by Tom Pritchard
UNIVERSITY of South Wales 2nd went down to a heavy 51-11 defeat against University of Gloucestershire 4th in the Western 6A, but what did we learn from the one-sided affair?
Quality lacking in build-up play
A key feature from USW’s performance was their lack of quality going forward.
They gave the ball away far too often, whether it was in their in own half, in transition or when in Gloucestershire’s defensive third.
Credit goes to the visitors, of course, who were able to force USW into a lot of mistakes, however a lot of the errors were unforced.
The hosts struggled to find space when breaking forward, with their more advanced players not being able to make the right movements to allow them to be a threat.
Clinical Gloucestershire keep pace at the top
The final scoreline did not flatter Glos, this was a very impressive performance from the side which are currently sitting third in the BUCS Western 6A.
There was an extra incisiveness about the visitors, who more often than not made the correct decisions when attacking.
Goal-shooter Grace Davis was the focal point of the Glos attack, finishing off the majority of her chances and proving to be a constant threat for USW’s defence.
Southampton trip to conclude difficult season
Next week’s away game against University of Southampton 5th is USW’s final league match of a testing 2018/19 season.
Having been relegated from the Western 5B in 2017/18, it was hoped that USW would be competitive in this season’s Western 6A, however this has not been in the case.
The Treforest-based side, who play at the USW Sport Park, have won just one of their six league games to date.
A goal difference of -176 does not make good reading, and next week’s trip the South Coast gives the team an opportunity to finish their season on a high, or at least provide some optimism heading into next season.
(Featured image: Ethan Harris)
