition inwards and allowing Unity’s full-backs to push on.

Kiveton haven’t played regularly in recent weeks and were given a loss last weekend for failing to field enough players. Before that, however, the Sheffield Wednesday Development squad handed Kiveton their heaviest defeat of the season, and confidence will be at rock bottom heading into their game with Unity.

Complacency should be dealt with appropriately heading into the game, and Unity will be well aware that despite having won last weekend there is plenty of work at hand if they want to push up the table.

Claire Watkinson is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury sustained last Sunday, whilst Sarah Peck is absent and Alex Cherry is still ruled out with injury. Top goalscorer Jo Wadsworth (52 goals in 84 appearances overall; 6 goals in 8 appearances this season) is hoping to get some much-needed game time, whilst Sarah Choonara (wing-back) and Katie Mishner (attacking mid/forward) return to the squad. This game will be Becky Gay’s 50th appearance for AFC Unity and she will be hoping more than anyone that Unity can push themselves up the table with a second consecutive victory in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Woman and Girls League.

Selected 16-woman squad:

1 Hannah Lamb

2 Sarah Choonara

3 Jane Watkinson 

5 Jaimee Reeve

10 Stacey Leigh

11 Becky Gay

12 Emma Howe

14 Chloe Burditt

15 Jodean Wadsworth

16 Lizzie Smith

17 Kirsten Vizor

18 Ruth Kennedy

29 Kristina Rankine

33 Lisa Gray

37 Rachel Rodgers (captain)

45 Katie Mishner

by Sam Tabuteau

Sarah Peck’s early strike sparked jubilant celebrations as AFC Unity held on to secure their first win of the season against the previously unbeaten Milmoor Reserves.

Unity defied expectation with a stoic defensive performance, banishing the memories of their 7-1 thumping to Milmoor on the opening day of the season. Setting up in a 5-3-2 which transitioned into a 3-5-2 when in possession, Unity were able to defend high and wide restricting their opponent’s space to play in behind. Milmoor enjoyed much of the play but were often thwarted through an admixture of aggressive pressing and tackling.

At the heart of Unity’s high pressing was deep-lying midfielder Kirsten Vizor who commanded the half-spaces with an immaculately disciplined display. Her ability to break up play and quickly distribute the ball helped Unity regain their shape and push further up the pitch.

Full-back Ruth Kennedy also provided an invaluable option on both flanks standing up her marker and restricting space whilst also showcasing superb energy to advance into the space left by Milmoor’s narrow and unstructured defensive positioning. It must be said that this option could have been more readily utilised and coach Jay Baker will likely instruct Claire Watkinson to hold the ball and drag players in-field before quickly distributing into space out wide.

Despite all of Milmoor’s dominance, it was still Unity that struck the first and only goal of the game when Peck made her way into the area before slotting the ball into the net following some neat interplay on the edge of the area. Unity struggled to carve out many more opportunities and it would be the post that came to their rescue in the closing stages of the game as Milmoor nearly snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.

Sunday’s win sees Unity move off the foot of the table for the first time this season, and they will be hoping to build on said result with a victory over Kiveton Park in the final fixture of 2019.

by Sam Tabuteau

AFC Unity return to action this Sunday as they travel to take on the unbeaten Milmoor Reserves.

Unity are still searching for their first win of the season, having drawn one and lost six of their previous seven games and they will find stern competition in the face of Milmoor Reserves. The Rotherham based club are a ruthless attacking set up, having already handed out 8-1 and 9-0 drubbings this season, and Unity are by no means strangers to their opposition’s clinical style of play. In the opening game of the season, it was Unity who found themselves on the wrong end of a high scoring encounter, when a second-half capitulation saw Milmoor eventually come away 7-1 victors.

The danger woman that day was Jessica Baker, and Unity will be more than aware of the threat she poses in and around the area. A closely contested first-half against Milmoor, in which the scoreline was finely poised at 2-0, suggests that Unity are more than capable of retaining a rigid defensive structure which focuses on defending with width and aggression to restrict space and force quick turnovers. As has been the case for much of the season Unity will likely struggle to get on the ball and play as much as they would like and it is therefore of paramount importance that the team remains compact and disciplined. This will lead to greater ball retention as more options will become available off the ball.

Injuries have plagued much of Unity’s season and the absence of top goal scorer Jo Wadsworth will only add to this further. Head Coach Jay Baker will however be encouraged by the return of Jane Watkinson, who will be playing her first league game in almost a year.

“It’s been a very difficult year for me with injuries, so it feels really great to be back in the team, and I’m hoping I can build up match fitness quickly,” says Jane. “It’s been inspiring to watch how we have played this season, and we have been unlucky not to get more points. This will be a tough game but the pressure is not on us, we just need to focus on playing the football we know we can and enjoy ourselves.”

The potential return of Alex Cherry, who apart from a few minutes against Mexborough Athletic has been out since the first game of the season, will also provide a boost to the squad as Unity have struggled for numbers over recent weeks.

Rachel Rodgers will take the armband on what is set to be her 70th appearance for the club.

Rodgers had this to say ahead of tomorrow’s game:

“We go into each game with the same mindset: play our way and don’t worry about things we can’t control.”

A win against Milmoor could potentially lift Unity off the foot of the table and the timely returns of Watkinson and Cherry could make all the difference.

16-woman squad in full:

1 Hannah Lamb

3 Jane Watkinson 

5 Jaimee Reeve

6 Sarah Peck

9 Claire Watkinson

10 Stacey Leigh

11 Becky Gay

12 Emma Howe

14 Chloe Burditt

16 Lizzie Smith

17 Kirsten Vizor

18 Ruth Kennedy

25 Alex Cherry

29 Kristina Rankine

33 Lisa Gray

37 Rachel Rodgers (captain)