Bury Rangers Girls U11 vs Bedwell Rangers County Cup Semi-Final, Presdales, 28/1/2012

Bury Rangers exited the County Cup at the semi-final stage on Saturday at the hands of Bedwell Rangers.  In a performance that never hit the heights of last week’s high quality encounter Bury would still feel they had done enough to progress to the final.  Bury took the lead late in the first half through Zoe Martin who tapped home following up after a Helena Falco driving run and shot.  While there can be no complaint when it comes to commitment and endeavour, Bury’s passing game never really got going this week in bitterly cold conditions.

Bury still looked the most likely to score next and hit the post twice in the second half.  Alice Crawford, so often the crafter of a goal, nearly broke through on a number of occasions only to be thwarted by the last defender or keeper.  Credit must go to Bedwell whose commitment levels and team discipline held firm throughout.  Bedwell’s equalizer came with a quarter of an hour remaining through their pacy eleven.  It was a great goal, picking it up deep, nicking it passed the covering defenders and rifling home with a great strike. 1:1 at the end of normal time.

Extra time was uneventful and it so often is which meant penalties.  Bury’s participation in the League cup competition ended on penalties early in the season at the hands of Knebworth.  Hats off to all who volunteer to take part in the shootout but once again, despite the great efforts of ‘girl of the game’ Molly Daniels in the Bury goal, the opposition prevailed.  Good luck to Bedwell in the final.  They have taken some notable scalps in their cup run. 

Holly Miles, the U11s much admired and respected coach who has developed a fantastic relationship with the girls over the last two increasingly successful seasons, announced after the game that she had landed a plum football job in the US.  Congratulations to Holly.  She will be hugely missed.  Great performances over the next few weeks while she remains at the helm will be the best form of send off.