Another freezing morning of footie beckoned, but the Galaxy girls and their amazing supporters (thanks Parents!) were raring to go against the red and black of Blunham Youth. A lovely atmosphere and excellent facilities with hot drinks and bacon rolls most definitely helped.
Blunham got past the defensive line in the opening seconds of the game, but Crouchy was there to shut down the threat. The ball was back to the midfield for Eden to make a run and almost get a goal – not bad for the opening minute of the match. The keeper managed to get her hands to it, but it was an inkling of things to come.
A few minutes later, Eden got another chance, supported by some great tactical passing from her teammates. She took advantage of a Blunham stumble to get one past the keeper for the first goal of the match. It’s been a fair while since the Lionesses were a goal up in the first quarter, and the vibe was impeccable.
The Lionesses were on great form – some fantastic battling from Indie on the wing got a compliment from the ref and super quick footwork from Esme meant that the passing play was speedy and accurate. Hollie proved that she is utterly dependable in midfield, frustrating any Blunham player that came her way and deflecting many a red pass to get the ball back to a green boot. Blunham managed to find some space and Amy was left alone in front of goal, but she pressed her player brilliantly, matching her for every step and shutting down the attack.
After some midfield scrabbles, Eden almost got through to score another but it was saved. Indie worked hard to keep possession and pass back through to Eden but again, no luck on another goal. Esme put in a fabulous run up the wing with the ball seemingly glued to her boots but her pass was intercepted by the reds, so Evie put in a couple of nice defensive turns to shut it down and get it back to the middle.
An unlucky handball from Blunham gave Galaxy a free kick which led to another crack on goal from Eden, but keeper did a block with her face this time – brave keeper, and a great save.
The Second quarter started with yet more accomplished play on show from the Lionesses, which was great to see. Captain Crouchy was always ready with communication, and the pressure was consistently applied to the opposition, with very little room for manoeuvre.
A lovely pass from Lily-Rose to Indie who then got it through to Eden threatened the keeper again, but Blunham defended well and a few minutes later, they were awarded with a free kick just outside the Galaxy box. Olivia took it her stride and made a fantastic save.
This little wobble didn’t deter the Greens at all and along came Eden, with a lovely run up the pitch and some beautiful turns to make space, look ahead and score a cracker of a goal – amazing!
Even with a two goal lead, the Galaxy energy levels didn’t falter, with Maya defending well and reading the play, looking at potential threats and supporting Crouchy.
Hollie intercepted not one, but two red balls to keep possession in the midfield, but Blunham started to apply a bit more pressure and were awarded another free kick just outside the Green box. A great effort from the Blunham player meant that the ball had a nice bit of power behind it, but Olivia read the direction perfectly and tipped it over the top bar with her fingertips.
Another amazing run from Eden using those long legs of hers got it back to the other end and she was pressured all the way, but did a great stop and turn to try and keep the ball in. Maya put on a burst of speed and blocked three attacks from the midfield, matching the energy of her opponent. Eden got the ball back and passed to Esme who got a lovely goal into the left corner, giving us a strong lead.
The half time whistle blew and the excitement in the Galaxy camp was next level – three nil up at half time? This was a new experience… our spirits were slightly dampened when we all got flapjack envy, watching the Blunham parents tucking into some amazing looking home-made treats… noted for next time.
The second half brought more pressure from the reds, but the Lionesses put in some seriously ‘silky’ play (wording borrowed from Russ… cheers bud), showing Coach Darren that they have been listening during their coaching sessions.
Blunham threatened with a strike that went wide, and Olivia came forward to grab the ball after another go. A Blunham corner was intercepted and cleared away quickly by Evie, with Hollie battling hard in the middle again.
The reds managed to get past the defensive line and there was another scrabble around the Galaxy goal – Olivia got her hands to it and seemed convinced that she saved it, but the ref declared the ball over the line.
The last quarter beckoned, and by now the girls were looking tired and cold, but they were still giving maximum effort. A free kick was given and Crouchy took it, with a great ball through to Eden, who passed to Esme. A sticky pitch and a slight misstep in the mud meant that she couldn’t quite get the power behind it to get the shot.
A Green corner was given, but the Reds got it back. Hollie placed herself perfectly to get the ball back into the box, but Blunham managed to get it back again. Maya followed up with a great battle up the right wing but the reds got a corner. Luckily it didn’t create too much of an opportunity and some lovely passing play between Esme and Eden got the ball back out of harm’s way before the final whistle blew.
What a fantastic match – it was wonderful to see how much the girls have improved – making space, reading the play, looking ahead to make tactical and accurate passes and really working hard to pressure and attack at every opportunity – a very well deserved win for the roaring Lionesses. Olivia was awarded Player Of The Match from the opposition and Captain Crouchy was Coach Darren’s choice this week, proving that she is both a wonderful captain and a brilliant listener when it comes to direction from her coaches.
