Hitchin Town Belles Under 12

Match Report 2006-2007

Under 12 Team Photo Sunday 12^th November 2006

Sunday, 12 November 2006

Hitchin Town Belles U12 3 v 1 Bedwell Rangers U12

Home Counties Girls Football League; U12 Division 2

Players: Beth (Captain), Amy, Christie, Ruby, Maddy, Carmen, Tamsin, Sophie, Helen, Casey, Bethany, Siobhan, Yvette, Abby.

After observing a solemn 2 minute silence for remembrance Sunday the match got underway. This is the return fixture for the first match the Belles played this season, when they lost to Bedwell Rangers by 5-1. Since that match the Belles are unbeaten, and all are really hoping to improve on the earlier result this time around. The Belles are very happy to welcome Abby back into the team, her wrist almost entirely recovered from the break she sustained in an earlier match, and her enthusiasm to get back into football evident to all.


Belles on the attack	Battle in midfield

The match started with Belles again adopting a 4-5-1 formation; Amy, Christie, Ruby and Beth (the captain) in defence; Maddy, Casey, Sophie, Helen and Carmen playing through midfield with Tamsin as the lone striker. For the first half Bethany took up the goalie's gloves. From the very start Hitchin seemd to be on top of the match, with plenty of hard work leading to sustained pressure on the Bedwell goal. The first clear chance fell to Tamsin with a fine shot from the left edge of the penalty area following good build-up play down the right touch-line - the Bedwell goalie did well to deny Hitchin. Minutes later Sophie had another good shot at goal - this one just missing to the left. Next Tamsin ran onto a ball from the half-way line and took a good shot which the goalie just managed to parry out into the path of Helen, who put her shot wide on the right of the goal. It really felt as though this pressure must pay off sooner or later, and the next chance fell again to Tamsin, who this time made no mistake with her shot from the edge of the area after running through the Bedwell defence up the left wing. So, Hitchin 1-0 ahead, and still the pressure on Bedwell. Just 5 minutes after the restart Tamsin struck again, this time intercepting the goalie's clearance just outside the penalty area, and returning the ball into the Bedwell gaol with a shot into the bottom left corner. Two goals to the good and Hitchin seemed to be in complete control of the game, but then Bedwell made a breakaway attack, Amy found herself on the wrong side of the attacker, and in attempting to force the Bedwell player out she leant on her a little too hard and conceded a penalty. The Bedwell no. 14 came up to take the kick, and although Bethany got close to the well-struck ball she couldn't stop it and Hitchin find themselves leading by just the one goal again. That's how the first half ended.


Belles put pressure on the Bedwell goal	Getting back to defend

Overall Hitchin have had much the better of the first half, and a one goal lead is no more than they deserve, but can they keep the effort going through the second period? Some switching around sees Beth taking over from Bethany in goal, with Bethany making a complete switch to take up the foremost attacking position. Again Hitchin look the more threatening of the two sides, with real committment from all players; resolute defending from Amy, Christie, Ruby and Abby, battling midfield performances from Maddy and Casey and lively work on the wings from Helen and Sophie. Every player had their part to play, and all worked hard to make their contribution, with Yvette & Siobhan interchanging nicely to confuse the opposition, and Carmen showing just how high ler long legs can reach in competing for the ball - overhead kicks seeming to be almost the norm for her! From the very start of the half Hitchin showed their intent to increase their lead, with Carmen just failing to convert a lovely chance after less than 5 minutes following a quickly-taken throw by Helen falling to Bethany who put in a superb cross for Carmen in the box. Hitchin were really making all the play, but once again found it hard to convert pressure into results. It took more than 20 minutes for the team to get everything together; this time the move started with a big clearance out of defence from Amy to Tamsin on the right, who took the ball on into the opposition half and made an accurate cross into the middle of the opposition penalty area where Bethany happily accepted the ball, dribbled across the front of the goal and passed it into the net having beaten the goalie. Now victory looked to be in sight, but Hitchin were not content to sit back and wait - they wanted more goals, and Tamsin in particular looked hungry for her third - a couple of minutes after Hitchin's goal a chance fell to her after great build-up play down the right wing which looked to be a certain goal, but her delicate touch intended for the bottom right corner hit the post and the rebound just eluded her. Hitchin seemed to be in complete control, and further goal-mouth scrambles ensued in the Bedwell area, but nothing more came of it and score at the end of the match stood at 3-1 to Hitchin.

This was a good match, which Hitchin richly deserved to win - the aspect of their game which really stood out for me was the tenacity of their tackling, even against some of the stronger players in the Bedwell team.

This win keeps the Belles second in the league, behind next weekend's opponents, Stevenage Borough Juniors! A very exciting match in prospect next Sunday.

New feature! Moving (if pretty fuzzy) pictures!!

The penalty decision	Tamsin just fails to collect her hattrick

Player of the match: goes to Abby, to mark her very welcome return to the team and to recognise some very hard work and productive play from her position on the left in defence.

Report by John Davey.