A chilly morning for the Lionesses, playing away in Bedford. There were warm smiles all round with a full squad of girls ready to take on the Bluebirds and it was great to have Olivia and Hollie back on the pitch.
I’ll try to keep it short and sweet today – every single player did a brilliant job and as Coaches Darren and Jethro summarised at the end, it was like watching a different team from last week – the best the Lionesses have played this season: more space was being made – no bunching up; clear and tactical passes were consistently played; beautiful footwork and quick feet were on display; attacking energy was high; defensive battles were fought brilliantly and with determination.
The first quarter started with some confident attacking play from Eden and Emma. Eden was clearly not in the mood for another loss, and her fast feet meant that she made it past not one, not two, but three defenders to try and get a first goal. It was saved by the keeper, but Eden was not to be deterred.
It was clear from the off that both teams were evenly matched, with some fast runs and zippy passing on show – the pace was high energy, but the Lionesses were on it. A stray Bluebird managed to fly through and threaten Olivia in goal, but she came out to grab the ball out of play.
Aimie came forward with confidence and played more in the midfield which worked really well today – she made some great challenges and won possession a number of times, getting the ball back to a green boot every time.
The teamwork between Hollie, Emma and Eden meant that the attacking play was so much stronger too – consistent pressure from the Lionesses meant that Eden had more support, and almost got another chance of a goal, backed up by Crouchy (looking fab with her new Captain’s armband!)
With some great scrapping around the Bromham goalmouth, a deflected cross by Crouchy looped up into the air and over the Bromham keeper’s head, catching her off guard and giving us a lucky lead. 1-0 to the Lionesses.
The second quarter started with the Bluebirds fighting back hard – they put in a determined run up the wing using one of their fastest players, which ended in an unlucky stumble. Olivia grabbed the opportunity – and the ball – and got it back out to the Greens quickly to play on.
Indie put in the first of many brilliant runs up the wing after a fantastic interception, but couldn’t quite get close enough to get a shot in. Kudos to Lily-Rose here as well – she managed to intercept the ball a good few times and get it back to the Eden/Esme partnership, but there was no luck getting through the blue defenders this time.
Olivia was challenged again, with Bromham stepping it up a gear and using some serious speed to get the ball back up the pitch, but she confidently made the save. A second attempt from the Bluebirds went wide, but Olivia was already there, throwing herself to the right side and stretching her fingers out to make sure it was pushed away.
With a second half to play the Lionesses were hungry for more and did not take their lead for granted, taking every chance to get a second goal in. A great clearance from Aimie made it to Indie, who tried for another strike, but it went wide.
Some brilliant passing and attacking play between the Hollie, Indie and Esme meant that the girls were consistently getting in some great shooting positions, but struggled to get through a solid Bluebird defensive wall.
A fantastic clearance from Evie meant another great run up the wing from Indie showing off some great footwork to hold her own against the bigger Bluebird player, but her shot on goal was grabbed out of play by the keeper.
The last quarter was a nailbiter, with both sides trying desperately to clinch that crucial goal, leading to some deep sighs of relief / disappointment on the respect line from the parents and supporters. Maya wasn’t letting anything through, shutting down some fast and furious threats from the Blues. Emma was putting in some great runs down the line but couldn’t quite make it through to the penalty area. Lily Rose did not one, but two powerful throw ins that were bang on target, the latter meeting Eden to set up what could’ve been a wonderful goal, but it sadly rebounded off the post – next time, Eden!
The whistle blew, much to the relief of the Lioness supporters who were delighted to walk away with a win. Emma won POM from the Bromham team, and Indie won POM from her teammates and coaches, showing her dad that a late-night is not always a bad thing – sorry Russ!
Big thanks to Karla for the pics, and as always, thanks to the wonderful girls and to Coaches Darren and Jethro for a great morning of football.
