Our U13 Boys played New Salamis away in the Spring Plate, with a brimming full squad ready for action.
Following a fine start, the Wood took the lead on 20 minutes when a splendid mazy run from Gopinath ended with MoM O’ Rourke firing home with consumate ease!
The boys were well on top now, driven on in midfield by Adom and Joyce, and took a 0-2 lead following more good play between Gopinath and O’ Rourke; the latter swivelling his marker and slotting home as the away support went ballistic!
Second half didn’t start quite so well as the home team scored two quick goals but, the boys never let their heads drop and quality saves from Florin kept things level, despite an awful challenge on Ward who had been having a very good game.
All in all, it was a very sound away performance from the players and staff, and with the same opponents next week again, anticipation is high.
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What a delightful afternoon of football it was as our U9's hosted Hemel Aces Snow Leopards in a thrilling encounter! The sun was shining bright, matching the radiant spirits of both teams and their enthusiastic supporters.
Coach Katie, on her farewell match before setting sail with the Navy, galvanised the team onto the pitch amidst cheers and applause. And what a send-off it was! From the get-go, Borehamwood showcased their prowess, dominating possession and pushing forward with relentless determination.
Captain Ruby led by example, orchestrating the midfield with finesse. Tippi kicked off the scoring frenzy, capitalizing on a rebound to give Borehamwood an early lead. Ruby herself came agonizingly close with a well-struck effort, while Elsie showcased her skills only to be thwarted by the Hemel goalie's heroics.
As the game progressed into the second quarter, Sienna stole the show with two impeccable goals, displaying pinpoint accuracy with her shots. Juniper joined the party with a dazzling solo run, adding to Borehamwood's tally. Not to be outdone, Elsie found the back of the net with a remarkable finish, leaving the crowd in awe.
Amber stood firm in defence, marking the opposition with precision and making crucial clearances when needed. Despite facing six Snow Leopards in the third quarter, Borehamwood maintained their composure, with Emily showcasing her goalkeeping prowess with a string of remarkable saves.
Polly took charge up front, narrowly missing the target with her strikes, while Sienna tried her luck with a long-range effort. In the final quarter, Juniper adapted brilliantly to a new position on the left, while Maisie's play making versatility saved the day on numerous occasions with her stellar defending and pinpoint accurate passing.
It was now Polly’s turn to add to the Borehamwood scoresheet, and what a cracker it was too, picking up the ball in the middle of the pitch and releasing a powerful right footed shot. Hemel were pushing forwards and had it not been for Gracie putting on goalkeeping masterclass, diving fearlessly to deny the opposition time and time again this could have been a very different result. The game was drawing to an end, however Elsie had other ideas and hungry for a second goal netting a remarkable goal just before full time.
As the final whistle blew, the cheers from the crowd echoed around the Pursley ground celebrating a well-deserved victory for Borehamwood. Ruby was rightfully awarded the player of the match for her tireless efforts covering every blade of grass and every muddy puddle, while Elsie received recognition as the opposition's player of the match for her outstanding performance.
It was a match filled with joy, camaraderie, and outstanding footballing talent—a fitting tribute to Coach Katie's tenure and a memory that will be cherished by all involved for years to come.
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Our U13 girls played far away against Berkhamsted Raiders Reds today, after the match was reversed due to Pursley being under water again.
The game started really well with the Wood pushing for the lead and it was to come via a masterful finish from Gabz. A free kick was given against Berko for a foul some 25yds out, and as we had been practicing our long shooting recently, we knew Gabz was the right player to step up and take the shot which she skilfully put in the top corner of the net.
Wood were controlling the game and it felt like it wouldn’t be too long before we scored our second goal. That wasn’t to be though and after some panic and pinball football in our defence, the Reds managed to equalise past Emily who was having a magnificent game and couldn’t be blamed for this.
The Wood girls as we know are made from strong stuff so we expected a rapid and robust response but unfortunately today the team was just not at the races. Our passing, which we pride ourselves on, was off and we lost too many 50/50’s and from a corner we failed to clear our lines and went 2-1 down.
This was a visible shock to some of our girls and it hit them hard for the next 20/25 mins where we felt a little sorry for ourselves. Berko sensed this and pushed harder and managed to get their 3rd after a mix up between Emily and our rock Abi; both girls where desperate to clear the ball and both went for it, in the moment they both knew the other was coming so pulled out and neither cleared the ball, a genuine mistake by two very good footballers who had given their all and didn’t deserve to be 3-1 down.
At this point, players, coaches and supporters alike were all knocked and left scratching their heads as we just couldn’t believe what we were seeing. Changes were made with Kara, Ava & Amy coming into the fray. A long throw from Ava released Gabby who brought the score back to 3-2 with a clever early finish before the keeper could get set.
This was our chance to reestablish a foothold in the game but it wasn’t to be as the Reds managed to score their 4th to make it 4-2 Berko. This could have been the proverbial straw but our girls went again with Kara controlling and beating her opponent; with a drop of the shoulder she got her shot off and caught the keeper unawares to make it 4-3 and game on!
The girls pushing for an equaliser maybe switched off defensively and allowed Berko a 5th goal and another conceded on the day from a corner: 5-3 game over.
A special mention for our POM today - Elsie - who was a shining light in a very poor team performance. After the game, Manager Dave said ‘Elsie is a dancing winger with some of the best feet in the league, she is working really hard with the coaches, developing the other side of her game at the minute and is becoming a real thorn in the side of opponents with her ability on the ball and her tenacity and fight off of the ball. I’ve seen Elsie score 5 goals and leave players in a twisted heap on the floor previously, but for me as her coach, today was extra special, seeing her work rate and desire to win the ball high, quickly and to make things happen with the ball. We take our knocks as a team and we move on and these amazing girls will be back in the fight next weekend.’