Berrow Under 14 Girls travelled away to 5th place Midsomer Norton to try and keep up the pressure on the top sides in the Somerset Girls League.
This was most definitely a potential banana skin in the girls season, and with several players missing, was always going to be a difficult game.
Berrow started on the front foot, and after just 1 minute, won a corner which put the home side under immediate pressure. Halle, who has been in great form this season especially with here set pieces, delivered an inch perfect cross to the oncoming Holly who volleyed the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Ivy White came into the midfield to provide energy and did just that constantly winning tackles and providing clever passes to her team mates. The perfect start continued, and after just 8 minutes Holly latched onto a through ball to smash the ball into the goal again to make it 2-0. Midsomer Norton did fight back, forcing Amelia Tripp, making her U14 debut in goal, into a couple of sharp saves. Amelia did great throughout the game and provided the girls with a real weapon with here extra long, accurate kicks out of her hands. The defence of Poppy, Brooke & Ella looked comfortable for large parts of the half, fending off any real threats with ease. The game seemed to be over when Holly completed her hat trick to make it 3-0, but it was the hard work and battling from Grace that caught the eye . Grace marked their danger girl out of the game and on this occasion won the physical battle, and the ball from the tall striker, cleverly laying on to an ever improving Tilly, who in turn put Holly through for a trademark finish. 0-3 Game over you would think...
The second half saw the introduction of 2 more girls coming up from the u13s, Ebony & Yas who slotted into the defence like they had been there all season. The home team changed tactics and formation, then early in the second half struck back and scored to make it 1-3. Momentum shifted quickly in the favour of Midsomer Norton when a mix up from a goal kick gave them the chance to capitalise, and they did just that, with a high shot from 25 yards leaving the keeper with no chance, 2-3.
Once the coaches worked out how to counter act the heavy pressure they were now under, the game started to level out again, the wide players Mia, Pixie and Kayleigh doing a great job defending as well as being a nuisance going forward. Mia was a constant threat with her electric pace, but it was Pixie that came closest with a shot from the right narrowly bending past the far post. The game was complete when Holly who took the game by the scruff of the neck and skillfully broke through to grab hers and Berrow's 4th goal.
Grace continued to save our blushes on more than a few occasions throughout this match right up until the final whistle, where she was awarded the Player of the Match for her important role in that holding midfield area. Holly took her tally this season to 25 goals in 13 games, which is an amazing achievement, but this performance was a hard fought battle where the whole team played their part. On to next week where the girls are home to Pen Mill, fingers crossed it's not as nervy as this game.