TOMMY BOOTH: THERE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE SQUAD

10 December 2021

BURTON Albion joint-manager Tommy Booth said he’s not scared of any team in the FA Women'sNational League Division One Midlands ahead of their trip to Bedworth United.

The Brewers come into the game looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this season, with Booth insisting that his side will challenge anyone in the league if they play to their strengths.

“We’ve said in the previous months if we can focus on what we can control, and I feel like if we play to our strengths, it doesn’t really matter about a lot of the opposition,” said Booth.

“You’ve got a couple of teams in the league where you’re always going to be up against a battle, but I think at least half of the division, if we’re at our best we can beat them but there’s been occasions when we’ve had five to ten minutes off in a game and conceded a couple of sloppy goals.

“Hopefully we can just put together a good performance from start to finish,” added the manager.

“I’m not scared about anyone in the division if we do that.”

This Sunday’s game will be the Brewers first in 25 days, with the previous weekend’s fixture against Wem Town postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Booth was disappointed that last week’s game got postponed, seeing it as an opportunity to build on their stoppage-time victory against Holwell Sports.

“I think it’s more frustrating when it’s of the day [of the game]. If you’re aware you can bring one in and we’ve tried in the past to get friendlies involved, but in the morning of the fixture, it’s really a bit of a kicker."

“One week missing a game isn’t the worst thing in the world, but I think we’ve gone over three weeks now without actually playing so that’s really frustrating.”

He added: “It was frustrating that we didn’t have a game straight after the Holwell [Sports] one because you can take on the winning momentum in the fact you’ve just won a game."

“It lifts everyone a little bit, so it was a bit frustrating we didn’t have a game after that.”

The two teams will meet for the third time this season on Sunday afternoon. After being knocked out the Women's National League Cup by the Burton in September, the Greenbacks got their revenge a month later, winning 4-1 in the league.

Booth highlighted Bedworth’s top-scorer Kirsty Farnsworth as their main threat, with the striker scoring twice against the Brewers already this season but was also quick to praise the rest of the team.

“I think they're much improved,” insisted Booth.

“The side that we played against in the cup seemed to be a different one to the one that we played in the league, I don’t know if that’s because they got people back from injury or they signed new players.”

“They’ve got an obvious threat upfront in Kirsty Farnsworth. The cup game was a bit ‘if you keep her
quiet you keep the team quiet."

“I think the league game was a little bit different to that, so it’s a bit of an unknown.”
Speaking positively about his squad before the game."

“There’s confidence, I think the way that we’ve trained has brought a lot of confidence with it."

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT: BEDWORTH UNITED 1-3 BURTON ALBION

13 December 2021

Burton Albion came from behind to earn a deserved 3-1 victory away against Bedworth United inthe FAWNL Division One Midlands.

After the Greenbacks took the lead through Sophie Wilson, who had her penalty saved before tucking in the rebound, a brace from Milly Wortley turned the scoreline in the away sides favour.

Despite dominating, their advantage remained at just one goal until stoppage time at the end of the second-half. Making an impact from the bench, Ella Richie’s excellent lobbed effort from almost 40- yards flew over the ‘keeper to confirm the Brewers second win in as many games.

Similar to the last time Burton travelled away to Bedworth, it was the hosts who took an early lead. Driving into the box, Lottie Rosevear tapped the ball past defender Charlotte Jarvis, colliding with the defender and winning a penalty in the process.

Having her initial spot-kick saved, Wilson was the quickest to get to the rebound, tapping the ball in from just a yard out.

The Brewers reacted well to going behind, with corners from Danni Oxley giving the Bedworth
defence a handful of problems. First finding Emmalee Hornsby, the winger set the ball to Wortley. Powering the ball towards goal, the midfielder was denied an equaliser by Hiedi Sloan, who produced an excellent goal-line clearance to retain Bedworth’s advantage.

Oxley then went close to getting an assist to her name with the following corner, but her whipped cross just went over the head of Hornsby, who had lost her marker at the back-post.

Controlling the game since falling behind, Burton found a deserved equaliser midway through the first-half. Found by Hornsby bursting down the left wing, Gillott patiently waited for incoming
attacking support, squaring it to Wortley who busted forward from the midfield. Open on the edge of the box, Wortley’s controlled side-footed strike found the bottom corner.

Hornsby was causing the Greenbacks defence problems down the right with her pace and trickery, with her work down the wing almost leading to a second Brewers goal.
After getting the best of the full-back, Hornsby pulled the ball across to Millie Drinkhall inside the box, but her effort curled just wide.

Emily Gilliott had a similar impact on the left-wing. Evading challenges from Lydia Hackney and Alice Bates on the by-line, Gillott tried her luck from a narrow-angle. Almost catching Freeleigh Parnell off guard, the ‘keeper produced a smart reactionary save.

After Hornsby then went close again, making the most of a poor goal-kick before firing over, Bedworth almost gained the lead in added-time against the run of play. Rushing down the left on the counter, Abbie Taylor’s flashed shot across goal beat the outreached hand of Langstone but rolled just past the post.

Conceding early in the first-half, Burton were the team to find the breakthrough at the start of the
second. Flying down the right wing, Hornsby pushed the ball past substitute Leonna McCock before launching the ball into the box.

Reaching Gillott at the back post, she put the ball on a plate to Wortley. Running towards the six-yard box, Wortley completed the trio’s move for the second time in the game, blasting her shot in at the near post.

Playing well as the tip of the Brewers attacking arsenal, Oxley then went inches away from doubling Burton’s lead. Letting loose from long-range, her dipping strike smashed the bar.

Under pressure, Bedworth’s afternoon became even more difficult after ‘keeper Parnell sustained an injury, with goal-scorer Wilson tuned switching to a makeshift shot-stopper. Called into action soon after taking the gloves, she did well to collect efforts from both Oxley and Drinkhall.

The hosts attacking line were kept quiet for the majority of the second-half by the resolute Brewers backline, but looked dangerous on the sporadic occasions they found space in the box. Curled into the box by Jodi Hunter, it was Liv Gilbertson who rose the highest, crashing a header against the bar with the Brewers defence hacking the rebound away from danger.

As Bedworth pushed players forward, it was Burton who found a third to seal the victory. Substitutes Hanaiya Azhar and Richie combined, with the latter’s ambitious lob from over 35-yards out flying over Wilson into the back of the net.

Moving into ninth after victory against Bedworth, Burton will now turn their attention to the trip to
Sutton United Ladies in the County Cup next weekend.