#Leeds Modernians

[leicamoments]

Semi-Final Woe for Railway

Harrogate Railway Ladies 1-5 Leeds Modernians Ladies

Bank holiday weekend and instead of loads of games scheduled, there actually seemed to be relatively few on. What a shame given that many teams have a backlog of fixtures to catch up on, and the weather was fantastic.

Looking at what was scheduled to be played, there was only one real option for me…a trip to Station View to cover Harrogate Railway Ladies First team.

Now, I will be totally honest…I cast an eye at the FA website fixtures, then the table and misread what the fixture was. I thought that this was Railway’s last league game and next week was the League Cup semi-final.

Not my finest moment.

Anyway, I arrived at the ground about 45 minutes before kick-off and made my way to the dugouts…the camera case has been there so many times over the last decade, it could probably wheel itself there on its own.

Railway had beaten Knaresborough Town Women in the quarter final on a day that could be described as being the antithesis to the glorious weather for the Semi-final.

Harrogate’s opponents in the Semi-final were Leeds Modernians Ladies, a team with a formidable record this season. Leeds Mods sit at the top of the West Riding County Women’s Football League Premier Division, having already secured promotion and the league title.

With a game left in the league, Leeds have won 16 games and drawn only one; Railway have played them three times already this season, losing all three fixtures. This was going to be a formidable challenge for them.

Harrogate Railway have had an excellent season themselves, sitting fourth in the Premier Division and having had good runs in both cups.

The visitors started well, actually very well, enjoying both territorial advantage and the lions-share of possession. Railway tried to disrupt Leeds Mods play but struggled to get up the pitch and put any real sustained pressure on their opponent’s goal.

The first real chance to open the scoring fell to Leeds Mods as a shot was spilled by Railway’s keeper and the striker could only hit the outside of the post as the goal gaped wide open. 

It only took around eight minutes for the visitors to actually open the scoring with a long ball played through the Railway defence and a calm finish, 0-1.

With about 15 minutes of the half remaining, Harrogate Railway were clawing themselves into the game, winning more possession and various battles all over the pitch; but it was Leeds who got their second with around five minutes of the half remaining, 0-2.

Half time and Harrogate Railway needed to regroup. Two goals down, Railway had a mountain to climb, but were still up for the fight.

The second half got underway, and Harrogate were pushing further forward, gaining more possession, and working hard to get back into the game.

Unfortunately for Railway, a move in the fifth minute of the second half down Leeds Mods left by the visitors saw a shot placed across the goal and just inside the post to make it 0-3.

Leeds were enjoying themselves now, knowing that they had probably won the game already, playing some nice passing football, with their number 18 in particular impressing up front.

It took until around the 85th minute for Leeds to get their next to make it 0-4, rapidly followed a couple of minutes later by their final goal of the game, 0-5.

Harrogate Railway could have been forgiven for giving up at that point, but they continued to battle and in the closing minutes of the game won a corner on their right.

Lou Donnelly fired in a wonderful cross and Paige Swales got on the end of it to fire it through a crowd of players and past the Mods’ keeper to make it 1-5. The goal was richly deserved given the work rate the team had put in throughout the half.

The final whistle went, and Leeds Modernians Ladies progress to the League Cup final, and deservedly so given the excellent play they had shown throughout the 90 minutes.

Railway probably didn’t deserve to lose by as much as 5-1, they had some excellent spells in the game and showed more of their usual character in the second half; but ultimately, they were beaten by a team that were more clinical in front of goal.

Railway return to league action next week for their final game in the 2023/24 Premier League season, entertaining Bradford Park Avenue at Station View at 2pm on Sunday 12th May.

Leeds Modernian Ladies scorers – Leah Garbutt, Tanya Fozzard, and a hattrick by Lauren Tate.

Good luck to Leeds Mods in the final!

[leicamoments]

A Visit to Follifoot Cricket Club

On Saturday I continued with my intent to cover as many different leagues, cup competitions, teams and grounds as I possibly can in Summer 2023.

I have taken photos of Follifoot cricket teams over the past few years, but it is around eight years since I was last at their home ground...in 2014 or 2015.

So looking at the fixtures on Play Cricket, I noted that Follifoot CC 2XI were playing Leeds Modernians CC 2XI at home...just the other side of John Metcalf Way - the ring road that runs around one side of Harrogate.

So off we went to watch the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League Division Six game.

Here is the first set of images from the game to be published this week.

Do you have memories of Follifoot Cricket Club - the ground or the team? Let us know in the comments below.