Hertfordshire Girls Football Partnership League – U11 Division 1

Bury Rangers U11 Girls vs Watford Ladies U11 (3-1), Saturday 26/11/11, Presdales

Team from: Molly Daniels, Amy Martin, Zoe Martin, Libby Hockney, Pia Eversley, Izzy Clermont, Helena Falco, Alice Crawford, Holly Amos, Ruby Voss.

Bury Rangers hosted second placed Watford Ladies in a high quality encounter in fresh November conditions on a heavy Presdales surface. Watford Ladies started brightly and the opening exchanges pointed towards a difficult morning for Bury.  Recent opponents have been much more wary but Watford regularly committed numbers to attack and created a several good positions before finally converting one.  Once coach Holly had got across the importance of tracking back the game evened out and Bury worked their way back into it, field position was gained, corners were won and eventually chances were fashioned.  Bury’s first really good chance fell to Alice Crawford who shifted her weight one way then another in the box before firing across the keeper into the opposite corner.  Watford restarted, Helena Falco nicked it immediately and set off on a high speed slaloming run beating player after player, inside and out, before following Alice’s example and striking across goal into the corner.  Great goal.

It’s not inconceivable that Bury could be sitting on a 100% record this season had a few situations fallen more kindly.  However, on this occasion Watford can count themselves a little bit unlucky to be turning around behind at half time.   Bury were much more high energy and assertive in the second half and another finish from girl of the game, Alice Crawford, following good passing in midfield gave Bury a two goal cushion that they managed to hold on to comfortably this week.

In a week that saw three very good individual finishes the final reckoning showed that every player contributed handsomely this week: Molly Daniels looking assured and making good distribution decisions in goal; Pia Eversley, Libby Hockney and Izzy Clermont establishing complimentary partnerships and good understanding; Zoe Martin battling manfully up front, often in a lone role; Ruby Voss being a real nuisance even in advanced positions stopping the opposition from playing out; Holly Amos and Amy Martin developing real box to box engines down the flanks and contributing in both attack and defence;  Helena Falco and Alice Crawford providing real quality, skill and goals from the middle of the pitch.

3:1 win.  A great performance and fantastic result against a good side who, as the six members of last year’s U11 squad may remember, handed out two hidings to Bury last season.