West Lancashire Girls League - U15s:Thornton Cleveleys 11 Town Green 0Thornton took time to settle in this match, and it was Chloe S who opened the scoring with a superb long range shot. Thornton were denied numerous times by the Town Green goalkeeper, before Chelsea W scored the second. Thornton then settled down playing with good passing and movement. Natasha I was unlucky as her strike went just over the bar, and further goals from Sally P (2) and Tamara F gave Thornton had a 5-0 lead at half time. After the break Leah H and Phillipa R both looked lively and added to the scoreline. Leanne B gave an excellent performance in midfield, and Chelsea W capped an outstanding display with a further goal. Town Green looked dangerous on the break but Jade T and Rachael S were always in control for Thornton. Sally P added 2 further goals after good play from Natasha F and Rachel W, and Tamara F completed her brace in the last minute of the game. The game was played in good sporting spirit and both teams gave 100 % until the final whistle. ----Blackpool & District LeagueFoxhall U12s 1-3 T.C.F.C U12sThornton got back to winning ways with an excellent 3–1 victory over Foxhall. Building on last week's improvement the team asked to provide more width and goal scoring opportunities and duly obliged with one from the left one from the right and one from the centre. Foxhall started the brighter and forced Thornton back for the 1st five minutes but Thornton then started to push Foxhall back and scored in the 6th minute when Tom D picked up a poor clearance from outside the Foxhall area and hit a low hard shot straight back into the goal. From then on it was virtually all Thornton and on 15 minutes Callum M scored Thornton’s 2nd when the very lively Mark B crossed in from the left and Callum, with his back to goal turned sharply and placed the ball between 2 defenders and past the Foxhall keeper. Thornton failed to add any more before half time though they were creating plenty of chances and playing some good football. In the 2nd half, Thornton carried on where they left off and after 10 minutes added a 3rd when Isaac H, introduced at half time down the right flank hit a wonderful cross in that an unfortunate Foxhall defender could only help into his own net. Again Thornton could have added to their tally but it was Foxhall who scored the final goal of the match half way through the 2nd half when a well taken free kick was headed back from the far post and slotted home from 12 yards. Thornton could have wobbled after this but the lads repelled any further attacks on goal and finished the stronger to run out comfortable winners. Man of the match was a hard decision this week with all 16 contributing to the victory but Danny E got the vote for another solid and supportive performance. ----North Valleys Girls LeagueCadley Girls U11s 0-1 T.C.F.C U11s Girls (A)TCFC had a lot to prove against a much improved Cadley. After two under par performances, TCFC set about the Cadley team right from the first kick. The passing was superb to watch with some fantastic moves on the TCFC right, involving Danielle J, Hannah G and Laura I. On several occasions in the first half they created some super opportunities only to be foiled by the excellent Cadley keeper. TCFC opened the scoring from one of many first half corners, Hannah G swung it in to the near post where Saffron Q again applied a deadly finish just inside the post, 1- 0 to TCFC. Cadley had a super shot that was heading for the top corner towards half time but were denied the equaliser by an excellent save from Sammy S in the TCFC goal. So TCFC had a deserved lead at the break after a first half performance that had the management grinning like Cheshire cats. This was TCFC back to their best. You would have predicted that TCFC would go on to score a few more but they didn't. Not for the want of trying, Saffron Q went close as did Sophie K and Laura I, however the Cadley goalkeeper made several good saves. Hannah G ran the show in midfield, her vision and timing the best of her attributes. Hannah's tackling was as strong as ever and with a keen eye finds her team mates with some super passing, often the springboard for many a TCFC attack. Lauren C and Abbie W came on in the second half and played very well, Abbie almost scoring in the last few minutes after another good through ball from Hannah. Megan E and Danielle J worked hard at the back and along with Sammy kept another clean sheet for a TCFC side who have the best defensive record in the league! Sophie K won the MOM award after a solid game in midfield, some good passing and her reliable tackling earned her the trophy for the game. All in all a very entertaining game with an improving Cadley team working hard for each other and a TCFC side back to being bang in form. ----Bromley Cross 1-1 Thornton Wanderers Girls U12sA very sticky pitch provided difficult playing conditions for the Wanderers first meeting this season with Bromley Cross. They had proved to be a difficult opponent last season so a tough match was expected. The Wanderers seemed to have left their early nerves behind and started well with attacking play. Counter attacks were dealt with skilfully by Catherine R and Vicky L. Keeper Bethany L was called upon to provide the first of several fine saves in the 5th minute. Rebecca L produced a stunning break running the length of the pitch but her shot was denied in the 9th minute. Emily H, Megan B and Hollie K formed a formidable midfield force creating fluent passing sequences. The Wanderers left themselves vulnerable at times allowing Bromley to drop behind their defence but managed not to concede a goal. Rebecca L had another shot saved in the 23rd minute. Bromley broke from the goal kick leaving Keeper L as the only player in the way of a scoring opportunity which she denied. Lauren F worked tirelessly intercepting balls in midfield and feeding them forward giving the Wanderers several chances. A final threat on the brink of half time called upon Megan B to produce a skillful tackle in the Wanderers goal area dispossessing Bromley. The first half ended with both sides even. Again the Wanderers seemed not to suffer from the early second half nerves which have punished them so often in the past. Hollie K provided and excellent cross into the box but it could not be converted. With both sides evenly matched keeper Bethany was kept equally busy at the other end. The Wanderers break came in the 37th minute when Hollie K took a spectacular free kick 20 yards out. She placed it perfectly on the top right hand corner with too much force for the Bromley keeper to deny. From this point on The Wanderers were continually trying to defend their slim lead. Bromley attacked in force. They were lucky not to equalise in the 40th minute when a real scramble in the Wanderers defence left them vulnerable. Megan L and Chloe H were called upon numerous times to intercept and clear Bromley attacks. Catherine R provided an opportunity to lengthen the gap but her shot was saved. Hollie K delivered a quality corner ball in the 49th minute from which the Wanderers were unlucky not to score. The drop kick in reply left the Wanderers exposed but the initial run was intercepted and cleared well. Bromley came back and finally got their equaliser in the 53rd minute. Sensing the opportunity to snatch the game the pressure was relentless for a few minutes with keeper Bethany saving shots consecutively. Chloe H, Megan L and Vicky L shored up the defence again allowing Hollie K to break free. The Wanderers tried desperately in the final minutes to regain the lead with Hollie K and Megan B seeing shots saved in the 58th and 59th minute. Catherine R received player of the match in what was a nerve wracking encounter. The Wanderers fought hard for their point from this game in difficult conditions and did well to keep it. ----North Valley League - Girls U14Lytham 1 TCFC 6(Emma 2, Louise 2, Karla 1, Beth 1) TCFC lined-up in a 4-1-3-2 formation and after just 3 minutes of play Thornton captain Karla B burst through the defence and blasted a shot past the keeper to open the scoring for the away team in their red strip. Ten minutes later Karla crossed the ball to the left wing, where Emma P cut inside, then took the ball around the home keeper to make the score two in favour of the visitors. The away side were completely dominating the game and on the 20th minute a corner by the TCFC captain was only partially cleared to Louise A who powered a shot into the net to make the score 0-3. Less than three minutes later Louise A was on the score sheet again after scrambling a close range goal to make in 0-4 at the break. In the second half a good ball out of the midfield from Laura S found Karla who weaved her way through several opponents in their burgundy kit, before crossing to Emma P who stabbed in from close range to give Thornton their fifth goal. What seemed a harsh decision midway through the second half resulted in the home team being awarded a penalty, after the ball had been fired against Portia’s arm. The home team converted it – in what was their only shot of the match. Within two minutes of conceding the goal however Thornton re-established the five-goal margin with a fine Beth O header from an Emma P corner. TCFC continued to pile on pressure, with Karla hitting the post; Beth having another shot cleared off the line and Louise losing out on a hat trick as she somehow missed the easiest chance of the match. Nevertheless it was a convincing victory by Thornton-Cleveleys – and the three points secured second place in the league table. Final score: Lytham 1 TCFC 6.----The views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC. | 
