Having already beaten Hemel Hempstead Town Girls 16-0 this season, it was in all likelyhood going to be another goal fest, however it was stressed before the game, it was not a matter of scoring loads of goals, but doing things right. This message then precluded to see The Belles produce some of their worst team play of the season so far in the first half. But things looked good when Leanne Lizaitis scored in the first minute. It was 2-0 after five minutes when Megan Willmott pulled the ball back from the bye line for Kate Harte to smash the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area (Kate does not score tap ins) The third goal on fifteen minutes was scored by Amy Garrett, her first goal for this team. So 3-0, but this was just glossing things over. The game was very disjointed, the passing was not fluid, and we were not moving the ball on quick enough, and generally people were not sticking to their tasks. Katie Davis then opened her account for the day when she scored twice in the last five minutes of the half. Some good work by Maisie Wyatt set up the first of these two goals, their understanding of playing together in the Under 11`s on Saturday`s clearly evident. So 5-0 at half time. Harsh words were had at half time, and it was both justified and needed. The only thing that could not be faulted was the lack of effort, but then this team never gives anything less than one hundred per cent.

What these words ringing in their ears The Belles went out in the second half and produced a much better performance. Two minutes after the break a good move was ended with Amy Garrett setting up Katie Davis to complete a hat-trick inside seven minutes to make the score 6-0. At last the quickfire passing was starting to work, and six minutes later a great through ball by Serena Lawrence set Katie Davis through and she took the ball in her stride and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper for number seven. Another two minutes past before Alicia McIntosh set up Katie, and it was 8-0. Then Clare Howe got in on the act and scored twice inside a couple of minutes. Five goals in fifteen minutes, and the general play and been a whole lot better, and all the goals had come as a result of some decent direst passing. With seven minutes left Katie scored her sixth goal of the day with a solo effort, and somehow squeezed the ball in from a narrow angle. A minute later she scored again, this time it was Megan Willmott who set the goal up. The game started with a goal by Leanne, and it also finished with one as she scored in the last minute of the game with a neat finish placing the ball through the keepers legs. Its easy to pick out Katie`s individual performance in scoring seven goals but it was the work of others that set most of the goals up for her. Serena Lawrence is to me often the unsung hero of this team. She gets through her job with a minimum of fuss, and today was no exception.

A game of two halves, not so good in the first half, much better in the second half. But we can, and have played much better than this. Sometimes the level of performance can be affected by the level of opposition. No disrespect to Hemel Hempstead Town Girls, but this was at times today a classic case of going down to their level

Squad today..........Thea Fraser, Laura Pethybridge, Megan Willmott, Serena Lawrence, Kate Harte, Alice Bowler, Alicia McIntosh, Leanne Lizaitis, Katie Davis, Clare Howe, Amy Garrett; Desiree Yearwood, Maisie Wyatt, Alex Matcham