Timperley Girls U15 - 23
Heaton Mersey Girls U15 - 8

With the astros frozen, a very last minute decision was made to play on grass.
Timperley U15s were heading into this game without our regular goalkeeper, Katie Tighe, and with a squad of only 12. That included U13 attacker Lexi Peach.

2 sets of unforeseen circumstances ruled out first Layli, then Holly, leaving us in the unenviable position of having 10 players only (no subs), no dedicated goalkeeper, one player in trainers on grass and one player in somebody else’s boots! :-)

We had also learned that our opposition was Heaton Mersey’s A Team!
Each season throws up an encounter where the odds seem to be stacked against us, and today looked to be that game for our U15s!

I have used superlatives on many occasions in the past to describe this team, but today this Timperley Ten were simply a class apart.

From the first whistle, they set out their stall. Despite not having any subs, they immediately asserted themselves and dominated possession. Excellent draw play from Franzi, Carys and Henny made sure that we controlled the first quarter.

They did not stop there. The girls worked tirelessly to battle for every ball, from the first minute to the last.

I couldn’t be prouder of this group. They are the definition of a team, supporting each other relentlessly, and working sublimely together to forge opportunities.

With no Katie, Eva volunteered bravely to take the first shift in goal. In her trainers! That footwear played a part in a bizarre goalie move that saw her horizontal on the turf. :-)
From being hesitant to go in goal, she soon found her feet and faced a free shot from HM.
She swooped in her stick to masterfully control the shot, and cleared the ball with a pin-point pass, and then proceeded to do star jumps in celebration! :-))

Hattie took over in the 2nd half and had an equally impressive turn in goal, making some good saves. Her clears were excellent. For 2 players who have rarely played in goal, they did themselves and the team proud!

HM pressure on our GK was masterfully controlled by our Defensive line.
When not in goal, Eva and Hattie were the 3rd member of of D-Line.
Joining Charlotte and Emily, they worked tirelessly to keep HM at bay.
Charlotte showed great awareness to cover the centre ground, as HM tried to pull apart our defensive line. Intelligent passing in transition out of D kept our flow moving.
Emily played an intelligent role too, constantly offering support to the mid-line in transition, and switching with our middies when they needed a rest.
When Eva came out of goal, her numerous impressive carries out of D were noteworthy.

Despite not having any subs, huge credit has to be given to our midfield trio of Carys, Franzi and Henny. Their dominance in midfield made it incredibly difficult for HM to find a foothold in this game.

When they tired, Cara and Chloe stepped in from attack to help. Their speed to the ball, as well as confidence in possession was a huge factor in Timperley staying in control.
The third member of our attack line was Lexi Peach.
An U13 in age only, she became a fully fledged U15 player today showing confidence, determination and teamwork in abundance. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough! :-)

Evidenced in the list of goal scorers and assists, is the strength in depth of this group of girls. They cover for each other in all aspects of play.
So many options. So many threats. It’s a pleasure to witness.

Carys and Chloe topped the scoring with some direct running and clinical finishing, with Franzi, Henny and Cara scoring some great goals as well as providing superb assists and link-play.

Today looked like it could have been a problem for us. But testament to their talent, drive and spirit, Timperley U15s stamped their authority on yet another game to maintain their unbeaten run.

Many, many congratulations on a fantastic display of controlled lacrosse. They were that happy, they even let me take a photo! ;-)

The Team:
Eva Bowie
Hattie McDermott
Charlotte Sadler
Emily Porter
Franzi Christian
Carys Bucknall
Henny Peach
Chloe Lowndes
Cara Mooney
Lexi Peach

Goals / Assists:
(Apologies if I didn’t get all assists!)
Carys 8/3
Chloe 5/1
Franzi 4/4
Henny 4/2
Cara 2/3
Eva 0/1