Formby Junior Sports Club - Franks report - 14/04/19
Formby Junior Sports Club’s Under 17 Girls’ team completed their season with a very creditable 3-3 draw against Wigan Athletic in the Premier Division of the West Lancashire Girls Under 18 League.
Playing the entire match with ten players, due to holiday commitments, the FJSC team produced a wonderful effort full of grit and determination against the full compliment of eleven players of Wigan Athletic.
With the advantage of the wind in the first half FJSC started the match well. Ana Waite was in the thick of the action and was involved in many attacking FJSC passing moves. Wigan then began to gain more possession. FJSC goalkeeper Rachel Robinson made a number of very good saves before Wigan scored twice before half time.
Lesser teams would have succumbed at this point but not this valiant group of FJSC girls who have done the club proud all season. Now with a strong wind also to battle against in
the second half, FJSC upped the tempo and took the game to their opponents. It was an inspirational fight back.
Charlotte Doyle scored FJSC’s first goal finishing calmly under pressure and shortly afterwards Jayde Hanlon equalised in spectacular fashion. FJSC continued on the attack and went into a 3-2 lead when Jayde Hanlon scored her second goal of this riveting encounter.
The FJSC supporters cheered on the team with great enthusiasm. Wigan came back strongly but were thwarted by some brilliant defending from Charlotte Armstrong, Megan Houston, Lucy Charalambou and Nanci Farley. When there was a chance to break out of defence and onto the
attack Nina Macy was the midfield general setting up numerous moves. With the clock ticking towards full time
Wigan eventually broke through to score a late equalising goal to bring the final score to a 3-3 conclusion. It was a fair result and Formby Junior Sports Club deserve heaps of praise for the tenacious effort and skill shown to secure a draw very much against the odds.
At the start of the season the FJSC Under 17 Girls were in the Youth Division of twelve teams including themselves. Most of the competing teams were Under 18 teams. This together with the fact that six of the FJSC squad were Under 16’s seemed to be a very tall order.
Well they proved many wrong and first of all finished sixth overall in the division. The sixth spot meant that the team would then go into the Premier Division of six as the sixth placed team. Another daunting task or was it?
The FJSC team were certainly up for the challenge and after playing the other more highly rated teams finished in third position in the league table with wins against runners-up Dynamo Rangers and Preston North End and draws with Wigan Athletic and Euxton Girls. The only match the team lost was against the eventual Premier Division Champions Blackpool.
Congratulations to all the members of the FJSC Under 17 Girls’ squad and to team manager/coach Chris Dixon and Assistant manager Paddy Rutherford. The only other FJSC Representative team match played during the weekend was the local derby between FJSC Under
9’s and Freshfield. It was a very even match played between two good teams. FJSC’s man of the match and scorer was Dominic Maxwell.
INTER CLUB FOOTBALL
Numbers were as expected lower in some age groups due to family holidays. However those children who were free to attend had a very enjoyable morning at Inter Club.
The youngest Inter Club group was a joy to watch on Saturday morning. The large number of children from Pre School, Reception and Year One each with a ball at their feet showed immense skill for their age. The new skills were drawn out of the very enthusiastic young footballers by
UEFA B Coach and England Futsal International goalkeeper Jordan Parker. This was followed by exciting small-sided games.
The Year Two and Year Three boys also received coaching as well as their Inter Club match. The Year Four boys fast flowing football was very encouraging for next season.
Finally the Year Six, Seven and Eight boys’ match was another high scoring but very close game played in a true Inter Club sporting spirit.
The Year Six, Seven and Eight girls resulted in a 2-2 draw with an equalising goal in the final second of a very exciting match. This was a match I had the pleasure of refereeing.
To see the girls of three age groups getting on so well together all season and making so many new friends as a result has been for me one of the most memorable highlights of the Inter Club season.
INTER CLUB SCORERS
Josh Halpin, Clayton Gilbertson, George Hansen, Adam Jackson, Harry Nelson, Ezra Sutton, Kelly Quirk, Koray Murray- Cakar, Bobby Hersey, Luke Honour, Henry Leason, Steven Mordaunt, Faye Johnson, Mae Phillips and Jasmin Stevens.
THERE WILL NO INTER CLUB FOOTBALL ON SAT. APRIL 20TH . THE NEXT INTER CLUB WILL BE ON SAT. APRIL 27TH .
End of season information will be in next week’s report. Formby Junior Sports Club wishes all its members, parents and friends a very Happy Easter.