17/10/2026
💙 Lakeside Lionesses U9s vs Berkswich FC 🏆⚽
Cup football, fearless tackles, Frankie magic and a lesson bigger than the result! 🦁💙
If you were a neutral watching today's game, you certainly got your money's worth!
End-to-end football, fantastic challenges, brilliant goals and two teams giving absolutely everything. 🔥⚽
Today the Lionesses faced Berkswich FC in the cup, and what a contest it turned out to be.
⚔️ No Half Measures!
From the first whistle, both teams were absolutely up for it.
Challenges were flying in, players were battling for every loose ball and there were probably more free kicks than we've seen in any U9s game this season! 😂
But here's the important thing...
There was nothing nasty about it.
Just two groups of enthusiastic young footballers, occasionally a little too optimistic with their challenges, desperate to win possession.
And you can't knock that determination! 💪
The game flowed from end to end, with both teams creating opportunities and neither side willing to give an inch.
Eventually, it was Berkswich who broke the deadlock.
Birdie came agonisingly close to producing a fantastic save, but the ball just managed to trickle past her.
So close! 🧤
But the Lionesses kept battling.
🚀 Frankie and the Free-Kick Special!
With the first half drawing to a close, Lakeside were awarded a free kick following an unfortunate handball, around six to eight yards outside the penalty area.
And who stepped up?
Frankie.
Again. 👀😂
Last minute of the first half. A chance to bring the Lionesses back into the contest.
Frankie struck the ball beautifully, driving it towards the bottom corner.
The Berkswich goalkeeper even managed to get a hand to it...
But there was absolutely no stopping that one! 🚀⚽
A tremendous strike.
And we're beginning to notice something here.
Frankie's ability to strike a football cleanly, accurately and with real purpose is becoming one of the standout features of her game.
It's not luck when you keep doing it.
That's technique. That's practice. That's development. 💙👏
🛡️ A Battle at Both Ends
The second half brought more of the same intensity.
Defensively, Lakeside produced some really strong moments.
Lyla was putting in some enormous challenges, showing strength, determination and a real willingness to compete.
And Macie was right there alongside her, producing some unbelievable tackles and refusing to shy away from the physical side of the game. 💪🛡️
But football isn't always kind.
A few mistakes across different areas of the pitch allowed Berkswich to take advantage and build their lead.
And that's something we have to acknowledge.
At times our decision-making could have been better, our positioning needed improving and we didn't always react quickly enough when possession changed hands.
But the effort?
That never disappeared.
🎯 Primrose Finds Frankie!
As the second half progressed, Primrose entered the action and immediately started looking to make things happen.
Her passing began opening up spaces, and eventually she spotted exactly the opportunity she wanted.
A lovely through ball into Frankie.
Frankie took it in her stride, went past a defender and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. ⚽🎯
Primrose ➡️ Frankie ➡️ GOAL!
And what a goal it was!
The first was all about striking technique and power.
The second?
Movement, control, composure and finishing.
Two very different goals, both demonstrating the technical ability Frankie is developing.
And another excellent assist from Primrose, whose vision and passing continue to create opportunities for her teammates. 💙
🏆 Manager's Player — Frankie ⚽🔥
Sometimes a player produces moments of quality that simply cannot be overlooked.
And today, that was Frankie.
Two excellent goals, each requiring a completely different skill set.
The first, a thunderous free kick into the bottom corner.
The second, a wonderfully composed finish after beating her defender.
Her striking technique, movement and confidence in front of goal were outstanding.
Two proper striker's goals.
Brilliant work, Frankie! 💙👏
🏆 Coach's Player — Macie 💙🛡️
This award is about something far more important than one tackle, one clearance or one moment in a football match.
Macie was putting in some fantastic challenges and showing real strength defensively.
But following one of the goals we conceded, she became upset, believing she'd made a mistake that had let her teammates down.
There were a few tears.
And that's where we want every girl in this team to understand something.
You are allowed to make mistakes.
As the manager explained to Macie, she didn't need to carry that worry or put that pressure on herself.
She hadn't failed.
She had learned.
Because when a defender makes a mistake, there may have been an opportunity for a midfielder to help beforehand. And before that, perhaps a striker could have done something differently.
Football is a team game.
We defend together. We attack together. We make mistakes together. And we learn together.
No eight-year-old should feel that the responsibility for a goal rests entirely on their shoulders.
And what happened next is exactly why Macie deserves this award.
She picked herself up.
She got back involved.
She continued making challenges.
And she finished the game strongly. 💪💙
That's resilience. That's courage. And that's what youth football is all about.
We're incredibly proud of you, Macie. 👏🦁
🎯 Coach's Corner — Bigger Than the Cup
Today brings our cup journey to an end.
Of course, we're disappointed. We're competitive people, and nobody turns up wanting to exit a competition.
But there is a bigger picture here.
Today the girls experienced a genuinely competitive game against a strong, energetic and determined Berkswich side.
They experienced physical challenges, pressure, mistakes, moments of brilliance and disappointment.
And every single one of those experiences helps them develop.
Our lessons from today are clear:
- 🧠 Decision-making: Knowing when to tackle, when to hold position and when to play the simple pass.
- 🛡️ Defending as a team: Understanding that conceding a goal is rarely the responsibility of just one player.
- ⚽ Technical development: Continuing to improve our passing, first touch and finishing.
- 💙 Resilience: Mistakes are part of learning. What matters is how we respond.
- 🤝 Teamwork: Supporting each other when things don't go our way.
But there was also so much to be proud of.
The energy was fantastic. The challenges were strong. We produced some lovely football and some genuinely excellent goals.
And perhaps most importantly, the girls kept going.
🤝 Respect to Berkswich FC
A massive well done to Berkswich FC for a fantastic cup contest.
Both teams gave everything, and for anyone watching from the sidelines, it was a brilliant example of just how entertaining grassroots girls' football can be.
We wish Berkswich all the very best in the next round and the games ahead. 👏⚽
And as for us?
Our cup journey might be over, but our development journey is only just getting started.
We're already looking forward to the next battle with Berkswich.
Until then, we keep learning, keep improving and, most importantly, keep enjoying our football.
One team. Nine Lionesses. Plenty more adventures ahead. 💙
💙🦁 Up the Lionesses! 🦁💙
Thank you to our sponsors 👌
Pro Console Repairs 🎮
Web Goddess Ltd ⚡
CTech 🔌
Emily's cupcakery 🎂
SES 🛠️
