Idia Hall 3 Queen Elizabeth II Hall 1: Goals, Missed chances, Sarah’s Brilliance, and a Brutal-Friendly Romp

Mahbubat Kayinsola Salahudeen

Idia hall ran riot against Queen Elizabeth II hall, as goals from Sarah and Souleymane Aliyah were just enough in the team’s 3-1 thumping of their rivals at the Old SUB Pitch.

It looked for so long like Queen’s hall was going to see Idia hall miss out on a chance to clinch a win, having dominated early into the start of the first half. But against the run of play, it was Idia hall who took the lead with just four minutes before the break.

After a long string of passes, Idia hall broke away on the counter as Aliyah brilliantly won the ball at the edge of the area, and whips it in behind Queen’s hall forward, Abigail, before Sarah picks it up and squeezes it past an incoming Iseoluwa— that was Idia hall’s first attempt on goal.

That was a shock to the system for Queen’s hall, and anyone would have thought they’d respond almost immediately but two minutes later they looked on as goalkeeper Iseoluwa parried away another goal scoring attempt, this time from Aliyah, to keep the score line at 1-0.

Queens Hall’s first real chance came a few minutes into the second half when Jemimah’s curly delivery from the right corner found Abigail who made a glancing header, but it failed to trouble the goalkeeper. The team would eventually make up for it twenty minutes until finish time.

Idia hall lost the ball in their own half, and the rivals countered with perfection: Abigail who had been rather quiet since the start of the match retrieves the ball from the middle before threading a pass through to Esther who dinks her effort perfectly into the bottom left corner.

With the game level, Queen’s Hall seemed to have regained control, but disaster struck shortly after and Ise had to pick the ball out of her net two times before finish time. First, a defensive error from their own corner gifted Idia Hall another chance and Aliyah made no mistake this time, carefully striking home from a pinpoint cross from Sarah. And with just five minutes on the clock, Sarah was at it again with her pace and agility breaking through Queen’s Hall flurry of defenders to seal the win!

Here, AFAS Press breaks down the talking points from an entertaining encounter at the Old SUB Pitch on Saturday.

How did Queen’s Hall miss so many chances?

Queen’s Hall spurned a number of high-quality chances at the SUB pitch and failed to show a clinical edge in the encounter, despite having over 10 attempts on goal.

Abigail was probably the most guilty on Saturday, missing a clear-headed chance to get her team levelled in the first half. She was clearly off her game in the encounter, with some slack passes, a failure to recover the ball, and leaving Aliyah unmarked, which led to the second goal. She nearly got herself booked for a reckless tackle on Aliyah — a performance quite far from the usual sharpness and composure she’s known for. She, however, attempted to consummate her lacklustre display with her role in the buildup that led to her side’s only goal.

Esther also had a brilliant chance to give Queen’s Hall the lead from a chipped pass by Deborah, but her shot went wide of the post. Jemimah was equally denied by Suliyat, who ruled out a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper.

Queen’s Hall’s profligacy in front of goal will surely increase their focus on finishing as they prepare for the Inter-Hall Football Competition in the coming months.

Where did Iseoluwa’ Saves Come From?

While Queen’s hall had their chances, it was obvious beyond reasonable doubt that the goalkeeper was still the team’s heroine. Idia Hall could have easily won the game with five, six or seven goals, but Ise showing the courage of her conviction, was at the helm of the goal line, parrying away countless shots to keep her side in the game.

There were still a few shaky moments there for her but: punching away Suliyat’’s attempt, parrying Aliyah’s low-footed shot from point-blank range, then smothering a late effort from Sarah just around the goal area. She stood strong against the pressure, and with the way she played against Idia will bring her much needed confidence.

How Better can Sarah get?

Two goals, one assist, a fantastic first half, and an even better second half. Idia Hall started off a bit shaky, losing out on possessions but against all odds Sarah was at the heart of the attack from start to finish. When the moment arrived, she received a threaded pass from Aliyah, maneuvered past the first, second and third defender, before slamming the ball into the back of the net.

From that moment onwards, there was no holding back. With her precision, pace, and agility, she was a woman transformed. And her teammates understood the assignment: Get the ball to Sarah, and she turns on the fireburners to break into the space Idia had been trying to capitalise on all afternoon. She was her opponent’s biggest threat.

What did Aliyah Say?

Aliyah said of the match, “We both had pretty good defenses and attacks. It feels good to say that their captain was there and we were able to pull off something.”

On her team, she said, “Our passes were connecting and we managed to score against them which is a big morale boost for us. Still I consider them one of our biggest foes.”

What did Aisha Say?

Speaking after the match, the Sports Minister and Coach told AFAS Press: “The match against Idia Hall was particularly challenging, especially considering the team has had a lot of back-to-back training since returning from the short break.”

“The first half was tough because the team wasn’t entirely familiar with Idia Hall’s playing style, as this was the first time we’ve faced them in two years. Idia made things difficult for us, especially in the first half.”

“However, the team showed resilience in the second half, coming back strong. Though Idia fought back later on, our team managed to hold their ground. Overall, Idia Hall was a worthy opponent, and the match was a true test of our team’s character and ability.”