Another Great Win For U17 Girls

Leek Town welcomed The New Saints from Oswestry for this Central Warwickshire U18 Girls Premier League fixture at Birchall.

Leek had the better of the early exchanges with both Kirsty Ryder and Lucy Kelsall getting shots in on goal saved by The New Saints keeper. The New Saints had a very quick player up front and tried several times to supply her with a long ball over the top or defence splitting pass through the middle and on the whole Leek's two central defenders Emma Smith and Charlotte Bromley dealt with the threat very well.

On 15 minutes the ball was won by Isabel Wretham who supplied Katie Maya and she ran at the New Saints defence before slotting the ball into the path of Lucy Kelsall to open the scoring for Leek.

Shortly after the restart Amber Stanway played in Katie Maya again and this time she was brought down in the penalty area. Maya dusted herself off and took the resultant penalty firing it into the net for 2-0.

The New Saints after the restart did manage to get their speedy forward away on goal and 1v1 with Leek keeper Hannah Austin making an excellent save.

On the next New Saints attack the referee awarded a penalty when a player seemed to go down very easily in the box, however the resultant penalty was blasted wide of the Leek goal. On 35 minutes The New Saints got their striker away on goal again and this time she scored to make it 2-1.

Leek then attacked down the left with the speedy Mollie Shaw making several good runs to supply the forwards. New saints then attacked down the left but Megan Jones made a timely interception and played the ball through to Elise Skelding who got a powerful shot away at goal which came back off the goalkeeper to Kirsty Ryder following in, she calmly put the ball in the net from 15 yards out to make it 3-1

Half time Leek Town 3-1 The New Saints

Alice Naden was introduced for the second half up front for Leek and along with speedy wingers Kelsall and Skelding was a constant threat. Wretham and Stanway were now in charge in midfield for Leek. The New Saints were finding Katie Maya playing just off the striker very difficult to control and she manufactured herself several runs and shots at goal and it seemed only a matter of time before she would score again.

Becky Rothwell was then introduced by Leek and made some very good link up play and moves down the right for Leek.

On 75 minutes Maya again dribbled around three players before unleashing a fierce shot on goal which rebounded out to Amber Stanway and she fired in from 18 yards to make it 4-1.

Chloe Gerrity then replaced left back Mollie Shaw and it was her pass that again got Maya running down the left hand side and from the acute corner of the box ran her way around two defenders before slotting the ball home to make it 5-1 for Leek.

Leek then played the last 5 minutes of the game out to secure a good win against second placed New Saints and move into fourth in the league.

Full Time Leek Town U17 Girls 5-1 The New Saints U18 Girls

Leek Squad: Hannah Austin, Megan Jones, Emma Smith, Charlotte Bromley, Mollie Shaw, Amber Stanway, Isabel Wretham, Lucy Kelsall, Elise Skelding, Katie Maya, Kirsty Ryder, Alice Naden, Becky Rothwell, Chloe Gerrity.