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leicamoments · 2 months

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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.

#photography #canon #sports #sport #harrogate #yorkshire #football #Harrogate Railway Athletic #Harrogate Railway Ladies Reserves #Women's Football #Starbeck #Station View #Railway #Tyersal #WRCWFL #West Riding County Women's Football League

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leicamoments · 17 days

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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!

#photography #canon #sports #sport #harrogate #yorkshire #football #thoughts #business #Leeds #Leeds Modernians #Harrogate Railway Athletic #WRCWFL #Station View

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leicamoments · 5 months

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Penguins and Whales

Harrogate Railway Reserves 5-2 Lower Hopton Devs

This last month has really summed up 2023 – weatherwise. It has really been awful, with grassroots sport being disrupted by either frozen pitches or waterlogged ones. It seems that if it isn’t penguin-friendly weather, then the whales are happy.

For a second weekend running, the non-league men and women’s fixtures have been completely decimated, with only a handful of games being able to go ahead.

Railway’s first team fixture fell victim to the rain, but with the reserves playing on the all-weather pitch at King James School in Knaresborough, it would take the four horsemen of the apocalypse to unseat this game – apologies to the penguins and whales!

It didn’t mean that the WRCWFL Third Division game wouldn’t be subject to the elements – we had the occasional gust of strong wind, various forms of rain…from misty in the cloud type stuff, through drizzle, all the way to a good soaking.

The other problem was the light…it started dark because of the heavy overcast clouds and got darker. At half time, there were nervous glances up at the floodlights, wondering if they could be put on [spoiler alert – they weren’t] and to be honest, by the end of the 90 minutes, the clouds were parting and the last of the day’s sun shone briefly before setting behind the hill and clouds clinging to the horizon.

The game itself was a rollercoaster that matched the conditions. Railway started strong in the first five minutes before a good and determined Lower Hopton imposed themselves on the game and took a well-deserved two goal lead by the end of the first half.

To be frank, it looked like a lost cause for the home team, as the visitors had been clinical in front of goal to score two well taken shots. The only downside for the Lower Hopton squad was the unfortunate injury to one of their defenders that saw her have to go off and play no further part in the game.

[We wish her all the best and hope that the injury isn’t too bad – given that Christmas is just around the corner.]

Railway had had chances in the first half…but they weren’t clearcut and they hadn’t made the keeper work hard enough.

The second 45 kicked off and to be honest, the Devs picked up where they had left off and no matter what Railway tried, it just didn’t seem to be happening for them. It wasn’t that they weren’t playing well…it was just one of those days that attacks seemed to fall apart in the final third of the pitch.

When I say one of those days…well, it was really one of those hours…because with 30 minutes to go and the points seemingly heading home with the visitors…the Harrogate team did something special.

In a mad two-minute spell, first Georgia France and then Fiona Salter fired Railway back on terms, leaving the visitors shellshocked.

Lower Hopton tried to rally, rid themselves of the sense of panic and get their game going once more; but Harrogate Railway had the bit between their teeth and weren’t going to let them off the hook. [I know...mixed metaphors there...but let's roll with it]

This was an enthralling fixture now, both teams capable of scoring with each attack, but wary when having to defend. The next goal would be crucial…and it was Fiona who got her second and The Rail’s third to edge the home team in front for the first time in the game.

A shot by Railway’s Tracey Flemming saw the visiting keeper desperately grabbing for the ball as it was going over the goal line. There were claims for a goal, but VAR confirmed the Ref’s view that the whole of the ball hadn’t actually gone over the line – and it was a great save in the end.

April Kennedy had been lively all afternoon, tormenting the visiting defenders, and it was April who got Harrogate Railway’s fourth with minutes left on the clock to make the result safe at 4-2.

Any thoughts that the reserves were finished for the afternoon were soon dispelled as Jade Webster joined the others on the scoresheet to make it 5-2 and deservedly crown a great performance by her.

The final whistle blew, and Harrogate Railway Reserves had scored five, earned three points and moved themselves up to third in the table, level on points with second-placed Skipton Town Devs and only three points behind Lower Hopton.

Last year, the reserves got started after Christmas with the first half of the season being rather difficult as they tried to settle into the league [being a newly formed team] – this year they have hit the ground running and will surely challenge for one of the two automatic promotion spots.

Well played both teams!

#Lower Hopton #Harrogate Railway Ladies Reserves #Harrogate #Railway #Football #Women's Football #WRCWFL #West Riding County Women's Football League #Division Three #League #soccer #The Rail

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leicamoments · 6 months

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Quick Look Back

With the covering of snow and sub-zero temperatures this weekend, nearly every grassroots game on Saturday and Sunday has fallen prey to the weather gods.

So a quick look back to the Harrogate Town Women 1-2 South Shields Women game a few weeks ago - when it was much, much warmer!

To see more images from the game, take a look back on our Twitter\X timeline (www.twitter.com/caughtlight).

It was a great game to watch, with both teams determined to get forward and win the game...no quarter given.

#NERWFL #WRCWFL #Football #Women's football #Harrogate #South Shields #Yorkshire #North Yorkshire #Rachel Daly 3G #Rossett

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leicamoments · 6 months

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Harrogate Town Women 3-0 Ackworth Girls FC Ladies - County Cup Action

Harrogate Town Women who play in the NERWFL Premier League took on Ackworth Girls FC Ladies who play in the WRCWFL First Division at the Rachel Daly 3G ground on Sunday 19th November 2023.

In fairly poor November weather, the home team settled quickly and created some great chances to open the scoring.

Despite the visitors putting in a great performance, it was Town that scored three times to progress in the 2023/24 County Cup.

Harrogate Town Women will now play against the winner of the Leeds United v Ripon City game at Rossett.

#photography #canon #sports #sport #harrogate #yorkshire #football #Harrogate Town #Harrogate Town Women #Women's Football #County Cup #NERWFL #WRCWFL

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leicamoments · 8 months

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Railway Ladies Steam to the Top

Sunday saw Harrogate Railway Ladies Reserves return to Station View for the first time this season, to play their West Riding County Women's Football League Division Three fixture against Huddersfield Amateur FC Women's Reserve.

The first half of the game saw the home team settle quickly and attack Huddersfield's goal with real purpose and by half time Railway had a two goal lead, 2-0.

Second half and Huddersfield changed their approach and started to put pressure on the Harrogate back four. However, they weren't able to convert the pressure into goals.

Harrogate Railway have real pace up front, and kept on causing problems for the Huddersfield defence and it wasn't a surprise when they were able to grab a third and make the result safe.

The final whistle blew and Railway had three goals and all three points. An added bonus, given the result between Field AFC and Skipton Town going in their favour, Railway climbed to the top of the league.

#photography #sports #sport #harrogate #yorkshire #football #business #Huddersfield #WRCWFL #West Riding County Womens Football League #FA #The FA

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leicamoments · 10 months

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Football in the Sun

I got a message from Richard Burns asking if I was available to cover a couple of games that were happening on Sunday. At that point, I was committed to a preseason game elsewhere, but as things turned out, that game fell through, and I was able to say yes.

I’m glad I did.

Harrogate Railway had arranged a Ladies Day charity event, with the aim to raise money towards Dee Swales’ cancer treatment, which is not available on the NHS.

The event was a double header of football, with Railway’s firsts and reserves in action, helping all the teams taking part with their preseason preparations, and of course raising much needed funds.

The first game up at midday was Railway Reserves against neighbours Knaresborough Town Women, a repeat of their rivalry last season in the West Riding County Women’s Football League Division Four.

Town got off to a flier, scoring quickly and settling into a rhythm within the first ten minutes of the game.

It has been written elsewhere, that on days like these, the actual score isn’t important…and that is completely correct; but an obvious benefit of taking part is that all of the players get a good runout ahead of the start of the new league campaign.

That’s not to say it wasn’t competitive!

The first game came to an end with Knaresborough winning and both teams showcasing a crop of young players who really impressed.

The Railway management team voted Ellis Baxter as Knaresborough Town’s player of the match, and Boro’s coach gave Rail’s stopper, Maria Chatzistamou the player of the match award for an absolutely outstanding performance between the sticks.

Railway’s first team were next up playing Farsley Celtic Women and what an amazing game that was! Over the course of the 90 minutes, the impetus pulsated back and forth between the two sides, with some great interplay.

Chances came and went; the frame of the goals were tested several times as both sets of players showed that they wanted to win.

Railway struck first, with Farsley equalising before half time. The second half continued where the first left off, with Dee unlucky not to score as she struck a beautiful shot past a stranded Farsley keeper from the edge of the box, thundering the ball against the bar and rebounding out.

As the final whistle blew, Railway’s first team had earned a narrow victory with Harrogate’s Paige Swales voted player of the match.

The games were important but there was obviously something more so, and that was the football family coming together to show support and to help one of their own.

At the time of writing, the amount raised is £2,656 but more donations would be welcome. You can find the Justgiving page here…

If there was one footballing thing to take away from Railway’s Ladies Day…with the number of young, very talented footballers on display…the future of local women’s football is very bright!

Well done to everyone who organised and took part to make the day very successful and thank you for inviting me.