U14's: Leamington Lions 4 v Nuneaton Girls 3

Leamington pipped Nuneaton by a single goal in a very competitive game played in freezing conditions. Nuneaton opened the stronger Sarah Williams going close twice then Sinead Rust firing over before Sarah Williams opened the scoring with a mazy run and shot after 20 minutes. They should have increased the lead when Kellie Donovan drove wide from a corner. Leamington were defending deep and trying to hit Nuneaton on the break. The Nuneaton defence was caught napping twice in the space of 5 minutes when a long pass from defence to attack found the away defence out of position and both chances were converted. Nuneaton kept pressing forward and were rewarded 2 minutes before the break when Sinead Rust chipped the keeper from 10 yards to equalise. From the kick-off Megan Franklin in the Nuneaton defence produces a fine tackle but the ball went for a corner, from which poor defending allowed the Leamington centre forward to fire home from 2 yards leaving the score at 3 to 2 at the break.

Cold conditions played the part in an uneventful first 20 minutes of the second half. However things heated up from there as Nuneaton pushed forward in numbers trying to force an equalizer with affords from Chloe Browning, Sophie Helping, Rosie Mall bone and Kristy Lonsdale all being haved by the in-form Leamington keeper. Fily with 5 minutes to go a shot from Sophie halpin was pushed onto the bar by the keeper but forced home by Natalie Brettle. Nuneaton sensed victory and continued to attack with Sarah Williams unable to finish her good work. Finally in the last moments a long clearance caught the Nuneaton Keeper Rachel Mc Nally and Kirsty Lonsdale in 2 minds as to whose ball it was and allowed the Lemington attacker to rob the ball and tap home the winner.

The game showed up the frailties in defence that we had hoped had gone but lack of games in recent weeks showed the problems up again. On the positive side going forward with Sarah Williams, Sinead Rust, and Sophie Halpin we can cause most teams plenty of problems and only for the home keeper was in such good form today we could easily have doubled our total. Managers Girl of the game today was a close affair between Natalie Brettle for her first half performance but went to Rosie Mallabone who never stopped trying. Referees girl of the game went to Sarah Williams. For Kirsty Lonsdale, chin up; everyone has a game like that at some stage when everything seems to go against you.