Rainbows, rain and relief as Foxes edge Bonfire Night classico

Rainbows

  Bradley Stoke YFC U15 Girls 4

  Westbury Park "Fawkes-es" 6

There were four seasons in one day, and at times footballing (if not actual) November 5th fireworks at a rainswept Little Stoke field, as the increasingly injury-depleted Foxes withstood a spirited second half rally from Bradley Stoke to prevail in what could be a vital 'buffet decider'.

Everything seemed set fair for the 11th edition of the BGL's nearest thing to a North Bristol derby, as a beautiful double rainbow framed the sky, and the sun broke through the clouds to warm spectators and players. Neither lasted long. The first torrential shower fell just before kick-off, just to give everyone a nice early soaking, with ominous dark clouds promising more before the day was out.

Emily clears

The Foxes were soon into their stride and off the mark, moving the ball swiftly through the midfield via Lulu and Ellie to send Zoe in for her first after 7 minutes. The first half took on a recognisable pattern - Bradley Stoke were trying to get the ball forward quickly to their speedsters on the flanks, while the Foxes repeatedly regained possession and launched lightning counter-attacks, with Amelia on the left and Ella on the right always looking dangerous. While the home side enjoyed some territory and possession, they did not seriously threaten Betty in goal for most of the half. The visitors picked them off three more times in succession, Zoe finishing each time to bring her tally to four. As with last week, some of the short and quick passing combinations were proving very effective, with Lulu almost always at the heart of things. With speedy Sim joining Zoe to make a rare but welcome brief appearance, the home defence could not cope when the ball was moved swiftly forward to the strike force, and at 4-0 it looked like game over. 

Molly receives

But when a persistent Stoke attack down the right was not repelled as quickly as it could have been, and a couple of tackles in the box were missed, the Foxes conceded their first league goal in five matches. It looked like little more than a consolation, particularly when the tenacious Amelia powered in from the left flank to reply almost immediately, riding a tackle in the box to see her deflected finish beat the keeper at the near post. Then close to half-time, Bradley Stoke added a second when a long punt forward was finished perfectly by their chasing striker, just out of Betty's reach.

As the sides turned for the second half with the score at 5-2, the skies darkened once again, another deluge began and the wind got up.  Missing Georgia, Lauren and the still-injured but watching Mara, and with GB athlete Sim just making a brief appearance, with only one substitute the Foxes could ill-afford any further injuries or difficulties. Bradley Stoke came out for the half with extra impetus, began to win more midfield and  second balls, and forced their first corner of the game early in the half. It looked to have been effectively cleared to the edge of the Foxes' box, but a Stoke player simply leathered it first time, sending it high into the net from 20 yards out for a genuine '"worldie" greeted by well-deserved roars from the home support. Then in a seemingly innocuous fall, Zoe injured her elbow and could play no further part, leaving the Foxes down to the bare 11 and facing a real challenge from the invigorated home side, as well as the bucketing rain and the increasingly soggy pitch.

 With no out-and-out strikers to provide an outlet, and an increasing tendency to sit deeper as the pressure built, the Foxes began to display a little anxiety in their play, taking the odd touch too many and conceding possession too readily. When they failed to clear the next Bradley Stoke corner, after the ball seemed to be stuck under feet and ricocheting off bodies in the six yard box for minutes, the Blues scrambled it home to narrow the deficit to one. The match had gone from 'game over' to 'game on' in this half, and more than one parent began anxiously to enquire how much time was left.

 

Lulu sends it

Betty marshals the defence at a corner

Both sides had breaks and chances in the ensuing spell, and the game could easily have been levelled but for some defensive heroics from Rhiannon, intercepting and clearing on two occasions to prevent what seemed certain goals. Gradually the storms from the skies and on the pitch eased off, and the Foxes began to pass and move with confidence again. Olivia, after a quiet start, grew into the game and began to win more ball in midfield and beat players in the opposing half. Ella, despite being flagged offside in her own half, and being the victim of a penalty area shirt pull so blatant that she almost stopped play in protest, was persisting and beginning to find space up front. Then a neat Abby and Rhiannon combination at the back resulted in a beautifully weighted ball down the right for Molly to latch on to. She sweetly crossed it with her first touch to Ella in the centre, who likewise met it with another beautiful first touch - a perfect 'dink-lob' over the keeper to make it 6-4 and provide a little breathing space.

Relief

There was still plenty of time left, which would see a few more chances but no more goals, with some great saves and takes from the home keeper, and one Stoke effort which rattled the crossbar. In the end, the Foxes were deserving winners on the strength of their dominant spell in the first 30 minutes, but Bradley Stoke also deserve great credit for their stirring comeback and an early contender for BGL goal of the season. Conditions were tough for both teams, but they produced a thoroughly entertaining and sporting contest.

On a difficult day, every player in orange contributed something. Emily and Millie constantly withstood and relieved severe home pressure down the right, while further up the field Ellie, Olivia and Amelia would convert that into counter-attacks. Betty's  handling and kicks were rock solid, and she could do little about the goals. Lulu was her usual tireless and brave self, Molly put a in great shift capped by her perfect 'assist', and Zoe was unstoppable before her injury, but 'girl of the game' went to Rhiannon for her defensive speed and 'saves' at vital moments of the game.

Captain of the week: Amelia

Girl of the game: Rhiannon

Fans of the week: Mara (get well soon) and..ahem..England international Daisy.

Scarily good Foxes serve up Halloween tricks and treat

Limited edition Halloween-themed orange kit..

Sunday 29th October 2017

Westbury Park Foxes U15 Girls 8

AEK Boco 0

The Foxes' October form continued to match the fine Autumn weather, as they ended the month with another clean sheet and a heavy defeat of old rivals Boco.

What pleased the coaches and parents most was not the winning margin, which could have been even greater but for the excellent Boco keeper and at least three contenders for 'miss of the season' from point blank range. It was the style of play which caught the eye. Suddenly Raph's intricate passing drills game in Saturday training made perfect sense, and reaped a huge dividend. The ball was pinged around in all sectors of the pitch- out of defence, in the middle of the park, and via cutting diagonal and through balls to willing runners. By the end, some of the goals being scored had shades of "Pep's City" about them, with everyone contributing.

It hadn't looked that way at the start, with the Foxes kicking uphill and slightly against the wind on the northernmost BAWA pitch. Boco, as expected, contributed to a tough contest in the opening exchanges. The defence were coping with reasonable comfort with the occasional Boco forays forward, but there were some fierce but fair battles for the ball in midfield. As the first half developed, the Foxes began to find their rhythm, with some nice combinations sending Ella down the right and Georgia in from the left, only for the keeper to deal well with early efforts from Ella and Zoe. But a head of steam was being built up, and a superbly centred cross from Ellie was met first time by Ella at the end of a perfectly timed run to put the Foxes into the lead. Further chances came and went, and despite the Foxes' increasing dominance, at 1-0 Boco were still very much in the game. The tipping point came close to half time, when more delightful and quick passing combinations sent the increasingly dangerous Zoe in, to finish from close range for the second.

After the sides changed end for the second half, with the Foxes now having the 'slope', one sensed that Boco's resistance and stamina levels were gradually dropping. The Foxes were increasingly being allowed to pass and move unhindered, with some lovely midfield triangles between Lulu, Olivia and Ellie. On the rare occasions when Boco threatened the Foxes' half, the defence would mop up, often passing their way out of trouble. As time wore on, Abby, Emily and Rhiannon would increasingly drive forward to link with the midfield and create further chances. Ultimately the pressure and movement proved too much for the visitors, and the (imaginary) scoreboard began to tick over. Zoe would ultimately bag a total of five: some from her characteristic powering through at close quarters, but other from immaculate and lightning quick passing combinations, involving virtually all members of the team - even Betty, who claimed a 'semi-assist' for one, with a strong goal kick finished off three touches later. Pick of the bunch was perhaps the eighth and final goal, finished by Zoe going round the keeper but only after a dizzying sequence of five midfield and defence splitting passes. Ellie and Emily also got amongst the goals, the latter with an 'unconventional' finish from Lulu's corner - she definitely wasn't going to head the ball, but got something on it (possibly a hip-shin combination?)

Boco deserve great credit for battling on, and playing the game in such a good spirit, when having such a tough morning. They were perhaps not quite at the level we have come to expect from them over the years, but the Foxes had a particularly good day, when almost everything they tried seemed to come off. There were too many good moments and contributions across the team to list in full. Georgia was particularly impressive, seeing a lot of the ball on the unfamiliar left side and initiating many of the best attacks. Molly came oh-so-close on two occasions to the goal which will, when it comes, quite literally send the crowd wild. But girl of the game today was Abby, who combined her usual exemplary defensive duties with some barnstorming runs forward.

Next up is an intriguing away fixture against old friends and rivals Bradley Stoke, who have had some good early results and currently lie in joint second with the Foxes. They limbered up for that 'North Bristol Classico' by claiming a forfeit away win at Portishead. Don't worry, Stoke, we'll certainly show up next Sunday. Could this be an early 'buffet places' pointer? We shall see....

Girl of the game: Abby

Captain of the week: Ellie

Foxes full of finesse and flair while winning well at warm Whitchurch

Whitchurch U15 Girls 0                            Westbury Park Foxes 6

Wise words from Whitchurch..

Bathed in glorious Autumn sunshine, the U15 girl Foxes overcame a strong Whitchurch challenge to come out comfortable winners, playing some of their best football of the season.

Whitchurch are a much improved side, and the opening exchanges suggested that this would be a tough test. The Foxes only had the bare minimum of 11 players, although reinforcements would arrive later. Coach Martin was confined to his sick bed, with Graham and Mark assuming coaching and tactical duties

Two phrases cut and pasted from previous match reports:

i) "the Foxes always play better when they score an early goal"; and

ii) "Lulu's only gone and scored directly from a corner again!"

So it was that, for the who-knows-how-many/-th time, the Foxes' deadly set piece assassin curled one in from the left corner flag for an early lead. That settled the "Outstanding Oranges" (as they are known to their fans) down and they began to put together more and more incisive and quick passing movements and through balls. Although Whitchurch were playing a high line, and occasionally catching the speeding Ella and Molly offside,  the home defence were struggling to contain the runs of Zoe in particular.

Sure enough, Zoe powered through a few minutes later to add a second. The pattern of the game began to emerge. Whitchurch would occasionally launch a promising move forward, only to be calmly dispossessed by the Foxes defence. On the left side Emily and Millie would pass and play out of defence to launch a counter-attack, feeding Ellie and Lauren down the left. In the centre, Abby was dealing with the aerial threat and Rhiannon was getting into her stride on the right flank to launch frequent counters. As time went on, Lulu and Ellie began to win more and more of the 50:50s in the centre, and it was only a matter of time before they would release Zoe for further finishes. Showing some beautiful first touches and athleticism, the "Golden Boot" had the beating of the home defence, and would power through twice more before the break to complete her hat trick. 4-0 was a little harsh on the hosts, but despite some decent possession they had not really troubled Betty for most of the half.

At the change of ends, the Foxes were reinforced by the arrival of Amelia as a sub, and a slightly 'hamstrung' Georgia who would nevertheless manage a spirited 10 minutes at the end. The home side were flagging slightly, and the Foxes began to glide through the gears and put together some very attractive moves - hampered only by the frequent disappearance of the ball over the right touchline down into the "Slope of Thistles", where Dave R famously took a tumble at a previous fixture. By now the Foxes were dominating possession, and being given more time on the ball, allowing them to ping it around and repeatedly threaten the Whitchurch goal. Ella was dancing past defenders on both flanks, and Amelia made an immediate impact as a sub. The home keeper was unflappable and brave, catching and gathering several shots and crosses to keep the score down. Even she could not keep out the "Orange Crush" forever, and one particularly slick Emily-Ellie-Lulu combination sent in Zoe to finish from an acute angle. A sixth (and fifth for Zoe) would eventually follow, but Whitchurch never let their heads drop and battled to the end.

It was a third win and clean sheet in a row since the defeat to Keynsham, but the manner of the win was more important - at times the Foxes' skill and movement generated appreciative comments from the home support and coaches. The game was played in an excellent spirit throughout, with very few fouls and good "sportsgirlship" on both sides. And no-one had to be reminded of the lessons on Whitchurch's excellent sign (pictured above)...

Girl of the Game: Millie "The Cleaner" Tavener - effortlessly sweeping up any danger at the back

Captain of the Week: Ella

BGL Portishead Town V Westbury Park Foxes

The Girl’s were fantastic yesterday in what was a closely fought and tough game. In the absence of wordsmith Ewan a few words about the game… 

With the game being held on Portishead’s old ground near the school we knew the big pitch and long grass would be a good physical test for the Foxes.

The first 20 minutes produced some of the best football we have seen this season with some slick, quick passing moves down the wings with Amelia, Georgia and Ella combining particularly well. If it wasn’t for some excellent saves from Portishead’s keeper we could easily of been ahead in the first 20 minutes. Zoe made a great run into the box and shot with power from close range but the keeper somehow pushed it to safety with a fingertip save. With both teams playing good football and defending well it wasn’t going to be a high scoring game but the Foxes continued to press and won a number of corners that Portishead defended well. 0-0 at half time and we were confident we could push on.

After a lively first half Amelia moved into goal to replace Betty who had to dash off to her Granny’s 75th Birthday (Happy Birthday Betty’s Granny!) and Olivia came on with fresh legs to keep up the intensity in midfield. With Molly now on the right wing and Mara making her customary runs the foxes kept the pressure on. Our 'famous back four’ reacted quickly to Portishead’s counter attack game-plan with Millie making some great covering runs. With Lulu on a ‘promise of a Swoon trip for a goal’ she made a couple of good long range shots but their keeper reacted well. The game had been fair but quite physical, with the ref letting play flow when other’s might of blown up for a foul but when Zoe was bought down in the penalty area he didn’t hesitate to award a penalty. Zoe dusted herself down and blasted a great penalty to the left of the keeper to put the Foxes ahead. 

Portishead reacted by bringing their keeper out of goal to try and equalise. Although she added intensity to their play the Foxes stood firm with Abby clearing with authority and Rhi and Emily chasing down the threats on the wings. They did break though a couple of times but Amelia was super quick of her line to defend her goal. At the other end Sim had joined Zoe up front to make some great runs and create more chances but the score remained 1-0 to the Foxes. A final frantic 5 minutes of pressure was soaked up and the game finished with the Foxes the worthy winner’s.

Captain - Ella

Girl of the Game - Amelia

WPF Girls u15 v Keynsham and Longwell Green

To use Star Wars analogies, this was Episode 3 and 4!

The Revenge of the Sith came in the form of Keynsham Town, a team on the rise over the last few seasons. Having transformed into the Manchester City of the BGL, picking up 6 ex academy players and sending some of last years to 'train with the u23's', they are now a formidable outfit that any BGL team will struggle to get the better of this season.

The Foxes were hampered by some absences and a fair few with heavy colds, but there was spirit aplenty as they went about nullifying the considerable threat of the slick passing opposition.
For once playing on the back foot, the Foxes held out the early onslaught, but the continuous pressure told and a shot to the top corner saw the visitors take the lead.
A stunned set of Foxes gamely set about rolling up their sleeves, and came back into the game.
Zoe was heavily marked and it  wasn't until Lauren put a foot on the ball and started a slick passing move on the right, that some space was made for the Foxes striker to fire pass the away keeper.
An edgy half was played out and the teams changed ends with the scores level.
The Foxes could and maybe should have gone back to basics and settled for a draw, but having not lost for 16 months, it wasn't really in their minds. Buoyed by the equaliser the Foxes pressed forwards, but were hit on the counter by another shot to the top corner.
With nothing to lose and the injuries forcing an new defensive line the Foxes were wide open to the counter attack, and whilst Betty was player of the game, there was nothing the home keeper could do as a 3rd and then cruelly a 4th went in.

The final scoreline was harsh on the home team, but the better team on the day won the game.
Clearly the passing and movement off the ball needs to improve in time for the return fixture.


So to Episode 4, (A New Hope)!

An away fixture at Longwell Green was up next for the Foxes. Despite being close to Keynsham with their surplus of players, Longwell Green have again suffered for numbers. The game was reduced to a 9 a side fixture. With the Foxes able to rotate players the greater skill and athleticism showed and the the goals flowed.

Not much really to learn, the space on the pitch made for easy passing and the girls helped themselves to a 10-0 reported score. Goals galore, and even a surprise appearance in the opposition penalty box for the Foxes keeper, as Rhiannon kindly stepped into the gloves to give her a touch of the ball.

So a new start, of the next undefeated record, lets hope next week isn't an Empire Strikes Back away at Portishead!

Foxes Recover From Early Fry Up to Earn Their Chocolate

Rusty champions overcome brave home challenge after shaky start

       

 

                    

Fry Club FC U15 Girls 2 

Westbury Park Foxes U15 Girls 4

The long summer holidays are over. The schools are back. And football has returned - even if it was only really away for about 6 weeks....

Foxes training had already resumed at the Downs, with the welcome recruitment of former Wotton opponent Ellie. International sprinting superstar medallist Sim may be turning out less often this season, and Betty the Cat's injured paw is still recovering, so last season's Bristol Girls League champions travelled to the "Chocolate Quarter" in Keynsham (formerly known as the Cadbury Playing Fields) with a squad of 13, with Georgia also still to return to match action.

Fry Club FC were tough opponents for many teams last season, and had clearly improved and expanded their squad. The Foxes would have to be on their toes from the kick-off. The coaches were looking for an energised and bright start, and no early lapses of concentration.

Oops. 

It took Fry less than a minute to open the scoring, in the match and almost certainly the whole league. When the Foxes uncharacteristically coughed up possession in their own half, on Fry's first visit there, the home striker seized her opportunity, drove forward and lofted a high shot over stand-in keeper Millie.

Still, no reason to panic. The Foxes gradually settled into the game and began to launch raids down both flanks, with Mara in particular causing difficulty on the left and Zoe firing just wide with one effort. But a second Fry goal might really have put a fly in the ointment, the cat among the pigeons and quite possibly a spanner in the works. It nearly came when a neat through ball sent the Fry forward in on goal on the edge of box. Millie hesitated only for a fraction of a second before coming off her line, to arrive in the nick of time and block the shot with her shin.

That served as a wake-up call, complete with double espresso and cold water in the face, for an often sluggish Foxes side. It was time for the Golden Boot to strike. After a few near misses, Zoe powered in from close range and finished from an angle to level the scores with only a few minutes until half time. 1-1 at the break would be OK. 2-1 was even better. When Mara once again skipped down the left, beat her defender and cut back inside, Amelia W was on the end of it and blasted home. The half time whistle sounded shortly afterwards, and the champions looked to have steadied the ship, if not quite yet comfortable enough to sunbathe on its deck.

Turning to face the increasingly strong wind in the second half, the Foxes faced a renewed challenge from the home side. Fry were frequently first to the ball, and were using the wind and the flanks to their advantage. The pressure told early in the half, when the Foxes defence failed to clear their lines in the box and the home side pounced to drive in a deflected equaliser. For the following minutes, the game hung in the balance. The Foxes were finding little joy in long clearance balls down the flanks, and were having difficulty retaining possession. Second half stand-in keeper Amelia made a vital block when Fry threatened to take the lead.

It was a return to football on the deck which swung the game. Rhiannon spun and dribbled out of defence to feed Ella on the right wing. Ella's brave and swift run was supported by Lulu, who received a short pass then whipped the ball into the middle. Debutante Ellie was on hand to crash home and finish a superb team goal.

Moments later, a strong challenge from Olivia in front of the defence sent the ball richocheting forward, sending Ella through. Without panicking or breaking her stride, she coolly slotted it beyond the keeper to give the Foxes a very welcome two-goal cushion. From there, the rest of the match was played out without too many further alarms or incidents. The full-time whistle signalled a hard fought 4-2 victory, against tough and skilful opponents who will trouble most teams in this year's league. For the records (and for Statto) this was a 30th consecutive league win, an astonishing run stretching back to March 2016.

While overall the Foxes perhaps displayed their lack of recent match practice, there were several strong contributions. Ellie capped a strong debut with her super goal, while Mara and Ella were lively raiders down either side. Special praise was also due to stand-in goalies Millie and Amelia, who both made vital contributions and saves to prevent what could have been game-changing home goals.

Next week sees the opening home fixture at BAWA against another greatly improved and transfer-window-boosted side, the formidable Keynsham Town, who also started with an opening day win. The Foxes will have to be at their very best in what could be an early season classico.

Welcome back!

Girl of the Game: Ellie

Captain of the Week: Abby

Foxes U13s win their first match in the Avon Youth League

The Foxes played brilliantly in their first match in the Avon Youth League and their passing and movement was a joy to watch.

Good pressure in the first ten minutes led to two close misses as the ball skidded across the face of the goal and wide of the post. But early success came as Alex was released by a through ball from midfield - probably from Sam Dayan who was immense all game and seem to act like a magnet for the ball - he out ran the defender to plant a shot high over the goalie into the far top left corner. Lovely job!

The boys continued to press hard, stopping Warmley from settling on the ball and getting into the game. Xabi, Ben, Tom Mont and Jamie were solid at the back and gave nothing away and we rejoiced to see Jamie's first sliding tackle of the match early on. Xabi tackled tenaciously, Tom blocked and passed brilliantly and Ben linked well with Memphis on the left.

Memphis bossed the left wing and worked very hard - up and down, up and down - to support Ben in defence. Artie was a dynamo in midfield, stopping opposition attacks and launching our own. Eventually, Warmley could do nothing but foul him in frustration. George matched Memphis' work rate on the right - his speed and energy gave the team a lift and made sure the opposition were constantly under pressure.

The second goal came close to half time and helped to calm nerves a bit. Alex again but well supported by Tom up front, who was a constant danger.

In the second half we were going down hill and felt confident about holding on to our lead. Will Campbell came on for George and had a couple of chances, including a close header, and Will Domaille stepped in for Tom Hall in the front line. His touches and passes opened their defence on more than a couple of occasions.

It was late on that Alex scored his third goal to secure his hat-trick - a tap in on the left side. His reward - immediate substitution. That'll teach him!

All in all, a fine antidote to the wet September weather - and the fragile heads that some of the crowd were suffering after watching Elbow the evening before.