Under 13 Division

Clacton Athletic 2 Chelmsford City 5

Chelmsford finished their league campaign in style recording the double over a Clacton side they had beaten 4-3 the previous week. City’s goals were scored by Inez Hockaday 3 and Alicia Cork 2.

Thundermite Girls’ League

Under 13 Premier Division

Redbridge 3  Chelmsford City

Chelmsford City got back to winning ways with a great away victory against Redbridge on Sunday. Despite going behind early on in the game, City kept pushing forward and were rewarded after some nice passing moves which allowed Alicia Cork to level the scores midway through the first half ,with a cool finish from inside the box. City were cruelly punished for a defensive mix-up in the last seconds of the first half to go in 2-1 behind.

Thankfully at the very start of the second half some lax Redbridge defending allowed City to level the scores with a second for Cork. Despite going behind again, Ellie Brown, and Sara Cherry in goal , kept City in the game with some great individual efforts to shore up the defences. With Shannon Matthews also finding her form by knocking two goals in in the last quarter of the game City came away with a fine 4-3 victory.

Chelmsford City: Sara Cherry, Gabby Freedman, Tasha Boyd, Ellie Brown, Tayla Peel, Shannon Matthews, Alicia Cork (c), Rebecca Tabrett, Hannah Knight

U13 Girls 9-a-side League Cup

Ockendon Rhinos 8  Chelmsford City Storm 2

City started brightly and made the Rhinos work really hard. Some excellent pressure from Katie Mowle and Kirsty Day in the centre of the field should have resulted in early goals, but playing up hill, into the wind, made things a little tougher than they perhaps looked.

With half time looming, City were confident of going in level until a Rhinos midfielder hit a wonder strike from 25 yards which left Chloe Pearce with no chance.

City fought back quickly and Rebecca May soon levelled the scores with a well taken strike across the keeper.
City were then guilty of going to sleep at a corner, gifting Rhinos their second, when perhaps the ball could have been gathered/cleared as it rolled across the six yard box.

Chelsea Clarke was again outstanding at centre half and it was reading of the game that allowed her to race back and clear off the line under pressure from an oncoming forward. Another wonder strike from distance took City in 3-1 down at the break.

In the second half, City played some wonderful passing football and tackled well, but found it hard to cope with the power and pace of the Rhinos attack, eventually going 8-1 down before being awarded a late penalty for hand-ball. Rebecca May stepped up and the power of her shot was just too much for the keeper, the ball just squeezing over the line.

The City Storm management were proud of the teams commitment and the score was not a true reflection of the game. The Ockendon management paid tribute to the girls saying how much they'd improved since our last meeting and even the Ockendon players were heard to have said how hard they had to work for the win.

Chelmsford City would like to express their thanks to the Rhinos Management and Rhinos team for the sporting manner in which the game was played which made it an enjoyable afternoon for both sets of players and supporters.

CCFC Storm: Chloe Pearce, Katie Malyon (C), Chelsea Clarke, Shannon Jones (Ellie Brown), Katie Mowle, Kirsty Day, Rebecca May, Rebecca Wade, Nicole Allen (Katie Roberts).

Goals: Rebecca May (2, 1 pen).
Player of the match: Chelsea Clarke

Chelmsford City Storm 4 Lt Thurrock Dynamos Foxes 11

The last time these two sides met, Chelmsford were on the wrong on of a 20-0 score line, so City keen to show they were no pushovers. The game started brightly with Chelmsford dominating possession and they were rewarded for their efforts on 11 minutes when Rebecca May collected the ball wide on the right, beat her marker and fired a cross-shot in off the base of the left hand post. City continued to threaten with May again going close, this time narrowly firing over from 12 yards.

City haven’t played a game for a month, and only had 9 players available. Unfortunately this showed as our concentration dipped and we gave some goals away for LTD to hit back and race into a 5-1 lead. Although it took a while for City to react, they saw out the first half on the offensive and May hit her second of the game after bringing down a high ball and turning her marker in one movement, before racing through to hammer the ball over the advancing keeper.

The second half followed the pattern of the first, with City going close on a couple of occasions through Paige Wilson, but the ball just wouldn’t fall kindly for her. Foxes seemed to be scoring for fun and added three more before good work from Nicole Allen caused the Foxes keeper to clear straight to May who completed her hat trick with a 25 yard drive. This gave City new hope and Shannon Jones continually caused the Foxes defence problems with some clever free kicks, but again the ball would not fall kindly to the advancing strikers. Chloe Pearce had an absolute corker in goal, making some marvellous saves and taking some big knocks in the process. Chelsea Clarke was like a rock in the centre of midfield and made some great last ditch challenges to keep City in with a shout. However, Foxes were still rampant and defeat for City became inevitable. The girls continued to press and the hard work paid off. A corner was awarded on the left hand side and was partially cleared to May who fired a rocket of a shot between the keeper and near post from an impossible angle to score her fourth.

City will now break for Christmas, but return to action against LTD Stars on Saturday 5^th January, 2008, Orsett Showground. KO TBA.

Chelmsford City Storm: Chloe Pearce, Katie Roberts, Shannon Jones, Tash Brooks, Rebecca May, Kirsty Day, Chelsea Clarke, Nicole Allen, Paige Wilson.

Player of the match: Chelsea Clarke.

ISLAND 6 CHELMSFORD CITY 7

Chelmsford City travelled to Canvey Island on Sunday afternoon to notch up their 4th win of the season with a 7-6 victory over Island in a very entertaining end to end game.

Having gone 2-0 down after only 12 minutes, City forced their way back into the game after 22 minutes when Alicia Cork slotted home from close range after some fine work by Shannon Matthews and then 3  minutes later Matthews made it 2-2.

Island went in 3-2 up at half time, but a great goal by Nicole Parish three minutes after the restart levelled the scores.

City regained the lead 5 minutes later with a second for Matthews with two more by Nicole Parish and a great long range strike by Tayla Peel completing the city scoring.

Chelmsford City: Sara Cherry, Natasha Boyd, Gabby Freedman, Ellie Brown, Nicole Parish, Alicia Cork (c) Hannah Knight, Shannon Mattews, Tayla Peel.

All other matches involving Chelmsford City Ladies & Girls F were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Chelmsford City Storm 8 Little Thurrock Dynamos Vixens 3

City took the momentum from last weeks’ friendly win into this game and dominated from start to finish. Direct from the kick off, City carved a way through the Vixens defence, forcing the away keeper into a couple of good saves before Chelsea Clarke opened the scoring with a low shot after fine wing play by Rebecca May on the right of midfield. May narrowly cleared the bar with a well struck free-kick from 20 yards, before opening her goal account for the club on 12 minutes. City worked the ball from left to right before May cut inside her marker and let fly with a right foot shot that left the keeper with no chance. From the resulting kick off, City quickly regained possession and played the ball out to the right for May to dance past her marker and fire a shot across the face of the goal and into the bottom left corner. Two minutes later, May completed her hat-trick with a similar well placed drive beyond the advancing Vixens keeper.

Vixens did make it into the City half approaching half time, and after a mix up between Shannon Jones and City Keeper, Chloe Pearce, were unlucky not to pull a goal back. Paige Wilson, on for Rebecca Wade, made it 5-0 to City just before half time, hooking a shot into the net after good pressure from a corner.

City went off the boil at the start of the second half and conceded two early goals. Just as it looked like things were starting to go wrong, Rebecca May popped up with number four after walking through the Vixens’ defence her initial shot was spilled by the keeper and she reacted quickest to stab the ball over the line. This half was more even than the first with City again looking a little vulnerable at the back. Nicole Allen and Kirsty Day worked well in the centre of the park and their tireless contribution gave City their 7^th of the match, finished by May after beating 4 Vixens players and cutting in from the wing.

Vixens did pull another goal back with a somewhat lucky shot that was hit high into the air and bounced over Pearce after dropping out of the sun. City still had more fight in them, and finished with what proved to be the goal of the game. The ball was won by Brooks in defence and fed quickly to Day in the centre of midfield. She beat her marker and pushed the ball out wide to May who hit an early cross into the Vixens box for a well placed Shannon Jones to crash a right footed volley into the back of the net.

City were well worth their win as every girl fought for the ball and showed some of the passion that has been lacking previously. Special mention should go to Katie Malyon at right back for her tireless work and also, a newly inspired Chloe Pearce, in goal. However, player of the game had to go to Rebecca May – the Vixens simply couldn’t contain her.

Chelmsford City Storm: Pearce, Malyon, Jones, Brooks, Wade (Wilson), Day, Clarke, May, Allen.

Chelmsford City 4 Assandun Vikings 3

Chelmsford City got back to winning ways with a hard fought 4-3 victory over their opponents on Sunday afternoon.
Despite going one down after only two minutes, some brave attacking by Rebecca Tabrett against Viking defenders almost twice her size resulted in Rebecca Tabrett striking home the equaliser on 25 minutes.

A second goal by Shannon Matthews just before half time saw City go in 2-1 ahead at the break.
Immediately after the restart Assandun snatched an equaliser to keep the crowd on the edge of their 'seats' with more end to end action.

Eventually it was down to the experience of Nicole Parish to break the deadlock, with two great individual efforts within three minutes to put City back in control and two ahead at 4-2.

Assandun kept battling and were rewarded 10 minutes from time with their third, but despite both teams going close, City had done enough to claim victory and all three points.

Chelmsford City: Ellie Brown, Tasha Boyd, Gabby Freedman, Tayla Peel, Shannon Matthews, Alicia Cork (c), Nicole Parish,  Rebecca Tabrett, Danielle Beard, Nicola Scott, Hannah Knight

Under 13 Friendly

Ockendon Rhinos 7 Chelmsford City Storm 1

The score line flattered the Rhinos as City’s newly acquired Under 13 team battled hard throughout and pushed last seasons league champions all the way. Once the team get used to the step up to bigger goals, offside and can remember to close people down faster, we'll see a major improvement.
Nicole Allen got the goal in what was a very close game played in the correct, fair manner while Chloe Pearce, in goal, made some amazing saves.

Tash Brooks received the player of the match award for some brilliant positional play at left back, whilst special mention should also go to the attacking partnership of Rebecca May and Chelsea Clarke.
This coming Sunday, City Storm are away to Lt Thurrock Dynamos Vixens in the League Cup at the Orsett Show Ground, kick off to be advised.

Leigh Rockets 0 Chelmsford City 15

A full strength Chelmsford girls side notched up their second win of the season, taking them to second in the league, with a 15-0 demolition away to Leigh rockets on Sunday morning.

The rockets bravely held out until the 15th minute with both sides producing some very 'average' displays, when Nicole Parish finally opened the scoring to start the rout. Parish & Shannon Matthews produced some great individual runs and by half time City were 5-0 up.

The second half produced further mutiple goals for Parish, Matthews and Alicia Cork with single strikes for Ellie Brown and Rebecca Tabrett.

Some erratic finishing by City and great goalkeeping by the Rockets keeper kept the scoreline to a reasonable level.
This Sunday City entertain top of the table Lt Thurrock Dynamos at Marconi Leisure, West Hanningfield Road.

Chelmsford City: Sara Cherry, Natasha Boyd, Gabby Freedman, Hannah Knight, Shannon Matthews, Alicia Cork (c), Nicole Parish, Ellie Brown, Rebecca Tabret, Tayla Peel, Nicola Scott  

Chelmsford City 1 Lt Thurrock Dynamos 7

Chelmsford were brought back down to earth after their previous two substantial wins, with a 7-1 defeat to title favourites, Little Thurrock Dynamoes on Sunday afternoon. The visitors took 5 minutes to open the scoring due to some sloppy City defending and by half time punished City twice more to go in 3-0 up.

In the second half City came out looking more determined and had they been able to pull one back early on, could have got back into the game.

As it was, Thurrock managed another three by half way through the second period before Alicia Cork pulled one back. Despite Thurrocks lead, the City girls kept on battling till the end conceding only one more before the final whistle.

Chelmsford City: Sara Cherry, Gabby Freedman, Ellie Brown, Hannah Knight, Natasha Boyd, Shannon Matthews, Alicia Cork (c),Nicole Parish, Danielle Beard, Nicola Scott, Tanya Peel

Essex County Girls Football League Under 13 Division A

Chelmsford City opened the season with a fine 7-2 win over Island on Sunday afternoon at their new Marconi Leisure ground.

After only 8 minutes Alicia Cork opened the scoring with a long range shot catching the Island keeper by surprise, followed three minutes later with a second from Danielle Beard.

Island pulled one back, but two goals in quick succession by Hannah Knight put City firmly back in control at 4-1 before a second for Alicia Cork extended their lead still further. Just before half time, Island gave themselves a glimmer of hope when they bagged their second with the first half finishing at 5- 2.

Some great runs by Shannon  Matthews in the second half opened up the Island defence n numerous occasions allowing Nicole Parish and Danielle Beard to seal a great 7-2 victory.

Chelmsford City: Tayla Peel, Gabby Freedman, Ellie Brown, Natasha Boyd, Shannon Matthews, Alicia Cork, Nicole Parish, Danielle Beard, Hannah Knight and Nicola Scott