The Wanganui Athletic Women's team suffered a heavy 11-0 defeat to Massey in the Women's Central League fixture at Wembley Park at the weekend.
For 30 minutes, the ladies of Wanganui Athletic looked to be holding their own against a far superior Massey team, but it only took two goals in a matter of minutes for it all to collapse around them.
It didn't help that Athletic players were dropping like flies with injuries in the first half, and early into the second half, forcing coach Shane Wye to go to the substitute bench perhaps earlier than he would have liked, but that was not the only thing working against him.
The ladies in red clearly lacked leadership in the middle of the park, and the composure and belief they had the ability to play the ball through the park to build an attack. Once Massey gained the ascendancy, Athletic looked to lose all shape and will to compete.
Even when they resorted to sending the ball from their defensive third directly toward a lone centre forward, who often had three or four players to deal with, and no support from a midfield pegged back on their own half, they were rarely able to even trouble the opposition keeper.