Brent Under-10 Girls Thunderbolts 6–1 Foxes
Right from the referee’s starting whistle, the Brent Thunderbolts were in control of this game. In the opening moments, left back Ruby Cooper, slipped the ball into the path of striker Syrie Dunham who kept her cool to chip the Foxes keeper and open the day’s scoring. The Thunderbolts kept up both the tempo and attacking intent, with Dunham turning provider as she threaded through to Sylvie Purdon for a clinical finish to make the score 2-0.
The Thunderbolts didn’t have to wait long to notch their third goal, Isla Fraser getting on the end of a long throw-in and slotting the ball into the bottom left corner. The Foxes were valiant in defence, but the Thunderbolts’ pressure took its toll as Dunham embarked on a mazy solo run, dribbling all the way from her own half, before finishing with a controlled left-footed strike to make the score 4-0.
The Foxes showed their strength and resilience by coming out fighting after the break. Chances started to come at both ends in a frenetic second half punctuated by committed tackles on both sides. The Foxes finally broke through the Thunderbolts’ back line with a fine strike from their forward that went in off the left post.
Both sides continued to pile the pressure on, forcing athletic saves from the ‘keepers at both ends, but none more heroic than that of the Foxes’ keeper as she threw her face in the way of Purdon’s edge-of-the-box screamer. The Foxes’ keeper barely had time to shake off the effects of her brave effort before Grace Billingsley’s sweetly struck shot from well outside the area sailed past her to make it 5-1. Dunham capped off an impressive all-round performance with a final goal to seal a well-earned hat-trick for herself, and back-to-back victories for the Thunderbolts, with virtually the last kick of the game.