Amazing Delts bounce back from hammering

DELTING may be top dogs in men’s football, but they are finding things slightly tougher in the women’s league, a hiding at the hands of Burra’s a case in point. Incredibly, however, the Delts bounced back to knock Burra out of the cup a few days later.

Women’s League
Burra 15, Delting 2

Delting started the stronger and should have taken the lead when a neat passing move down the left side involving Sara Macgregor and Lorraine Johnson resulted in the later crossing in only for Amber Johnson to see her volley go agonisingly wide.

The Delting defence was looking solid and it took Burra 20 minutes to break the deadlock, when Emma Gray latched on to a Sarah Couper goal kick to slot home the opener. Johnson hit the post for Delting after a jinky run down the left, but on the counter the pace and power of Gray was wreaking havoc with the Delting backline. The link-up play between Carrie Morrison and Gray resulted in a further four goals for Burra before half-time.

Into the second half and chances were even at either side but the lethal finishing of Burra proved to be the difference. Delting finally got the goal their play deserved when an incisive through ball from Karen Jarvie resulted in Johnson racing down the left to cross for Megan Burns to calmly side-foot home to give the travelling band of upporters something to cheer about.

The Delts’ second goal arrived when good hold-up play from Debbie Robertson resulted in Jarvie thumping the ball with the aid of a deflection past Couper.

Burra replied from the kick off when Bethany Laurenson beat two defenders to then score her first goal in women’s football.

The final score-line did not really do justice to the Delting performance but Burra showed why they are still the dominant force in women’s football with some intelligent passing play coupled with lethal finishing to put the match well beyond doubt.

Scorers for Burra were Gray (8), Morrison (4), Kirsten Robertson (2) and Laurenson (1).

Players of the match were Shona Keith for Burra and Debbie Sneddon for the Delts. Both goalkeepers Couper and Grace Mcgowan deserve credit for their impeccable handling in difficult conditions.

Shetland Women’s Cup
Group One
Delting 5, Burra 4

Delting gained revenge for their heavy defeat only two days previous with their first ever win over Burra.

Burra took to the field with only nine players but you wouldn’t have guessed it as their slick passing was proving hard for Delting to handle.

Emma Gray scored the first of her personal tally of four when she smashed home from the edge of the box. She doubled Burra’s lead when she turned to volley in from a Stacey Laurenson corner.

But as so often happens in football, a former player Burra player came back to haunt her old club. The jet-heeled Josie Jamieson soared down the right hand side to float the ball into far corner to give the Delts a

lifeline. Just as they looked to capitalise Gray once again weaved her way through the Delting defence to increase the Burra lead. Sara Macgregor pulled another one back for Delting just before half-time.

In the second half the Delts started to make their numerical advantage count with Jamieson and Toni Sidgwick gaining control of the midfield.

The pressure on the Burra defence finally paid off when Macgregor curled in her second to equalise. Moments later the dynamic Delting forward then gave her side a deserved lead with another fine curling effort from distance to seal her hat-trick.

Sarah Couper pulled off a tremendous full length save to deny Jamieson her second.

Karen Jarvie put the icing on the cake with a trademark screamer from distance to surely seal the win for Delting. Gray had other ideas though and she finally shook off the shackles of the excellent Debbie Sneddon to give Burra some hope of a comeback. This however proved to be the final action of an enthralling game as referree March blew for full time to send the sizeable home crowd into raptures.

A deserved win for Delting saw every player playing their part, especially in the second half. Burra showed their class by being able to push a strong Delting side so close with only nine players. Kirsten Robertson and the free-scoring Gray were the pick of the bunch for them.