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With a last minute location change, we all arrived at St Bedes bright and early for a 10am kick off on Sunday the 6th March. Due to the size of the pitch we agreed with Downend to play 8v8 rather than our normal 7v7. Following our usual warm up (lead by Sophie this week) and shooting practise, we were ready to go.

With the girls not used to 3g astro it took a little while for us to settle into the game, letting Downend get on the front foot from the very start. We soon adapted and it only took Sophie 8 minutes to find the back of the net. Sophie was pressing high and tackled one of their defenders on the edge of the box, before firing it into the bottom left corner. With only 2 subs due to us playing 8-a-side, Eleanor stepped up to take on the role of right midfielder, confidently tackling and dribbling the ball up the pitch. Abbie was beautifully delivering the ball from goal to midfield, her strong kicks were getting all the way past the halfway line! Our attacking duo (Sophie and Alice) were organising themselves nicely, taking turns to drop back and help midfield and travel with the ball up the pitch. Soon came the second goal scored by Alice! Following a run of consistent corners, Isla crossed it into the box again and Alice was stood waiting at the back post unmarked, she tapped it into the bottom corner (with her knee!). Our defence was looking strong as we came towards the end of the first half, with Susie and Niamh confidently tackling and powerfully clearing the ball away from the goal. The half time whistle was blown.

We entered the second half ready for the battle in a very close game. The girls got stuck straight in, only taking Alice 3 minutes to score her second goal of the game! Sophie dribbled the ball up and had a shot which was deflected off the goalkeeper, but it found its way straight to Alice who tapped it safely into the net (again with the same knee!). Our captain Isla was organising the team well, telling everybody where to stand when we were attacking. Our designated throw-in taker (Evie) was sending the ball all the way down the line with each throw, putting our attackers in a strong position. If the ball ever got through our midfield then our defenders (Eleanor and Niamh) were ready to clear it away or tactically pass it on. When Bonnie received the ball she dribbled through the heart of their midfield, keeping the ball close and controlled before passing it onto our attackers. Our attacks were strong and often, but Downend were just as strong, with the defence stopping any ball that went near the goal. With only 5 minutes to go our star striker of the match (Alice) came off for Zoe, who took on our new position of attacking midfielder to create chances. Sophie received the ball from Zoe, she then passed it to Isla on the edge of the box who dribbled in and fired it into the centre of the goal with all her power, securing our next goal. The match was coming to an end but that didn’t stop Isla from bagging her final goal of the game, tackling their defender and shooting from far outside the box, sending it into the bottom left corner, a wonder goal!! Abbie was still on her toes at the other end of the pitch, with Downend coming close to getting a final goal, but she confidently threw herself around and stopped any chance they had. The final whistle was blown.

Special shout out to our coach Tom for taking on the role of the ref this week when there was nobody available.

A strong shift put in by all of the girls till the final whistle, they worked really hard and showed real determination to get back into the game after a couple of set backs. Our Star Players this week were Alice (for scoring 2 goals and always being in the best position) and Niamh (for her confident and strong tackles in defence, stopping their attackers).

Written by Ellie Haines and Jamil Khan (U10 coaches).

Bristol Ladies Union played at home Sunday 27th February to Longwell Green. We were lucky to have a dry sunny day after a week of high winds and rain.

BLUs started off strong. Pippa and Lily were in defence and doing a great job.  Lamorna made a nice pass to Jess who then passed to Evie who nearly scored. Next there was a good tackle from Jess who carried the ball forward and nearly scored….. SO CLOSE !!!! Shortly after Jess then had a run down the line and cut in and scored. The score was 1-0 to us. Following some strong tackling from Lamorna we were unlucky to concede as Longwell Green got an equalising goal. From the restart Longwell Green had a clear-cut chance but a nice save from Maeve kept it out. Iris was trying really hard to press up the pitch and closing down their players. Longwell Green had another shot which glided in. BLU had a few corners and lots of runs from Jess and Evie who came close to scoring.  Longwell Green had a clear run on goal, Maeve nearly saved it but it went in. There was lots of pressing from Iris but Longwell Green scored another goal before half time.

At half time there was lots of encouragement from the BLU coaches. Back on the pitch, Jess had a good attempt for a goal but their goalie made a good save. We then made a substitution and Mairead came on for Lamorna.   Mairead did some tackling and good marking of their players. Alice came in defence and did really well. Evie took a corner and nearly got a goal. Longwell Green had an amazing attempt to score but it was wide. Jess was so close with a shot and only just missed. Maeve made some good saves in the second half but there were no more goals for either team. Good match played by everyone. Well done.

Match report written by Evie from BLU U11

BLUs travelled to Emerson Green on a very wet and windy day to play against Longwell Green Tigresses. The weather wasn’t the best but the BLUs were determined to give it their all and all showed determination.

The game started with an early goal to Longwell Green, the BLUs fought back with excellent teamwork from all which led to a very close goal by Jess and Betsy but got saved by the goalie. Kate was up for the challenge in goal and made a smashing save. Ellie showed great confidence getting into space for Betsy to pass. Lily and Iris showed strong tackling in defence to return the ball pass the halfway line and set up for a goal. The weather took a turn for the worse making it difficult to play but the BLUs battled on. Almost needed a snorkel to see the ball! Some excellent footwork by Alice in midfield gave a chance to score. Astrid made a great tackle in defence taking the ball up the field to Jess.

By halftime Longwell Green were ahead, a change of positions in the second half gave some chance for a rest, BLUs showed strong signs of scoring however Longwell Green had other ideas. Alice took up midfield and made an amazing tackle, Betsy passed from the corner towards the goal, Mairead took her chance for a shot but the goalie saved it. Evie was in line to accept the ball and took her shot sadly striking the post. Longwell Green took another shot but Astrid guided the ball towards the corner.

It was a great performance for both teams and BLUs showing so much determination, teamwork throughout. Sadly not taking home the win this time.

Written By Lily from BLU U11

Everybody woke up on Sunday the 13th of February expecting the match to be called off due to the constant downpour, however, with the pitch still in a ‘playable’ state, the match went on. Despite the horrible weather, we still had a full squad and subs bench, with all the girls raring to go and excited to get extra muddy (sorry parents!). This was our second time playing Whitchurch U10s, so we were desperate to bag a win. The rain and cold caused us to start off hesitant. Our starting defenders (Rosie and Eleanor) were on their toes at the back, kicking away any passes that managed to get through midfield. Our midfield consisted of our captain Isla in the middle, supporting Zoe and Bonnie on the wings, who were quickly feeding the ball through to Poppy upfront, who kept having chances but none quite hitting the back of the net. With the weather being terrible we were rolling our subs on and off quickly to keep everybody warm. Our defenders were being switched around regularly, but all 5 of them (Rosie, Eleanor, Susie, Leah and Niamh) were having a beautiful game, using their strength to stop all Whitchurch attacks. With half-time nearing we were still looking for our first goal of the match. A lovely run from Bonnie up the wing saw Zoe receive the ball, Zoe then crossed it to Alice on the edge of the box, who hit it with all her power, but the Whitchurch defender managed to get her toes to it, stopping what was almost a beautiful goal. Our time soon came though with a wonderful shot from Isla. A long throw-in from Evie (who’s throws are amazing by the way!) saw Isla receive the ball in the box. Isla turned and blasted the ball into the back of the goal, nutmegging the goalkeeper. We entered half-time with our heads held high.

It was still raining so half-time was a quick team talk and drink before we were back on the pitch to stay warm. Poppy started out as our central-midfielder, showing strength and confidence in a new position. We carried on with our lovely runs up the wing, with beautiful crosses into the box being shown by Evie, Zoe and Bonnie. Our defenders were gaining confidence in going up the pitch to make tackles and win back the ball, knowing they were in safe hands with Abbie in goal (who hadn’t actually had to do much and was getting a bit chilly!). The game was well balanced, with both us and Whichurch putting up a hard fight and making scoring goals difficult. Sophie had a couple of chances, receiving the ball on the edge of the box, but their defence were quick to put in tackles, stopping us from putting pressure on their goalkeeper. Another strong run up the wing from Zoe saw her have a chance on goal, sending in a powerful shot but it went straight to the goalkeeper who hit it away. This deflection happened to land right at Isla’s feet who fired it straight into the back of the net with no hesitation. With not long left of the match we carried on till the very end, Niamh was putting in a strong performance in defence, confidently tackling and passing the ball onto midfield. The final whistle was soon blown and despite being drenched through, spirits were high.

A strong performance by all the girls from start to finish today, despite the weather everybody played at their very best. Our Star Players went to Isla (for scoring both goals and controlling the game well in centre-mid) and Bonnie (for her strong runs up the wing and for never stopping running). Hopefully next week we have the sun back!

Written by Ellie Haines (U10s coach).

Match report – 30th January 2022 – BLU under 11s, away to Portishead.

BLU went to Portishead to play an away game, it was perfect weather for a match, sunny and not super cold.

When the game started there was great pressing from Lamorna on the right, leading to an early shot which was well saved. Great work from Kate led to Jess shooting narrowly wide. BLU started as the better team, and there was pressure all over the pitch, not to mention all the corners BLU had. However, the goal didn’t come as quickly as hoped, but BLU got there in the end!  A lot was going down the right with Katherine and Lamorna linking, leading to more corners. Kate had a good shot deflected for another corner. Play switched over the left with Jess getting the ball and running at Portishead, who also defended well. Lamorna had a shot to the right, it’s coming we said to ourselves! Jess played a great diagonal ball to Kate, then Kate also came close with a drag back and shot – close again! Betsy did some great passes, which kept us moving forward.  Jess then had a fantastic solo run and shot, which the keeper saved well. Ellie looked positive (not for Covid!) at the back, working well with Katherine to stop the pressing Portishead.  Still 0-0.

Pressure then built from Portishead, who scored from their first corner of the game; a strong shot into the left of the goal. It was against the run of play but well taken.  We all got a bit nervous then but then equalised, straight in from Jess at the corner!  Then suddenly we scored again! Betsy’s shot was stopped by a defender, but sneaks in!  Just before the half time whistle, Portishead break and shoot a strong low shot, which Maeve gathers with confidence.  

Second half starts as the first ended, with a corner to BLU. Suddenly Betsy did a throw in over the defence, which Jess then volleyed into the net. The fans loved it! Alice was looking lively while keeping up the pressure on the left. Portishead were still trying to win, which was great to see, so we had to keep defending and push to our hardest.  Lily at left back was never going to let the attackers past, and kept defending brilliantly. 

In one of the most exciting moments, the Portishead keeper made a triple save with Mairead coming closest to scoring. Lamorna then finds herself clear twice to shoot from distance, the first well saved and the second fizzed to the left. Because we didn’t give up, this led to a final BLU goal, which was scored by Mairead. It was a precise diagonal ball from Betsy through the defence for Mairead to nicely finish. With the game almost over, Portishead then pulled one back with a great passing move leading to a last goal of the match.

It was a great performance for both teams, but we were pleased to take home the win.

Match report written by Ellie from BLU U11

On Sunday the 23rd of January we all had to drag ourselves out of bed half an hour earlier than usual for a 10am kick off compared to 10:30am, and it was all the way over in weston! But we all managed it and were soon warming up ready for the game ahead.

The girls were ready to go and despite the pitch being massive compared to what we are used to, we were on our toes and raring to use all our energy. The whistle blew and we were off. Our defence was looking strong, Rosie and Eleanor were clearing the ball, stopping any danger getting close to Abbie in goal. It took a little bit of time for our midfield to adapt to the size of the pitch, it required a lot more running! But we soon got there, and Bonnie, Zoe and Isla were passing it around in midfield, with bursts of sprints up the wing every so often by Bonnie and Zoe, putting pressure on the other team. Alice was our starting striker, getting into good positions if the ball were to come to her. The size of the pitch did seem to be putting us through our paces, with a rocky start looking like we were going to enter half time goalless. But Sophie and Isla came to the rescue! Our newly substituted striker Sophie dribbled the ball into the box and then passed it onto Isla, who booted it straight past the keeper and into the back of the net. Followed by the whistle blowing for half time.

The goal had been perfectly timed, giving the whole team motivation for the second half. When the whistle went we got stuck straight in, using the size of the pitch to our advantage by dribbling up the wing and around their players in our attacks. Leah and Susie (later followed by Niamh) in defence, were getting more confident with their tackles as the game went on. But if the ball were to ever go through then Abbie had it covered, both making saves on the goalline but also running out to the edge of the box to tackle their attackers. Weston Mendip again started strong, but we didn’t let this get us down. 11 minutes into the second half we welcomed our next goal! Starting with Evie and Poppy creating pressure in the box on a corner, standing strong against their defenders. Isla took the corner beautifully, passing it straight to Zoe on the edge of the box, who fired it into the top right corner of the goal. A few substitutions saw Eleanor come on in defence and Bonnie come on in midfield. Not long after that came another goal! A lovely pass from Eleanor and a few tap arounds by our midfield saw Zoe gain possession in the middle of the pitch. Zoe then single-handedly took on the whole of the opposition and dribbled into the box and placed it in the back of the net. The team were looking strong and ready for a come back. Eleanor was clearing the ball with confidence and strength in defence, supporting her fellow defender Leah who was going up the pitch and tackling and stopping their attackers turning. Our good form lead to the next goal, Bonnie dribbled the ball all the way down the wing and passed it into Sophie in the box, who tapped it in the bottom left corner of the goal. We had a few more chances before the final whistle, with a close shot by Poppy, who was perfectly positioned in the box to receive a cross, but just tapping it wide of the post. Followed by a free kick won by Bonnie who got absolutely wiped out on the edge of the box, but unfortunately we couldn’t quite get the ball in the back of the net. We soon heard the final whistle.

Our Star Players this week went to Zoe for her amazing strength throughout the game and for bagging herself 2 goals (the race is getting close for golden boot!). As well as Eleanor for her incredible performance in defence, with powerful clearances and supporting other players around her. Well done to all the girls for staying motivated despite it being freezing cold and a huge pitch!

Written by Ellie Haines (U10s coach).

On Sunday 16^th January BLU U11 played at home to Emersons Green. The game started off with an early goal to Emersons Green though after some fierce tackling and defending it wasn’t long till Evie levelled it off with a nice pass from Jess. We soon settled into the game with some good teamwork including strong defending from Pippa and midfield pressure by Betsy. We then had some close shots by Iris and Jess, some brilliant saves by Kate, who really threw herself into it, but another goal closed the first half at 2-1.

We began the second half with a strong start, some powerful long shots on goal by Lamorna and great runs weaving in and out by Kate, though the other team’s defenders proved quite hard to get round. Down at our end we kept the pressure up with confident, strong kicks and clearing by Ellie and Lily. The third goal was scored but we didn’t give up. Katherine made some speedy runs up the wing and helped to get  the ball to Jess who made a close shot. Emersons Green scored again from a rebound from Betsy having made an incredible save.  Overall we played really well as a team, it was a close contest and we have a lot to be proud of.

Match report written by Iris from BLU U11

Today marked the day of BLUs U10s first match of 2022 (albeit a friendly) and the girls started us it with an absolute banger. I won’t waffle on in the introduction because there is a lot to cover in this match report!

Having lost Abbie (our legendary goalkeeper) to covid, as well as Zoe and Susie to prior engagements, the girls started the match unsure about what they were about to face. Eleanor was the first to take on the role of goalkeeper, with the added promise to her dad that she would get her brand new goalie gloves as muddy as possible. With a rocky start to the match (we will blame it on the christmas break) we soon got into the flow of things. Our midfielders (Evie, Isla and Bonnie) kept good possession of the ball, dribbling round Bath’s players and finding good spaces to receive passes. This soon lead to our first goal of the match, also marking Bonnie’s first ever goal! Alice dribbled the ball up and passed it onto Bonnie, who took it all the way into the box and placed it in the back of the net. We carried on strong after our goal, with our amazing defenders (Leah and Rosie, as well as Niamh who came on shortly after) clearing the ball far from our goal, avoiding any unnecessary pressure from their attackers. A quick goalie change saw Evie go in goal for Eleanor and brought Eleanor on in defence. Not long after, we scored our next goal. A beautiful pass from Poppy slotted it straight through to Sophie who fired it past the goalkeeper. But this assist by Poppy was just the warm up, she went on to score not one, not two, but three goals within the next 5 minutes!!!! (That must be a hat trick record). The first came from a lovely pass by Isla, where Poppy turned and slotted it in the back of the net. The second came from a corner (again assisted by Isla), where Poppy was stood at the front post and elegantly tapped it in. And the third (you guessed it, another Isla assist!) was a wonderful through-ball from Isla, which Poppy took on and fired straight into the goal, with an insane amount of power! That saw us into half time.

After an exhilerating first half, the girls were all buzzing (might’ve been from the hot chocolates most of them were drinking too) and ready to start the second half. Poppy was next to take on goalkeeper, making sure that the ball didn’t touch the back of the net. Our defenders (Leah and Eleanor) cleared every ball that came near them, putting all their power it and not letting a single one past. Only 5 minutes into the second half saw Isla finally bag her goal of the game. A strong throw-in by Evie landed at Isla’s feet, she then took it on her left foot (!) and whacked it into the bottom corner. A substitution saw Sophie come on for Alice as stricker, and it didn’t take long for Sophie to put her name on the score sheet again. A powerful corner from Isla resulted in a scramble in the box, Sophie was well positioned on the edge of the scramble and as soon as the ball came out to her she slotted it in the back of the net. This was soon followed by another goal by Sophie! A cross from Isla landed directly at Sophie’s feet, which she took closer to the goal and popped it in. Our midfielders were looking good, confidently dribbling the ball around and winning their individual battles. One successful battle lead to Bonnie dribbling the ball up the wing, all the way from the halfway line, and into the box, where she finished the wonder-run by placing the ball in the bottom corner of the goal! (“Viva Ronaldo” – Jamil). Our final goalkeeper substitution saw Sophie go into goal for Poppy, and Poppy come on as striker. With not long left of the match, we wanted to make the last few minutes count. Other substitutions saw Rosie and Eleanor take on a midfielder position for the first time, and Evie drop back into defence with Niamh. Rosie made a beautiful run up the pitch, dribbling past all of their players and taking it into the box, where she shot and hit the post!! But soon after this Poppy banged another one in the net, with an impressive power-shot from outside the box (I wouldn’t have wanted to be the goalkeeper!). Poppy wasn’t quite finished yet. A lovely centre pass from Poppy to Isla saw Isla boot the ball up the pitch, which Poppy ran onto and fired into the back of the net! The final whistle was blown and handshakes were shared with the very strong Bath City Development team.

All of the girls had an absolutely amazing match, choosing the star players was so hard. A special mention to all of the girls who bagged themselves lots of goals (especially Poppy!), and stepped out of their comfort zone by trying new positions. However, it’s not all about the scoring but also stopping them from scoring, and this is why Leah was our first Star Player – for her powerful clearances and tackles in defence, applying all the skills she’s learnt from training into the match. Our second Star Player was Bonnie, for scoring her first ever goal (plus a second) and showing some amazing strength through dribbling and tackling.

Written by Ellie Haines (U10s coach).

On Sunday the 12^th of December, BLU U11 played home at Canford Park against Downend Flyers. There was a welcome change in temperature compared with the freezing conditions last week.

BLU got off to a good start with Jess having a skilful run and forcing a great save from the Flyer’s keeper. BLU piled on the pressure, resulting in a number of goal mouth scrambles with Evie and Pippa in the thick of the action and somehow, the Flyers kept the ball out of the net. The pressure eventually payed off with Kate breaking the deadlock and her goal celebration was almost as good as the goal itself. Kate rapidly added a second goal following intricate build up play involving most of the team. She then wrapped up her hattrick following an outstanding individual effort.

The Flyers pulled a goal back following a powerful shot from their centre forward and another following a defensive mix up. Their centre forward added to her tally as the BLU defence was unlocked by a long through ball with Maeve unable to save us again.

At the end of the first half, BLU were under the cosh. It required, skilful teamwork and real effort to prevent the Flyers going in with a half time lead.

Andy’s inspiring team talk had an immediate effect on our players. BLU started the second half as brightly as the first. Another powerful run by Jess resulted in a cross that Kate just failed to connect. Kate swiftly added a 4^th goal with a good individual dribble and shot.

The Flyers were not out of it and forced good saves from Besty and a well-timed block from Lamorna when the Flyers looked certain to score.

BLU added another after a good move down our right wing and cross for Jess to tap in. Knee slider celebrations all round!

The Flyers finished the second half like the first, testing the BLU defence requiring excellent interventions from Emily, Pippa and Katherine. Despite our efforts we couldn’t close the game down and conceded two further goals in the dying minutes, meaning that the match ended in a thrilling draw.   

Match report written by Katherine from BLU U11

On Sunday 5 December, the BLU U11 squad travelled to Longwell Green. Under a grey sky, on a freezing day, both coaches and players had to keep moving to stay warm.

As the match kicked off, our forwards, Jess and Evie, pressed vigorously, creating a few early chances. Soon, Evie had put us in front with our first goal. At the other end of the pitch, Kate and Katherine in defence were putting in some stunning tackles against a physical opposition. We were playing confidently and passing accurately – our training the Wednesday before had really paid off.

The opposition’s defence was hard to dribble past, but soon, we’d hit the back of the net twice more, thanks to Jess and Evie. In the dying moments of the first half, Lamorna took our corner and crossed the ball expertly to Jess, who fired it at the keeper. She made a fantastic save, but the rebound fell straight to Betsy, who smashed it in on the half-volley. Lamorna quickly added another just before the half time whistle to make it a perfect first half.

After an inspiring half-time team talk, we were keen to get back into it. Longwell Green came back fighting, though, and had several excellent chances. Luckily, with some super saves from Betsy, we kept them out. Iris created some superb chances in the heart of midfield, while defenders Evie and Maeve did their bit with goal-stopping tackles. Then Jess scored another, but things were looking bad for us when the opposition won a corner. They crossed the ball to the edge of the penalty area, where Katherine deftly blocked the shot. The rebound fell to Longwell Green, but Kate clawed the ball off the line and swiftly scooped it up. We passed the ball up the pitch to Jess, who slotted it home for our final goal, and her hat-trick!

Altogether, we felt like this was our best match of the season so far – thank you, coaches, and also Longwell Green for being amazing opponents!

Match report written by Kate from the BLU U11 team