After another over-night deluge, many of Sunday's fixtures sadly fell to water-logging, including our U14 Boys.
Our U13 Boys game was switched and they travelled to Enfield to face Hinton Revolution in the Spring Plate. The boys started brilliantly when after just 5 mins, O' Rourke converted a fine Adom through pass! Hinton then gained ground to take a 5-half time lead.
Second half saw a succession of Hinton attacks until a fine Hartslief pass sent Powell speeding away to finish in the bottom corner, sparking mass celebrations! Unfortunately, the lack of subs took its toll on the boys and despite some fine saves from MoM Lehouimel, the match ended 9-2. A really great effort from the lads that were in attendance.
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Our U15 Boys were away in the quarter final of the League Cup and facing Red division title favourites - New Salamis - far away from home in Broxbourne.
The boys made a flying start, taking an early lead through Fan, as he beat the home keeper to the ball before firing home. Thereafter, the Wood controlled the game before our left side went to sleep; a ball over the top turned inside for the simplest goal, one of the few attacks New Salamis enjoyed in the first half.
The half ended 1-1 but, the boys knew they were a match for the opposition and took to the field second half full of confidence. However, another unforced error killed momentum and allowed the home side to streak away and bury home a second that keeper Marshall simply could do nothing about. One positive from the countless defensive mistakes seen this season is that the team has learnt to brush them off and get back down to business. The response today was absolutely tremendous with wave after wave of Wood attacks raining down on the New Salamis goal.
Fan produced a sublime left foot cross that just escpaped Montgomery's full length dive, before curling home a shot that was smarly tipped over by the home keeper. Green then produced an excellent free kick that was tipped away to safety as it seemed sure to nestle in the top bag. Silva and McGuinness were terrorising the New Salamis defence with their pace and trickery while Hobbs was enjoying another very good display down the right.
In the end, New Salamis held out by the narrowest of margins, the game ending 2-1. MoM went to Pop who, despite being outgunned physically, proved that old adage true, that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but, the size of the fight in the dog, and he really did play an excellent match. However, all the boys can be very proud of their efforts and left absolutely nothing out on the pitch, giving it everything they had. They showed fight and character and a huge desire to keep going and these vital attributes are growing in them all every season.
The boys have a rest weekend and then return in the Challenge Cup quarter final and though the day didn't end how they wanted, they are now further armed with invaluable experience and with an even greater hunger for success, which will drive them on to big achievements in the future.
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In a match filled with youthful exuberance and boundless energy, our U9 Girls dazzled on the field as they took on Hitchin Belles Youth at Priory School. Despite the grey skies looming overhead, the spirits of both teams were lifted as they stepped onto the pitch for their eagerly anticipated match.
With Gracie and Olivia showcasing their skills in goalkeeping, and Juniper leading the team as Captain, the girls were ready to give it their all. Emilia's quick footwork in centre forward set the tempo early on, while Amber displayed versatility, confidently manoeuvring between defence and midfield.
The excitement reached its peak when Masie embarked on a blistering run, netting Borehamwood's first goal with precision and finesse. The cheers from the sidelines were deafening as Daisy, with sheer determination, unleashed a magnificent strike from just inside the halfway line, securing the team's second goal.
But the excitement didn't stop there. Elsie, showing her prowess in both defense and attack, found herself in the top left-hand corner and fired off a decisive shot, adding another goal to Borehamwood's tally. Her outstanding passing throughout the game earned her the well-deserved title of Player of the Match.
Not to be outdone, Gracie, displaying lightning-fast reflexes, saved a crucial goal, while Olivia showcased her prowess by expertly catching a rapid shot from the opposition. Meanwhile, Juniper and Elsie both demonstrated their attacking prowess, narrowly missing several shots and hitting the post multiple times, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.
As the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the match, both teams gathered to exchange handshakes and congratulations, showcasing the true spirit of sportsmanship and the joy of playing the game and the bonds formed on the field that truly mattered.
With smiles on their faces and memories to cherish, the girls of Borehamwood 2000 left the pitch with their heads held high, ready to take on whatever challenges awaited them in future matches. Today was a day to celebrate teamwork, camaraderie, and the sheer joy of playing football.
Our U13 girls took a rest week in the league today, as this depleted squad is struggling for numbers at the tail end of a busy season. With Ella and Lucy moving on and taking a break respectively, we then had Skipper Amie, CB Abi and both our No9’s in Gabby & Hazel all on their hols; add Imani who is still injured to that list and we were almost missing a whole other team today!
We chose to organise a friendly against our new friends @Bury Rangers who are fighting for promotion from D3 to D2. Some might ask how did we manage to field a side with so many players away? Well it was all down to the magnificent 10 this morning! They came to the Woods rescue when needed most against a very, very good Bury Rangers side. We had our two GK’s Emily & Riss available but no outfield subs on a very wet, sticky and energy draining Pursley this morning. So the on-field girls had to play the whole game and did so very well through all the aches, pain and knocks!
We played with an almost brand new back 3 with Ava at RB, Amy at CB and Pola at LB; the girls were up against it today against the quick and strong Bury attack, who where released very quickly by the GK as soon as she could. The girls did sterling work though in defence before trying to start our own attacks. Amy in only her second game for us looked like a seasoned pro at times today, Pola on the left was often raiding in the Bury half and she got off a couple of shots on goal.
In midfield, we had Annie as skipper for the day alongside Theaya, working as our twin turbo engine room, with Gabz and Elsinho offering us width, pace and trickery on the flanks. The girls had a real battle in midfield on the muddy pitch and against a very committed opponent who were always snapping into tackles and running the hard yards.
Bury kept our girls honest with their endeavour and sheer willl to get through the hard work.
The midfield stuck to their guns though and Gabz grabbed the first of her excellent brace with a stunning solo effort that was drilled past the Bury keeper. Her second was assisted by Riss, who’s long ball found Gabz, who beat 2 Bury defenders for pace and strength and then showed excellent balance to keep her feet and beat the keeper. Another excellent performance from this fine young lady and Gabz delivers weekly and without fail, being a joy to watch on the pitch and to be around for her teammates and coaches alike.
Our two other scorers where starting No9 Karadonna who chipped the keeper from the edge of the box after a smart lay off from Gabz; a goal prime Denis Bergkamp would have been proud of! The decider was claimed by an unsung hero in Ava who pushed forward looking for the winner. The Bury defence cleared a ball from their area and it fell to Ava’s feet thinking fast, she swung her trusty right foot and guided a delightful effort over the excellent Bury keeper's head and into the net. Cue wild celebrations from the Bwood Ultras on the Curva Nord! A game winning goal is something we all dream of and for it to be Ava’s first ever goal made it all the more special for this amazing young woman.
POM today was skipper Annie who put in an excellent performance in a new position of CM and looked at home from the off. A 4-3 home win for the girls and it was a tough day as Bury played like a D1 side and tested us at every level.