Sunday 21st March 2010, Burnham Ramblers FC, Kick-Off 2:30pm, Essex Under 16s Girls Cup Final supported by Chelmsford Radio and Tesco.
West Ham United boss Jim Maycock was delighted with his side’s second half performance as they clinched the inaugural Essex Under 16s Girls Cup in style with a 5-1 win over Little Thurrock Dynamos at Burnham Ramblers’ Leslie Field, proclaiming: “To win the first final in this competition is a great honour.”
Maycock’s side scored four times after the break to clinch a momentous victory and he continued: “We did OK in the first half to lead 1-0, but I thought we were terrific after the break and won the game by taking our chances excellently. Little Thurrock did very well too and certainly tested us. At times in the first period we didn’t play the ball around like we can, but we turned that around and it’s really pleasing.”
Now West Ham are presented with the opportunity to have a second crack at the national Tesco Cup competition and Maycock is eager to better last season’s exploits: “We represented London last year with much of today’s side, but they were playing a year up then. We did ourselves proud last season and it’d be great if we can improve on that performance this year. To play at a top venue is certainly something to aim for.”
The Hammers grabbed the initiative early as they grabbed an 8th-minute lead, a brilliant left-flank run by Shadai Miller seeing the pacey midfielder cut inside before finding the top corner from a tight angle. West Ham could have built on that fine start when Little Thurrock ‘keeper Charlotte Stephens held onto Danielle Robertson’s low shot and then Zoe Lipley-Hinton’s free-kick. But as the half wore-on, Dynamos came into the game and Gemma Hyland’s free-kick and Mary Carter’s close range effort came close.
Another Hyland set-piece caused problems four minutes after the re-start as her corner was punched onto the crossbar by Hammers ‘keeper Lauren Picton before West Ham doubled the lead on 48, Leigh Houlihan’s long-ranger deceiving Stephens and finding its way into the middle of the goal. Danielle Robertson then latched onto a through-ball to finish neatly past Stephens on 58 minutes before Little Thurrock pulled a goal back five minutes later thanks to skipper Hyland’s stunning 25-yard free-kick.
Robertson was unfortunate to see another effort cleared off the goalline, but she bagged her second and West Ham’s fourth in the 72nd minute, showing great pace before sliding the ball home from close range. The scoring was completed five minutes into stoppage time, Lipley-Hinton finding space to calmly finish low past Stephens.
Little Thurrock Dynamos: Charlotte Stephens, Chloe Smith, Chloe Conner, Abbie Simmonds, Ellise Strickland, Gemma Hyland, Mary Carter, Georgina Reid-Ward, Amy Wilson, Georgia Fraser, Annabelle Murray. Substitutes (repeated): Lauren Burke, Paige Livingstone, Suzanna Whitlock.
West Ham United: Lauren Picton, Sam Mitchell, Lillie Kershaw, Leigh Houlihan, Sophie Reed, Shadai Miller, Faye Cook, Holly Trimby, Danielle Robertson, Zoe Lipley-Hinton, April Bowers. Substitutes (repeated): Naomi Hayes, Faye Picton, Chantelle Foster.
Bookings: None.
Referee: Jane Johnson (Harlow).
Assistant Referees: Terry Murley (Rayleigh) and Dean Skipper (Rainham).
Fourth Official: Michael Summerville (Chingford).
Attendance: 107.