Grassroots Football Coach

Just before the first game of the season, we lost one of our goalkeepers to Bradford City U16 Girls and two players have not re-registered, taking the total number of players we have lost to seven. This has severely impacted our plans for the season. We have now barely enough players to field two teams. Hopefully the fixtures for the two teams won't clash too much and we will be able to fulfil them all.

Saturday 9th September was our first game of the season at home to Kirk Deighton Rangers in the Harrogate & Craven Girls League. We played a hard game in blistering heat at Marley Sports and Activities Centre in Keighley. Unfortunately, we lost. Kirk Deighton scored first, we equalised and for a while looked like taking the lead. Then Kirk Deighton scored two quick goals to make it 1-3. We never gave up and created some good chances, but the Kirk Deighton keeper made some great saves. Then Kirk Deighton scored again to make it 1-4. Some teams would give in at this point and admit defeat, but not our girls, they kept on trying like they always do, right to the final whistle. We lost but it was a good game and we learned a lot from it.

Sunday 17th September was our first game of the season away to Woodlanders Jaguars in the West Riding Girls League Div 4. Unfortunately Woodlanders Jaguars struggled to get enough players, so had to make up the numbers from younger teams and even then they only had 10 players. Their coach Gary gave us the points and asked if we could treat the game as a training match. We agreed and the game went ahead. It was clear we outmatched the Woodlanders girls by a long shot. We were 7-0 up at half time. We ended up with seven girls on the pitch and won the game 10-0. Gary had been let down by a lot of girls who decided they didn't want to play just before the season started. I really feel for Gary being in such a position. All he is trying to do is give the girls a chance to play football and it looks like he might have to fold his team with only one game played.
Update: Woodlanders Jaguars have now folded and removed from the league meaning our result against them has been deleted. It's dissapointing to see a team fold and some of our girls will be dissapointed to have goals taken away from them, including my daughter who scored two.

Saturday 23rd September was our second West Riding Girls League Div 4 game. We were at home to Thackley Juniors Typhoons. We started well and scored after 11 minutes. We continued to play well, but Thackley equalised before we scored again. We were 2-1 up at half time. We started the second half like the first and scored again a few minutes in. We took a two goal lead before Thackley scored another to make the final score 4-2.

Sunday 24th September was our second Harrogate & Craven Girls League. We were away at Wetherby Athletic. We started well and were 2 nil up after 20 minutes. As it was a hot humid day the ref stopped the game for a drinks break. We continued to play well, creating chances and our defence held out for the rest of the first half. In the second half we carried on as we left off continuing to play well and held out to win 0-2.

Saturday 30th September we played two games. Away at Kirkstall Crusaders in the West Riding U16 League Cup, which we comfortably won 1-6 and at home to Clifford in the Harrogate and Craven League. A few of us had a dash back to our home ground for the second game as some of the girls played a part in both games. Against Clifford we went 2 nil up before they scored to get back into the game. We then scored twice more to comfortably win 4-1.