Banishing the blues

AFC Waverton 6 - Greenleas 3

With 4 players missing from the Birkenhead game, the u16s were down to the bare 7 for visit of Greenleas. Daytime parties, trips to London, weekend lessons in Anglesey, such is the life of a modern Waverton teenager. At least though Emma had, just like her shoulder, popped back to take up her place in defence.

It was so gloomy, the Waverton floodlights were almost needed as kick off time approached. Strange month March isn't it? Last week, it was so sunny that Lucie thought she was in Ibiza, (but the pitch was frozen at 7:30), and this week it was freezing cold and very wet. In fact it was so cold, Meg's hands had gone blue before kick off.

The soon to be brown, but still yellow at kick off yellow shirts, lined up with stand in Annaliese in goal for the partying Lucie; a back two of Meg and Emma;  a midfield of Lily in the middle and Kenzie and Ellie alongside ; and Courteny up front. The tried and trusted 2-3-1, in operation again. The Christmas tree with Courteny as the fairy, if you like.

Just before kick off the usual procession of jewellery and other things were handed to Mike for safe care. Watches, Ipods, phones, Hob Nobs (?), all the valuable possessions of teenage girls, but not for the next 60 mins.

Kicking towards the cow field, Waverton were in front within minutes, Ellie's shot sneaking in to the corner on almost the first attack. Greenleas tested Annaliese in the sticks but then another attack saw Ellie once again unleash a great shot from further out to double the home side lead. Ellie almost grabbed another when she headed just over from a Lily corner.

Greenleas fought back and just before half time an attack resulted in a green hooped shirted player beating Annaliese. 2-1 and the visitors were back in the hunt.

At half time the girls were told the usual things, keep their shape, watch the last player, keep goalside and have some shots. Courteny was told that her great efforts would pay off and she would score. Greenleas though came out and scored an equaliser, but at half time we had discussed a game plan to counter a possible equaliser and it worked.

In the second half the mud was making the pitch stickier, but Waverton continued to play some great football. Ellie was having a great game, Lily was dominating midfield, Emma and Meg were in control at the back and Kenzie was running and creating chances. The second half though was mainly Courteny's, and her efforts not only in this game but in the previous two, paid off in the space of 10 minutes when she grabbed a hatrick. Just before she got her first, she'd had two left foot shots that had gone wide, but on her third chance she made no mistake, then had a second with a brilliant long range shot. The third was just a tap in once Ellie had done fantastic work down the right to put the ball across the goal line. Courteny has shown in training how she can finish and today it came to fruition in the match.

Lily's corners were excellent and we looked more dangerous from them in this game as they dipped as they reached the box. Annaliese made some important saves, but Greenleas were not for giving up and scored another in the second half when they broke away and outnumbered our defence.

As the game headed towards the whistle, Emma scored a goal from close range, shooting through a group of bodies, to her obvious delight. Meg nearly got her first goal with a similar effort but it was blocked. Just before the final whistle, Annaliese came up for a corner in true heroic keeper style and nearly scored.

All in all, a great game and a great result for Waverton. As the rain came down and the goals were dismantled, the valuable possessions were handed back and 7 now muddy girls trooped off happy. They deserved this moment. Megs hands were no longer blue, and neither was the Waverton girls mood.

Player of the match, Kenzie, and for Greenleas Sophie Harding.