On a bright autumn morning, the Pumas took on a good, stubborn Doveridge team in a brilliant match for the neutrals.

The game started quickly and the Pumas set about trying to get an early lead with Bella testing the keeper from range. The girls were playing some brilliant football at times and passing it around trying to create openings. Sophie who was tirelessly busy upfront was causing the Doveridge defence issues creating spaces for Erin, Enya and Amaya who was making her first start for the club. The midfield of Bella, Dela, Marcie, Enya and Poppy were winning their duals all over the park and restricting Doveridge to shots from distance with Lily not having too much to do as Ivy, Umayyah, Tayla and Poppy were providing her with a good barrier.

The girls continued to push for the opener and just felt it was a case of when not if, as Marcie had a burst into the box winning a corner which Bella took and caused issues before the Doveridge defence cleared the ball. Then Bella had a good run taking on two defenders but her shot was deflected wide. The girls were getting into good positions but sadly unable to capitalise on them.

Into the second half and more one way traffic for the Pumas as they were pushing for the opener. Sophie had a great chance when she took her first touch to get away from the defender, but her shot narrowly went wide. Then Enya was unlucky when she saw her effort saved. Amaya was next to have a go, as she took a good first touch and got a quick shot away but again the Doveridge keeper was equal to it. Erin was then next up to try her luck but again there was no way past the keeper.

As the game began to be more stretched and Doveridge were building more attacks, Tayla made a great challenge to stop an attack. Then Umayyah was on hand to snuff out danger from a fast attack down the wing. Poppy then made a great interception to stop what would have been a clear break away. Dela and Bella also doing their defensive work tracked back to stop some attacks. Then it was Ivy's turn to provide a timely block in the box.

Bella then tried to take the game into her own hands and as she weaved her way through the midfield, she drifted past 2 midfielders, as the strikers made their moves, this opened up space for Bella. She took on 2 defenders to be one on one with the keeper, frustratingly as she put the keeper down she placed her shot narrowly wide of the post.

That miss seemed to spark a reaction from Doveridge as they started to attack again, with the defence holding strong, with Ivy making a couple more timely interceptions and Poppy along with Umayyah snuffing out danger but as the game was getting more stretched, it lead to a corner for Doveridge. Some confusion as Bella had gone down making a challenge, and as the girls were getting sorted and making sure she was alright, Doveridge took a quick corner and scrambled the ball agonisingly into the bottom corner.

A real knock to the girls as they had been tireless in their efforts but this opened up the game and it became an end to end affair.

Lily who had been a spectator was now coming into her own, making 3 saves, one of which looked destined for the top corner until she managed to get her hands up and make a decisive touch to stop a certain goal.

Late on, Bella had an effort go narrowly wide. Erin again tested the keeper and with the last action of the game, Poppy swung a corner in and as a scramble in the box, the Doveridge defence managed to get the ball clear.

A result that did not do justice to how the girls performed and on another day, they could have scored 3 or 4 but thats football...

Lily was our player of the match for some brilliant saves towards the end of the game.