This Saturday Lions were at home to City Belles. Lions started the game strong with an early break courtesy of a neat ball from Bella to Tehila. Her through ball to Heidi didn’t quite make its destination and Belles were able to clear the ball away. Lauren was called into action soon after, with a brave dive down at the attacker’s feet, smothering the ball and preventing a goal scoring opportunity. Belles came again, but Kiera was on hand to clear the ball away with a strong punt up field.
Both teams were finding it tricky to put their stamp on the game and for a short period the play was scrappy in the middle of the park. When Belles finally made a break away, Sienna tracked back at pace to make the challenge, with Evelyn mopping things up, regaining possession for Lions.
Lions first goal came after a driving run from Evelyn through the centre of the pitch resulted in the ball finding its way to Tehila, who past her defender and fired home her first of the game. Lions’ midfield was particularly strong today. Moving up and down the pitch with a real commitment. Belles attempted another attack shortly after the restart, but this time it was Gracie who tracked back and made the block, stopping the away side in their tracks.
Lions turned up the pressure and attacked the Belles defence from all sides. Olivia’s pass out wide found Heidi on the right wing. Her looping shot from just outside the box looked to have lobbed the keeper, but she was able to get her hands to it and pull it out of the air, to safety. A great team move followed shortly after with a ball from Bella to Gracie who played it back to Bella. She played the ball wide to Heidi who put in a superb cross, but no one was able to get on the end of it. However, Bella kept the ball in play and played it back inside to Tehila who shot a good effort that was well saved by the keeper.
Despite being on the back foot, a wonderful through ball from a Belles midfielder played the attacker in. She took her goal well, levelling the score. However, it wasn’t level for long as Tehila was quick to pounce on some sloppy play at the back minutes later, putting Lions back in front.
Sienna showed tremendous strength as she battled a strong and fast attacker desperate to get a sniff at goal. But once again, it was the Lions defender who came out on top. The home side were soon on the front foot with Tehila breaking down the right. Her cross inside found Gracie who took her time to line up a shot that sailed just wide of the post. Belles were restricted to long balls, but Lauren was well positioned on the edge of her box and was able to collect the ball with relative ease. In the final moments of the first half Flo and Olivia both worked hard to put pressure on the Belles defence but neither were quite able to break away and get a shot off.
Lions started the second half confidently. Amber skipped past her marker and played a tidy ball inside to Evelyn. The midfielder played a great pass out wide for Heidi, but the Belles defender was able to get their first.
Another strong challenge by Kiera enabled the defender to collect the ball before releasing it down the left wing to Amber. Her ball inside found Tehila who crossed well but the Belles defence were able to make the block. Moments later Amber pounced on a loose ball and played a quick pass inside to Olivia. But her shot went wide of the post.
Evelyn was next to try her luck with a long range effort that snuck between the keeper’s legs. But she was able to quickly turn and dive on the ball before it crossed the line. Again, it was great to hear the girls talking to one another. Captain Georgia could be heard encouraging her teammate to ‘take a touch’.
It was all Lions now, and they came close to a third when Bella crossed the ball to Georgia in the middle of the pitch. She played the ball out to Evelyn who’s shot was spilled by the keeper. Amber was quickest to the ball and knocked it back across the goal to Olivia – but her shot went just the wrong side of the post.
Moments later the ball was bouncing around inside the away team’s box when Amber shot a right footed effort towards the goal only for it to be blocked by the outstretched arm of the defender. Despite missing the resulting penalty, Lions soon had the ball in the back of the net after some wonderful triangular passing between Gracie, Amber and Tehila created space for the shot and Tehila’s hattrick.
Lions soon made it 4-1 after a ball from Heidi to Tehila was fizzed across the goal to the waiting Amber on the back post who knocked it in to seal the victory.
This week’s players of the match: Gracie and Tehila.
