KENILWORTH WARDENS 4- 0 LEAMINGTON LIONS U14
GK: Amaia/Sophie
POM: Sophie
Captain: Sophie
Another Saturday away game played in what could only be described as "tropical conditions" — by tropical, I mean torrential rain and a temperature so cold that even the ball seemed to hesitate before rolling across the pitch! The players were drenched, the supporting parents were shivering and the ball was slippier than the club chairman getting the drinks in!!!
Kenilworth Wardens U14 came away with a 4-0 win against our brave Lions, but the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the hard-fought contest that unfolded on the pitch. Both teams were evenly matched throughout the game, with Leamington showing great resilience despite a series of unfortunate setbacks.
The first half was a competitive affair, with both teams battling for possession. Leamington defended well against a strong Kenilworth attack, struggling to clear as Kenilworth won corner after corner. Amaia making some great saves at times putting her body on the line and getting congratulated by the opposition coach on several occasions. The midfield worked tirelessly to create chances supported by Elle Mai and Amelia both at times seemingly covering every blade of grass on the pitch.
However, despite their efforts, Kenilworth broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, capitalizing on a loose ball and converted at the far post. The scoreline remained at 1-0 despite several chances to score. Enayaih up front with Mya took the game to Kenilworth and were both unlucky not to get goals in the first half.
Leamington’s troubles began in the second half, with Aimee needing to leave at halftime Betty feeling unwell, leaving the team even more stretched as we started the second half with just 10 players.
The lack of players showed as Kenilworth scored within 2 minutes of the restart.
Despite this, the Lions continued to press on, showing incredible spirit and determination. But the situation worsened a corner for Kenilworth on 55minutes and with a bit of a near post scramble the ball found its way into the net to make the score 3-0.
Worse still, goalkeeper Amaia, who had been brilliant in the first half, playing despite a knee injury had to leave the pitch with 20 minutes remaining. With no substitute goalkeeper available, Sophie bravely stepped into the role, and the team now faced a significant uphill battle with only nine players on the field. Vicky also started feeling unwell leaving us with 8 players to see out the last 15 minutes. Despite being unable to get a goal it was probably the best 10 minutes of football we have played all season at times 8 players were more than a match for the 11 Kenilworth girls.
However with 6minutes left Kenilworth, now with the advantage of a depleted Lions team, capitalized on the situation, added a fourth goal.
Despite the loss, all the girls can hold their heads high. They battled through adversity, with great performances from each player who despite the cold wet conditions continued to fight hard throughout the game. Even with limited numbers and players out of position, the Lions held off wave after wave of Kenilworth’s attacks.
In the end, Kenilworth deserved their win, but the score line didn’t reflect the tremendous effort put in by our girls, who in the end were simply unlucky with injuries and absences. The Lions can be proud of their resilience and with a week off time to recover and we will look to bounce back stronger in our next match.
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