u16 cup final 2010

Bradford City 5-3 Lepton Highlanders (AET)
Chelsea Morton (3)
Charlotte Booth
Ruby Greaves (pen)

This years league cup final pitched runners-up City with league Champions Lepton in what is always a tense game.

After a hard fought league meeting in the previous month witnessing Lepton squeeze a 3-3 draw against the 10 players of City, this game was always going to start at a tremendous pace and it did just that. City started the brighter of the two and moved the ball well, creating a number of chances which saw forward Chelsea Morton linking up incredibly well with the pace of her strike partner Charlotte Booth to trouble the Lepton goalkeeper. City continued to press throughout the first half and got their reward when a goalmouth scramble allowed Charlotte Booth to prod the ball over the line and send City into half time with a 1-0 lead, which in truth could have been a much bigger scoreline. As ever, City made things hard for themselves at the start of the second half and after only 5 minutes saw them pegged back after a good passing move from their opponents saw them carved open. However, their reaction was extremely positive as they reverted back to their first half performance and went on the offensive, before being awarded a penalty for a hand ball inside the area. Ruby Greaves confidently placed the ball on the spot and converted the penalty to continue her excellent scoring record from midfield. 2 minutes later City found themselves with a 3-1 lead after good play from central midfield pair Ruby Greaves and Simone Thornton allowed Charlotte Booth to play in top scorer Chelsea Morton to give City a 2-goal cushion with 20 minutes to play. Lepton went all-out attack from this point on and City found it difficult to get out of their own half for large periods of time, reverting to panic football as the Lepton’s parents began to raise their voices! The defensive line of Sophie Smith, Jodie Burton, Sophie Lee and Rachel Maloney were put under a tremendous amount of pressure and did well, along with goalkeeper Abby Thackray in fine form. However, in the last 10 minutes the pressure inevitably turned into goals and a quick double from Lepton saw the full time whistle go at 3-3. With City’s players shook and visibly wound up due to the barracking from the Lepton followers , they were calmed down at the break and told to go out and play football again… which they did to great effect! Wingers Shannon Moore and Katy Woodcock saw a lot more of the ball as City took control once more in midfield, before Katy went on a superb run down the right hand side before sliding the ball into Chelsea for her 2^nd. The scores remained the same until 8 minutes from the end, where a replica move from Katy and Chelsea gave City a 2-goal cushion that they would not surrender. The final whistle was blown and ensured that in their last ever game together, the City girls went home with their second trophy of the season!!! Well done girls!!!!!!