On Sunday 5th May, Crystal Palace beat Bourne Blades 7-0 to win the Thorpe Park U12 Girls County Cup. 

Palace had the earliest chance of the game after receiving a free kick in a dangerous position however, Betsy Webber couldn’t find the target and strike the ball just over the bar. The team managed to get in their opponents box several times during the opening of the game but were unable to find a good goal-scoring opportunity.

In the 8th minute of the game, Bourne Blades registered their first shot on target, forcing the keeper to make a comfortable save. From this save, the Palace keeper found her teammate in the oppositions half which was the start of a dangerous attack. When the Palace’s Webber received the ball on the left-hand side of the pitch, she dribbled the ball past a defender and made a great ball through to the edge of the box. This pass was then finished by Lindsay Bennett who made a powerful shot with her right-foot which found the back of the net.

With Palace now leading, they grew in confidence and had the momentum in the game and forced a number of saves from the Blades’ keeper. A succession of corners in the 15th minute of the game kept the pressure on but Bourne Blades worked hard to get back into the game, but their chances were being easily dealt with.

Palace’s Bennett managed to double her goal tally after a previous shot was unable to be cleared. The ball fell to her feet and she was quick to react, as she scored in the top right corner of the goal. Quickly after, Palace extended their lead to 3 goals, after a smooth touch and finish from Palace’s Webber, who had had a great start to the game.

In the second half of the game, Palace’s great performance continued. In the 34th minute, Bennett won the ball back in the Blades’ box and claimed her well-earnt hattrick. Soon after she nearly added the team’s 5th goal of the game after a great cross from Webber, but she dragged her shot wide. Luckily for her, her next goal did come. After an impressive right footed save from the Blades keeper, the ball landed straight back at the striker’s feet, and Bennett got her 4th goal of the day.

The one-way traffic still continued, and Palace soon found the back of the net again. This time the goal was scored from a corner, after a right-footed shot was saved from Palace’s Amelia Nwagu-Rochford The ball was swung into the box and after a quick scramble to win the ball, it was Palace’s Molly Ryan who had the final touch on this occasion, to make the score 6-0.

Bennett’s day of goal scoring was still not over, and in the 55th minute of the game, she got her 5th. After the ball from a long throw in landed in the box, she was the quickest player to the ball and toe-poked it past the keeper into the bottom corner.

Despite the score line, Bourne Blades never gave up and continued to work hard on and off the ball. Palace were close to scoring again before the final whistle but the Blades’ defenders were able to stop this chance with a great interception.

Attendance: 117

POTM: Jessica Reed (Crystal Palace)

Goals: (Crystal Palace) (7, 22, 33, 42 52) Bennett (23) Webber (47) Ryan