#impetus

What do you call it when it when your demon is so close to being outed and you have to throw yourself under the buss because the evil team is cooked?

Fast bursts of progress and long interruptions, but I have completed part of my 1066 project using the 25mm Ral Partha "1200 AD" miniature range from the 1970s-80s. The first wave are 3 stands of 6 cavalry, 3 stands of 12 foot, and a separate mounted leader.

Some of these were painted in the 80s or early 90s and mostly left as-is with very little touch-up. The rest I painted recently to match. I have a 2nd command set that will be mounted on round bases, so I can paint William and Odo mounted on black Friesians as suggested by the Bayeux Tapestry instead of the white I chose decades ago.

AAAAA THE SPOOKY DOOR AAAAA

County Cup Match Report

Harrogate Railway Athletic Women Reserves 0 Bradford City Women U23s 3

A winter mist hung stubbornly over Harrogate High School long before kick-off, setting the tone for a County Cup tie that would be shaped as much by the conditions as by the football itself. The pitch, already soaked by recent rain, was heavy underfoot, the grass long and bobbly, and the light flat beneath a blanket of grey cloud. Visibility was a concern from the outset, with the far goal already softened into haze as players completed their warm-ups, and there was a genuine sense that the match would become a test of adaptation and resilience rather than pure technique.

As the game got underway, the opening exchanges were understandably cautious. Both sides probed from midfield, adjusting to a surface where the ball either stopped dead or skidded unpredictably, and where patches of dense mist drifted in and out erratically with every passing minute. From the byline near the Bradford City goal, play at the far end of the pitch quickly became difficult to follow, players reduced to silhouettes moving through a pale curtain of fog.

Bradford City Women U23s, playing a division above their hosts, began to find their rhythm first. An early chance forced Harrogate Railway’s goalkeeper Robyn Pratt into an excellent save, reacting sharply despite the shot emerging quickly from the mist. It was an early warning, but Railway responded well, matching Bradford for work rate and organisation. The contest remained remarkably even, the conditions acting as a leveller and preventing either side from establishing sustained fluency.

By the midway point of the first half, visibility had deteriorated further. From the halfway line, it was increasingly difficult to track individual movements at the far end, with only the flight of the ball occasionally giving clues as to the danger unfolding. Despite this, Railway continued to compete, creating half-chances of their own, though shots were often betrayed by the uneven bounce of the pitch. Bradford’s number nine remained the most persistent attacking threat, repeatedly testing Railway’s defensive line and keeper.

As half-time approached, the mist thickened to the point where even the floodlight stanchions of nearby Harrogate Hockey Club were no longer clearly visible, their presence suggested only by faint halos of light up in the air. Robyn was proving decisive, dealing confidently with crosses and loose balls that appeared suddenly out of the gloom. When the referee finally brought the half to a close at 0–0, the scoreline reflected a first period defined by balance, effort and resilience rather than clear dominance.

At the interval, there was a sense that the match could still swing either way. Bradford had edged the clearer chances, but Railway had shown they could compete at their level. However, the conditions showed no sign of improving. Failing light crept in alongside the fog, further compressing the field of vision and raising fresh challenges for players and officials alike.

Bradford emerged for the second half with greater clarity of purpose. As the mist continued to thicken, they adjusted their approach, opting for a more direct style, playing longer balls down the channels and behind the Railway defence. Sitting next to the visitor’s goal, tracking the ball beyond the halfway line became increasingly difficult, with attacks often only revealed by the sudden reaction of defenders or the movement of players back towards the halfway line.

The breakthrough arrived just before midway through the half, Bradford capitalising on sustained pressure in the 55th minute. The goal itself was difficult to fully see from distance, the decisive touch obscured by fog, but the shift in momentum was unmistakable. The ball rose up over the Railway keeper and dropped into the corner of the net, Ida Johnson making it 0-1.

A second followed ten minutes after, but this time dense fog made it impossible to determine how it had been scored, Zahra Qureshi making it 0-2; Railway now finding themselves two goals behind in a contest that had previously felt finely balanced.

Pushing forward in search of a response, Railway inevitably left space in behind, and Bradford exploited it ruthlessly. A third goal arrived late on, effectively ending the tie, with Ruby Whittaker getting the goal her player of the match performance deserved, 0-3.

At the final whistle, the 3–0 scoreline felt harsh on Harrogate Railway Athletic Women Reserves, particularly given their disciplined and competitive first-half display. Bradford City Women U23s were deserving winners, having adapted better to the worsening visibility and pitch, and in all honesty had dominated the second 45…but the margin of victory did not fully reflect how competitive the contest had been for long spells.

Despite the defeat, Railway can take real encouragement from their performance against higher-league opposition, while Bradford advance in the County Cup having demonstrated tactical flexibility in the most testing of circumstances. Above all, it was a match that underlined the influence of winter football at this level - where mist, mud and fading light can become as decisive as any tactical plan.

Good luck to Bradford City in the next round.

Railway POTM: Robyn Pratt - a few superb saves in the first half to deny the visitors taking the lead, and an excellent second half performance.