The Wolverhampton Girls U12 district representative side faced East Riding in a challenging match at Our Lady and St Chad’s and after such a long period without a game it was hardly surprising that they struggled to find their rhythm early on. Our opponents on the other hand have been able to play on a consistent basis and they were able to exert significant pressure on our defence from the kick off. Nevertheless our girls stood firm and East Riding were limited to long-range efforts and crosses. Wolverhampton’s attacks were limited but we showed promise when we managed to get the ball down and string a few passes together and our battling midfield led by Beau Morris- Jones always looked capable of creating a scoring opportunity until our inability to defend set pieces enabled East Riding to take a 2-0 lead. Both goals came from corners and on each occasion it was far two easy for our opponents to slip their marker to score.
A tactical change of formation at half time brought about a more balanced contest after the break and we came close to reducing the deficit when a well-executed play down the left flank left Daisy Swanston one-on-one with the East Riding goalkeeper. If her well struck shot had found its target who knows what would have happened but Daisy was defied by a brilliant save and whilst we continued to push forward in search of that elusive goal it was becoming apparent that this wasn't going to be our day long before East Riding were able to hit us on the break to clinch a 3-0 victory. Despite the defeat, however, there are certainly positives we can take from the match. Our girls displayed great resilience throughout and the team should remain optimistic because at times we could see glimpses of their true potential. It is all about growing as a team and we are eagerly anticipating our next fixture in two weeks’ time away to Wirral. Final score : Wolverhampton 0 East Riding 3
Squad: Arrabella Woolley (Aldersley), Leilah O'Gorman (Wolverhampton Girls), Ruby Maclean, Shannay Nisbett (Our Lady & St Chads), Ava Mohammed (St Regis), Holly Rose Morris (Coppice), Delilah Hard (St Edmunds), Skye Hines (Heath Park), Beau Morris-Jones, Lois Howard (OSWB) Emilia Purshouse (Highfields),Daisy Swanston (St Edmund's)