Dudley caused a massive upset on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over league high flyers TGLFC. In the League cup game only 2 weeks previously TGLFC had soundly beaten the side 11-3, but this time there was a massive turnaround as a Dudley side, boosted by 4 new players, were the hungriest side on the day. The game was originally down to be played at TGLFC but as a return favour for the reversed cup tie, this match was switched to Dudley.

Dudley got themselves ahead early in the first half when Tina Hand slipped the TGLFC defence to put herself in a one on one situation with Nikki Mason in the TGLFC goal. Mason did all she could to stop her,coming out from between the sticks,  but Hand slipped the challenge and fired home into an empty net.  Dudley were 2 up not long after when it was Hand again who raced onto a ball over the top and put the ball into the net to make it 2-0.  TGLFC looked rocked and soon brought rested striker Anna Sorbom into the game who immediately added some pace and flair into the visitors play. It was Dudley however, who should have increased their lead when a Charlie Bland effort zipped just wide of the post. Despite TGLFC now looking brighter and fashioning some good chances it was Dudley who did stretch their lead to 3-0 just before half time with Marie Curran scoring a fine goal.

After the break TGLFC threw Sarah Henn into the fray and immediately looked more like the side that we would expect them to be. Leanne Moss and Lou Smart combined to put Sorbom through but keeper Ash Davis made a brave stop at her feet. Mason at the opposite end then pulled off a suberb block to stop Hand from getting her hat trick.  Hope for TGLFC came in the shape of sixteen year old debutant Beth Hughes who capped a fine first appearance for the club with a well taken penalty to make the scored 3-1.  It was a much more even game after the goal as a galvanized TGLFC pushed on looking to get something from the game,         Deb Slater's 30 yard speculative shot was well held by Davis. Sorbom saw another shot saved before play switched to the other end and the TGLFC had to make 3 desperate blocks before Niki Walker made a last ditch block on the line and played the ball to safety.  Hand would have got her elusive hat trick but for some superb keeping from Mason who came out to meet the striker and did enough for the striker to put her shot just wide.  TGLFC's stand in keeper then saved them again with another important stop; Dudley's follow up shot hit the crossbar and went out for a goal kick.  The visitors battled to the end with shots from Henn and Moss going wide in the closing stages.

TGLFC were without two major players for the game, winger Jade Hill was away and Nat Edwards their usual keeper was injured and had to watch from the sidelines,  but make no mistake Dudley were good value for their win!  I'm just left wondering just how different the league table would look had they been able to field this team from the start of the season.