U13s v Hormead Hares, League (away) - 20.11.10

The U13s were at their sublime best when they demolished Hormead Hares with a performance of great quality on the banks of the Quin in Hare Street. Large parts of the game saw them in total control of the ball, passing around the pitch and leaving the Hares chasing shadows and only occasionally getting a foot in. On five minutes the first goal came, Abigail firing home after picking up the rebound after Inka had hit the crossbar.
Ellie-Mae, playing up front to devastating effect and constantly a threat all morning, scored the second after being picked out with a lob pass from Emily and scampered passed 3 defenders before slotting home. Faye replaced Inka shortly afterwards, the midfielder retiring for a break after taking the ball in the face. The goals kept coming though, the next when Tyler sent a great pass through to Abby whose cross was met by Abigail for her second goal of the match. 3-0 to the visitors.
Skye and the wonderful defensive trio of Louise, Tyler and Emily dealt with minor skirmishes comfortably as the half proceeded, only occasionally called into serious action yet providing a base and outlet for Stortford's high quality passing. Their support play, always providing an option and seeing release passes for others were key to the control that the team maintained on the game. The girls all continued to pull the play around the field and probe for a point of weakness, retaining possession and growing in confidence with every pass. Inka and Scarlett owned the middle of the park that allowed others to play off them. Tia now replaced Ellie-Mae up front and it wasn't long before the silk footed striker found the net, finishing off a final pass received from Scarlett.
Half-time jelly babies and a couple of changes. Abby and Abigail taking to the bench, Ellie-Mae and Inka slotting into the midfield. Immediate pressure on the Hormead goal came in the form of two early corners, a strike on that hit the post before Faye moved the ball to Inka who carved the ball home. The team's sixth came from an unfortunate error from Anastasia in the Hares goal when she was unable to hold onto a searing low cross shot from Ellie-Mae after her scything run along the right hand touchline. A few minutes of half-chances came and went before Ellie-Mae again streaked down the right and sent in an even better ball into the box and path of the arriving strikers and defenders. Indeed it was a defender that found the net, unable to do anything but send the ball into her own net. 7-0. 
Abigail came on for Tyler in the back line in another change to the blues formation. Three minutes later and another own goal was on the score sheet - same source as the first, Ellie-Mae sending the ball into a melee in the penalty area. A defender getting the last touch before the ball nestled again in the net. 
Perhaps surprisingly Hormead were the next to score, their left winger Ami streaking down the right only to see her shot hit the post. The ball rebounded out and another shot this time found the visitors goal. 8-1.
Ellie-Mae completed her hat-trick with a run and shot from Abigail's throw-in, capping an exemplary attacking display that would have caused problems to the finest of opponents. Tyler replaced Scarlett for a run out in midfield and looked comfortable there for the rest of the game, going close to opening her season's account in the last quarter of the game. It was however Scarlett who scored the team's final goal once she had returned to replace Emily for the last minutes at the centre of defence. It was an outstanding  solo effort - taking the ball after picking it up at the back on a never ending maze of a run through the defence, beating defender after defender, before rolling the ball home from inside the six yard box.
David Ginola observed on Wednesday that England did not seem to have the ability to string six passes together and were therefore never going to progress against the top footballing sides of the international game. The U13s have no such worries; their play at times was almost poetic, their vision wide ranging and their team-work untiring. They have potent weapons in many forms and are developing a variety of ways to play which will set them in good stead as the season progresses. A new benchmark has been set. Well done girls.

Result: Won 1-10 (HT 0-4)
Team: Skye, Tyler, Emily (c), Louise, Abigail, Scarlett, Inka, Abby, Ellie-Mae
Subs: Faye, Tia
Scorers: Ellie-Mae (3), Abigail (2), Tia, Scarlett, Inka, OG (2)

U13s v Sawtry, League Cup (home) - 13.11.10

Sawtry were visitors to Freidberg Avenue for the quarter final of the Cambridgeshire FA League Cup on a bright and dry morning, though preceding days of rain made underfoot conditions a little sticky. The home team started brightly and two early corners nearly produced the opener, Abigail shooting over from close range. Tia, Ellie-Mae and Inka all brought the Sawtry keeper into action, beginning a match-long pattern that saw the majority of efforts from blues find the keepers gloves.
A high workrate was maintained into the meat of the half and the girls finally found the net through a nice move when Tia and Ellie-Mae interchanged passes before Tia moved the ball onto Abigail who fired home only to be flagged offside. A chancey but sustained defensive effort from Sawtry looked to have secured first half parity until in the dieing minutes Stortford struck twice. Ellie-Mae and Louise combined down the flank to earn a throw-in which Inka sent through to Abigail. The hot shot forward took control and found the net for the game's opener. Persistence was rewarded no more than a minute later when Louise pressed forward and followed in to tap home after her first attempt was only parried.  
 Tia and Louise took a rest at the break, replaced by Lauren and Elly who joined the team in continuing to apply great pressure on the Sawtry goal. Ellie-Mae and Elly both went close before Sawtry had a resurgence, shooting wide with one shot and pulling a save from Skye with another. Their next attempt did produce a result when failure to clear the lines allowed them to poke home to half their trailing defecit. Stortford never looked in danger of conceding again and continued to rain shots in on Sawtry's goal, each one though finding the keeper. The two goal lead was restored though when Inka finally managed to avoid the keeper and found the net to make it 3-1. Tia produced a champagne moment right at the end, fully meeting a corner with a powerful header that just skimmed the crossbar. A nice victory and a good game. A home semi-final against Cambridge City in the spring the reward.

Result: Won 3-1
Team: Skye, Tyler, Emily (c), Louise, Abigail, Ellie-Mae, Inka, Abby, Tia
Subs: Lauren, Abby, Elly
Scorers: Abigail, Louise, Inka

U13s v Histon Hornets, League (home) - 6.11.10

Histon Hornets visited Freidberg Avenue at the beginning of November and the girls showed no leniency as they dished out a 7-0 drubbing to the girls in black and red. Stortford started brightly, a through ball to Simi was passed on to Ellie-Mae who saw her attempt go narrowly wide of the goal. Abby had a smart run down the wing and unleashed another attempt, saved well by the Histon keeper. A little later Histon earned themselves a corner and this proved their undoing as the Stortford girls defended then broke quickly through Abby who found Scarlett in a dangerous position. Scarlett shimmied past one, two then a third defender and virtually walked the ball over the line for the opening goal.
A nice passing move that saw the ball move from Abby to Scarlett who picked out the hard working Simi for goal number two. Simi continued her good work, linking with the ever dependable Louise to set up a nice break but goal three came when Scarlett picked out Tia who clinically finished in her own inimitable style.
The fourth score was another cracker, the unstoppable Ellie-Mae picking the ball up deep and then surging through Histon, a thunder-strike from her right boot sending the ball to nestle in the back of the net. Tia picked up her second shortly afterwards to make it 5-0, with Scarlett nearly making it six when a shot just before the break hit the post and rebounded out.
Into the second half and Elly was now patrolling the left flank. She hit gold within five minutes when a lovely move that started with Louise saw Faye surge down the right, pick out a pass to Tia in the box who slipped it onto Elly to find the net.
Ten minutes on and scoring was concluded for the day, this time when Scarlett went in a corner that Elly passed to Faye who slipped the ball goalwards and saw it find its mark just inside the post. With Lauren taking up the gloves in the second half, Skye went close with a couple of attempts but nothing more troubled the scorers and 7-0 it remained until the final whistle.

Result: Won 7-0

Team: Skye, Lauren, Emily (c), Louise, Scarlett, Inka, Abby, Ellie-Mae, Faye
Subs: Elly, Tia
Scorers: Scarlett, Simi, Ellie-Mae, Tia (2), Elly, Faye