Under 13 Girls v Newmarket Town - League Cup Final 14.5.11

The penultimate game of the Under 13 Girls' season was a visit to Milton Road, home of Cambridge City FC and hosts of the Cambridgeshire League Cup finals. The Blues faced Newmarket Town who currently lie third in the league, a very creditable position in their first season. That they hold that position with a goal difference of -5 compared to Cambridge and our 120+ tells the story that they make it difficult for opposition teams to score but don't score too many themselves and so it proved, despite our previous 7-1 and 6-0 victories over them this season.

The 'Spoon Army' in full voice

With highly vocal support for both sides the game opened quietly, Newmarket having early possession that Stortford absorbed, before starting to find a rhythm and picking out Ellie-Mae for an early run and cross down the right. Attacks followed with regularity from that point on, the blues looking comfortable in defence with Emily, Tyler and Simi all in sharp form, Scarlett and Inka controlling the midfield, Abigail finding plenty of space wide on the left, Ellie-Mae on the right and Tia running some great lines with quick pace up front.

Newmarket were up for the challenge though and gave their all in defending and breaking up play. Corners came frequently and the Stortford girls went close from many, great heading from Scarlett in particular grazing the cross-bar more than once. Ten or so minutes in what turned out to be the decisive moment in the game came, when Inka rose to meet a long ball forward from Emily. Just inside the area, she took a shove as she rose and the referee immediately blew for a penalty, much to this disappointment of some of the Newmarket support. Inka took responsibility and planted the ball firmly into the bottom left hand corner with an immaculate finish. 1-0 to the blues.

After a series of lung busting runs on the right throughout the first 15 minutes, Ellie-Mae retired for rest and recuperation, Faye taking her position on the wing with the tenacity of a terrier. Chances came and went for Stortford's front five but the Newmarket defence or their brave and in-form keeper denied further goals for the rest of the half and as it turned out, the rest of the match.

Scarlett unleashes a shot that is pushed just round the post

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, most of the play in the Newmarket half. Ellie-Mae returned to the right flank, Elly replacing Abigail for a period on the left later on. Stortford couldn't quite finding the killer final ball or finish, the yellow shirted Newmarket getting a foot in to break up the play, or attempts passing by the posts or cross-bar. That the second goal didn't come made for an exciting game right to the end and the 'well oiled machine' as Newmarket's previous match reports have described us, moved towards securing victory with few scares, save one short period where Skye couldn't grasp a high ball and took a moment or two to clear.

At the finish though, the right team had come away victorious despite Newmarket's best efforts and after match celebrations ran late into the afternoon, briefly at the Green Man(!) and then more extensively at the Red Lion in Hinxton. 

The girls and I were so appreciative of the support they received today, both in terms of volume and number. It was a real honour to run out in front of so many family members, friends and club coaches, to see banners draped in the stands and to hear the chants and cheers for their every move. Another box was ticked in this remarkable season and we can now look forward to its climax next week back at home  at Freidberg Avenue.

Result: won 1-0

Team: Skye, Simi, Emily (c), Tyler, Abigail, Scarlett, Ellie-Mae, Inka, Tia

Subs: Faye, Elly

Scorers: Inka

Under 13s v Cambridge City (away), League Cup - 5.3.11

The prize for today's winners - a day out at Milton Road

For the second time this season the U13 Girls went to the home of their fiercest rivals Cambridge City, again looking to come away with a win, buoyed by the success of their recent encounter. This time the reward was a place in the League Cup Final, the memory of losing out to City at the same stage last season providing an extra impetus. 
Cambridge won the toss and chose to change ends, an early indication that they were wary of another shock filled opening from their visitors, not wanting to begin defending the end in which they had conceded five only three weeks earlier. Tim, their coach had clearly fired his team up as the opening exchanges showed Cambridge sharper and on the front foot, quickly threatening the Stortford goal. Emily had an early shot saved but the home team retorted quickly, a speculative shot-cross clipping the crossbar. Louise was sharp in defence to break up another attack and Skye thwarted another with an early save - the blues were hanging on a bit in these opening exchanges. Scarlett and Ellie-Mae first combined to break up another attack and then looked to threaten themselves, thrusting down the wing to earn Bishop's Stortford's first corner. Two shots from Ellie showed the blues were up for the challenge, Tia also working hard to harry defenders and exert pressure up front. Cambridge's next break produced another shot onto the cross-bar, quickly followed by another shot on target, well saved by Skye. The first inkling that today was not to be theirs perhaps now started to appear in City player's minds and in the latter stages of the half the blues began to exert some authority on the game. Inka and Scarlett combined beautifully to create an opportunity, but Scarlett's effort went wide. Next Tia made a great run down the right, her threatening cross only just alluding arriving support. Ellie-Mae surged forward again and earned a corner that was snaffled under pressure by City's keeper, whilst the last opportunity of the half fell to Louise, who met a goal kick and returned it with interest from half way, the ball just passing outside of the post with keeper stranded.
0-0 at half-time, with the game on a knife edge, the girls in blue returned to the pitch, reminded that they had weathered the worst of Cambridge's storm despite not being at their best and that if chances could be taken they could take the upper hand. Early chances fell to Cambridge as the game re-opened, Tyler, Emily and Louise making important tackles, Skye again called into action as the final line of defence. Ellie-Mae shot across the Cambridge goal but it was a free kick in midfield 9 minutes into the half that proved a decisive moment. 
Emily set the ball down and ran through her preparations, focused on the posts like a Six Nations fly-half. She launched the ball on a high and rising arc, flighted straight and true between the posts and found the gap between the underside of the bar and the keeper, who had advanced a little from her line following calls from the touchline for her defenders to step out. It was a peach of a goal to put Stortford into the lead. 
Cambridge responded from a free-kick of their own but could only earn a corner. Skye rose high to bat that threat away. Another shot came in a few moments later, this time well over the bar, before Tia threatened in a Stortford break-away, bouncing the ball off the home team keeper, then shooting just wide in the follow up. More pressure and the blues earned another corner. Ellie-Mae sent it in beautifully from the left to Scarlett who had made space in the six yard box, comfortably nodding home to take the lead to two. A lead to protect, the need to concentrate and work hard to the end became paramount. Inka dropped back to help out Scarlett who had worked so hard throughout the game despite being hampered by a tight hamstring. Abigail was tracking back on forth on her flank, eliminating all danger down her side of the pitch. More Cambridge pressure but Stortford pressed and harried, limiting the opportunities for clear shooting chances. Simi replaced Tia at the fulcrum of the blues attack and was immediately into action, her first run defended for a corner. Another free-kick to Cambridge, but Zoe their specialist, mistimed her strike from distance. Ellie-Mae dropped back into defence now, Faye replacing Louise and slotting into midfield, immediately bustling into action, chasing the ball and putting Cambridge under pressure, a good attack between her and Simi developing. Abigail took a rest to add further fresh legs through Abby as Cambridge gave their all. Time still for them to come back, their most threatening strike was parried away by Skye in what was to my eye her save of the season, fully aerial and diving horizontally to her right, her outstretched hands pushing the ball round the post. Injury time ticked endlessly on, but the salvation of the final whistle came at last, bringing to a close another titanic battle between these two fine teams.
Our team has made great progress this season, adapting to the larger pitch and different format and finding a formation that is balanced and makes best use of our talents. The girls have played sublime football at times but today showed that that desire, concentration, hard work and organisation can earn rewards on days when their 'total football' isn't in full flow.
In the other semi-final Newmarket comfortably beat Huntingdon 4-1, deciding our opposition for the big day out in mid-May. Before then the league will dominate our thoughts as we keep the pressure up on City and if both teams maintain a 100% win rate, a final play-off game. The girls will be fine but will the touchline be able to cope with another encounter with Cambridge in a final league decider?

Result: won 0-2

Team: Skye, Louise, Emily (c), Tyler, Abigail, Scarlett, Inka, Tia

Subs: Simi, Faye, Abby

Scorers: Emily, Scarlett

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

Cambridgeshire League Cup 1st round - Comberton Crusaders v Bishops Stortford (away) - 2.10.10

After heavy rain on Friday it was a pleasant and uplifting surprise to arrive at Haslingfield to find it bathed in sunshine. Pre-match, with a helicopter circling overhead, Mike and Odi just about avoided being caught up in a police operation against hare coursing in a neighbouring field, clearly keen to get into the action following the team's own brand of Hare hunting the previous week. However it was a different team in orange that provided today's opposition and a significantly different game developed. 
Comberton had come unstuck against us in a pre-season friendly and had started the season getting on the wrong side of some close matches. Back under the stewardship of their coach Cieran they worked hard from the start, harrying the light blues and trying to threaten our defence. The game ebbed and flowed, back and forth, end to end, exciting stuff. Inka had a shot saved, Comberton earned a corner. Tyler and Louise were defending well and Skye was called into action early. Emily intercepted another attack close to the visitors box, her clearance catching Tyler in the face who retired to let her nose-bleed dry up, Simi taking her place in the back three. At the other end Abigail found Inka with a looping ball whose reverse shot was saved by the Crusaders keeper. Stortford couldn't find the move to take the lead and were having to concentrate to keep Comberton at bay.
A change now, Tia and Abby replacing Faye and Ellie-Mae. There was almost an immediate impact as Scarlett put Tia through but again the attempt was rebuffed. The game was heading to half-time with the scores level.


No changes for the start of the second period, though Stortford were starting to get on top now. Ten minutes in and the deadlock was broken when Abigail picked out Scarlett from a throw who jinked beautifully into the box and shot home for the lead. Abigail and Louise took a rest, Lauren joining the returning Tyler. All the players from both teams were working hard with the result still in the balance, though the shot count was remaining in the light blues favour. Simi took a rest, Ellie-Mae now returning and Stortford were in the hunt for a second, a particularly nice move starting from a throw-in from Lauren, returned to her by Tia, Lauren then crossing to Inka who laid back to Scarlett, her shot well saved and behind for a corner. Inka sent the ball in, Comberton cleared to Ellie-Mae in space who surged forward and picked her spot with what is fast becoming a trademark powerful shot. A two goal lead now secured, a wave of relief spread along the touchline. Emily retired and Faye returned for a final few minutes that saw Abby hit the post before being pulled back for offside minutes. Stout defending was required as Comberton mounted a series of attacks, nearly rewarded with a goal when Skye almost had a Rob Green moment, a divot diverting a comfortable collection that thankfully slipped by the post.
A vastly different result than from the pre-season friendly, but hard work and dedication to the cause from the girls  and two great goals from Scarlett and Ellie-Mae achieved a result that takes us through to the next round and a home draw against Sawtry in November.


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