in our closest game this season our u10 ladies took on east leakes bantams away.
after a lively start to the game the situation was looking very closewith balls being flashed wide of both goals and both keepers being called into action.
the deadlock was broken in the 2nd quarter with a mix up at the back leading to an effort from close range hitting the back of the net.
from there the pressure was kept up accross the pitch into the 3rd and 4th quarter with a low shotting rattling the upright of the east leakes goaland another volleyed effort by wilson from range flew past the outside of the post.
final score east leakes 1 -0 hucknall harriers
player of the match Amelia B.
So close, but not to be.
This morning, we played Burton Joyce in the first League cup fixture. The morning mist hung in the air when we arrived and it never disappeared, which made for an interesting challenge- for both teams.
When the game started Burton Joyce started quickly and within 3 minutes they had broken down our left and crossed into the box, where unfortunately we didn’t react fast enough before they slotted the ball past Hollie. That seemed to wake us up, and we started to try and wrestle some possession in midfield through Naomi, Estee and Jessie, who stepped in from right back. But it wasn’t enough, as we weren’t able to sustain any real pressure or possession. Before we knew it, Burton Joyce had broken down our left again and a cross came a shot, beating Hollie to make it 2-0.
This seemed to wake us even more, and we started to put in more challenges and achieve control, with some nice link up play between Lillyana and Freya on the left and Naomi and Alice on the right. Daphnie and Estee were working together in the middle to harry and pester their midfield. Both looking to find passes out to play wide. All that hard work paid off when a hand ball on our right, just inside their half, allowed Lillyana to step up and send a freekick towards the Burton Joyce goal- it bounced just in front of their keeper and looped over her head into the goal. We got an equaliser not long after, when good play on our left, put Ella into space, and she crossed perfectly into an on running Charliee, who was supported by Cheska, to run on to the keeper and calmly score.
We managed to see out the rest of the half, without really having too much to worry about, as Georgie, Katie, and Jessie managed to keep the Burton Joyce attack at arm’s length, and when it did get past them Hollie was a real calm head behind them.
The second half was slightly more in our favour, we managed to contain the threat of their right wing more, through Freya, and then Lillyana, playing in the left back role. Jessie, playing in a central defence role, put in some great challenges to help keep us on the front foot.
A number or times, Alice was able to get down our right and cross the ball but we just couldn’t quite convert those into a winning goal.
The game finished 2-2 at fulltime, but as it was a Cup game, we had penalties to decide the winner. Charliee and Ella dispatched their penalties calmly, but unfortunately, Jessie’s was saved and Lillyana’s went just wide. Whilst Hollie went the right way for all their penalties, she was unable to stop them. Therefore, today unfortunately, we lost the game 4-2 on penalties, but an amazing effort and performance from all the Jets.
Beaten by Medan Vale
We played Medan Vale Colts today, in out 2nd home match. They were somehow relegated from division 3 last year, so it was always going to be a tough game, but after last weeks result and performance, we had hopes of pushing them close.
Unfortunately, Medan vale scored within 2 minutes of the start, and then again 2 minutes later, which left the girls a little shocked. Medan Vale scored a 3rd not long after, even though there was a push in the back, on Katie, in the box that the referee didn’t see. However, we then suddenly started to press them hard, stopping them having space, this was led by Naomi and Estee in the middle and Freya and Alice out wide. Our defence started to reduce the space they had to run into, and intercept balls before their forward players could get moving. From this, Katie played a ball out wide to Alice, who drove into the box, crossing to Cheska, who shot at the keeper, but the rebound came back to her, and she laid the ball back to Naomi who stroked the ball into the goal.
The half ended with Medan Vale scoring a 4th. But we came in at half time feeling the girls could get into the game more, get them thinking about us more and maybe score a couple more goals.
Unfortunately, Medan Vale had other ideas, and quickly scored 3 goals, which seemed to knock the girl’s confidence and belief, and we started to sit deeper and deeper, inviting pressure onto ourselves. Layla, Daphnie, Estee and Naomi, continued to try and hassle Medan Vale as best they could but we weren’t able get any sustained balls to allow us to break free.
Medan vale continued to score, without reply from us, until the last few minutes when we started to maintain some pressure down our left, with Alice and Ella putting in shots. We even had a free kick just outside their box that Naomi stepped up to take but shot wide.
The pressure at the end, just wasn’t enough to get a consolation goal, so we lost 14-1.
As a team, we need to learn to play to our strengths and how to be hard to beat as a team. We need to be braver on the ball and want to get the ball when we don’t have it. Every game has something to learn from, for both the girls and the coaches.
Next week we are away Burton Joyce away. Kick off at 11:30. It’s a league cup game.
Back to the wall display results in 3 points
Today was our 4th game of the season, against Cotgrave. Before the game, we had Jessie and Lily drop out due to illness. Hopefully they will be back to full health soon. With the addition of Isabelle from the u13’s we started the game with a bare 11, which was going to be tough, especially as cotgrave had a squad of 15.
It was a very even game from the start, with the majority of the first 15 minutes being playing between the 2 defences. We had a couple of corners, without really testing their keeper. But suddenly we were down to 10, as Naomi went in for a tackle and seemed to clash knees, but stayed down. She had to come off, complaining she’d twisted her knee. This mean the task of getting anything was going to be harder, but the girls dug it and battled as best they could. Then Alice needed to come off, so we were temporarily down to 9. Thankfully after a few minutes off, Alice was back on. Shortly after this, a run by Alice down the left gave her the chance to cross and the Keeper seemed to leave it, to roll across her goal, which allowed an alert Isabelle to bundle the ball into the net. This spurred on Cotgrave, but we were equal their attacks, through the outstanding defence of Layla, Georgie, Katie and Freya. If they were by passed, Hollie in goal was ready and blocked or cleared or grabbed the ball.
We went in at half time, 1 up. As a team, the girls had given everything they could for each other. We told them, more of the same and who knew what could happen. They took those words and went out with a renewed determination.
The game ebb and flowed, with Charliee filling into midfield, and Cheska running the line all by herself, with support form Isabelle and Alice wide. Isabelle found Cheska running through who was eventually tripped in the box. Up stepped Charlie and banished the miss from the previous week with an emphatic penalty goal.
There was still time for Alice, Charliee and Cheska to link up and break the Cotgrave offside trap, to get a couple of shots off, but none found the back of the net unfortunately. As the game went on, Cotgrave started having shots from distance, that thankfully were either stopped by Hollie or drifted wide.
Finally the whistle went, and we’d managed to get a 2-0 win, with a first clean sheet of the season for Hollie, which she deserved for all her hard work over the last few weeks. The coaching team couldn’t give player of the Match to just one player, as they all played out of their skins, so we gave it to the whole team.
Next week we are at home to Medan Vale.
Beaten by the better team:
Today we played Newark Town who have come down from division 3. It was always going to be a tough game, but the coaches felt that if we put the same amount of effort in as we have for previous games this season, anything was possible.
We seemed to start the game slowly, and it was made harder when Newark scored within the first 5 minutes which had a suspicion of offside, but the ref explained why he allowed it, so we had to get on with it. It was made harder when they scored again. We then seem to wake up, and Cheska and Charliee continued to link up well. Estee and Naomi were running hard trying to stop Newark getting a head of steam up, but we couldn’t get enough a foothold into the game.
The game got worse, when a ball in a box, was blasted at Katie, who raised her hands to protect herself and the ball hit her hand. Hollie went the right way for the resulting penalty but was unfortunately just unable to keep it out.
Suddenly Estee picked the ball up in the middle of the pitch and feed the ball through to an on running Alice down the left, who drove inside and slid the ball past their Keeper.
The half ended with another Newark goal as their best player on the day yet rampaged down their left and even with the attention of Naomi and Layla, blasted the ball past Hollie.
The second half was a much more even affair, as both teams battled and stifled each other out. In Defence, Georgie, Jessie and Katie, kept repelling the attacks, but we just couldn’t sustain any real threat up front.
Eventually Newark scored another goal, but then we were given an opportunity as Newark handled in the box. Charliee stepped up to take it, and struck it well, but the keeper made a good save. From the resulting corner, the ball went through the 6-yard box but no-one reacted to tuck it away.
Newark got a 6th, before we got a corner. Lillyana swung it in and Charliee reacted first to tuck it away.
In the last kick of the game, Newark got a 7th, which probably flattered them.
Player of the match was close. Estee, Jessie, and Katie we all considered, but Naomi was award it for all the effort and energy she gave in 3 different positions.
Next week, we’re away to Cotgrave.
1st win of the season:
Today we played Phoenix Inham, in our 2nd league game of the season. Even though it was an early kick off, the girls were on it from the start, with some lovely link up play between Charlie and Cheska making the Inham defence constantly having to run back towards their goal.
We pressed and harried the Inham midfield, as both teams tried to get a hold in the game, but gradually we started to get the upper hand, even if it was only slightly. Naomi drove down the right forcing Inham to give away a corner. Charliee swing in the corner, where Alice connected to it and it looped into the back of the net. This spurred us on pressing down the left and right, but the final ball was just not falling to us. Our defence was marshalling the Inham attack well, with Layla, Georgie, Katie, and Lillyana being fairly comfortable keeping them at arm’s length overall. So, the half ended with us still 1-0 up.
Second half started much the same way, although Inham stepped up and it was slightly more even game although we continued to chase and pester as much as best we could. We continued to have attacks without forcing their keeper to make any real saves, as we lacked that clear chance. Daphnie at on point struck a brilliant shot, that was on target and would have been a goal, if it wasn’t for the effort of one of the Inham defenders who blocked it.
Estee was reading their attacks well, blocking and cutting out passes, and eventually she turned won the ball further forward, and fed in Lily, who looped her shot over their keeper to make it 2-0.
But it was a lead that was halved within a few minutes. This led to a frantic last few minutes where Inham threw everything they could at us, but we managed to hold out for our first win of the season.
Player of the match was given to Charliee who followed up last weeks impressive performance with an even better display today. She linked up with Alice, Cheska and Lily really well.
Special mention should also go to Georgie in her 2nd competitive game, she continues to develop and improve every week.
Priory celtic u10s (2-1) harriers u10s (friendly)
On a very wet sunday a meet up of two evenly matched teams ended with priory taking the win.
A mix up at the back led to priory taking the lead in the first 10 after pressure from both teams. Just before half time, Jessica scooped home from close range to level up the scores. As the rain became heavier in the second half some nimble footwork from priory got them ahead shortly after the break. In the last minutes a break from laicee saw a shot from the edge of the box expertly tipped onto the crossbar by the goalkeeper.