You may or may not have had your eye caught by the story we ran, last week, about Leeds Carnegie Reserves' mammoth goal tally of 31 goals. They scored them against Tingley Athletic, in the West Riding County FA Cup. You may not have known that Tingley are a well run club, that play in the West Riding F.A. County League, Division 2. You probably, unless you are from that area and/or are connected to one of the teams in that league, wouldn't know that Tingley put eight past West Leeds LFC in October and notched up 18 goals against Amaranth LFC on Valentine's Day. I doubt Amaranth felt much love for that soreline.

We reported that County Cup match's outcome, and noted the scorers (some of which are England youth players and starred in Leeds' Premier League Cup win), because it was newsworthy and therefore it was news. Whenever there is a winning team, there is a losing team too. They don't often get the chance to give their side of the story. So, we realise our part in that, apologise and hold our hands up (and put them over our mouths) to let Tingley's magnanimous coach do the talking....

"On Sunday 28th February 2010 Tingley Athletic Ladies faced the mammoth task, in their first season in women's football, of playing the might of Leeds Carnegie in the West Riding Women's County Cup.  With a mixture of first team, reserve and young ex Centre of Excellence players Leeds Carnegie were always going to be a formidable force. 

"The game as expected was dominated from start to finish by Leeds Carnegie with the result ending 31 - 0.  The class of England players Carla Cantrell & Rachel Daly was evident and supported by professional performances from the rest of the squad Leeds Carnegie were light years ahead of Tingley Athletic Ladies in ability.  However, to their credit Tingley Athletic Ladies competed enthusiastically against their superior opposition for the majority of the game with only the last 15 minutes being a bit of a walk in the park for Leeds Carnegie, when Tingley's enthusiasm for the fight beginning to wane.

"In terms of a game of football this game was a mismatch from the start but Tingley Athletic Ladies turned up, competed and played the full 90 minutes when so many other teams would have forfeited the game without kicking a ball."

Vince Chapman
Coach
Tingley Athletic Ladies

Leeds had a game to play, turned up, played within the rules and didn't patronise their opposition. They won but there were people who felt it unfair to treat opposition like that. It does seem, sometimes, like you just can't win.

We'd love to hear your views on big scorelines, painful defeats, the unity of effort when your eight players fight valiantly against 11 (plus subs, just to rub salt into the wound), whether teams should be so ruthless, how the women's game pits enthusiastic novices against international stars, something you just wouldn't see in the men's game. Is this a good or a bad thing? Germany beat Argentina 11-0 in the opening game of the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2007, the Chinese and Germans in the crowd loved it but everyone else watched through their hands, as they covered their eyes in horror. Can there be a right way to hammer 20 past the opposition?

I've scored the opener in an 11-0 win and not felt too much remorse, been proud of team mates for keeping on going when Charlton and Arsenal have banged in eight against us and sworn I was quitting the game - out of self-disgust - when Liverpool netted five (I didn't).

It takes two teams for a game of football, it's always worth remembering.

Pop us an email at info@shekicks.net or post your comments below and we'll carry on the debate in the coming weeks....