UNDER 14S LEAGUE CUP RUNNERS UP

Bury's Cup Final day had finally arrived and we were biting at the bit for this one along with Academy Juniors. With a win each against each other in the League and both teams being so closely matched we thought this would be a tight game. Academy Juniors who usually come out at you at 100mph couldn't get going and it was Bury who were doing all the work and it was all in Academy's half. For the first fifteen minutes we were awesome and unleashing on the Academy goal but they were defending well with everyone back to help out. Then out of the blue they break and the ball goes high with with our line stepping out to leave two offside in our opinion. We all waited for the flag but it didn't wave. The Academy player then put it high above our keeper and in the net it was. 1-0 and after we had started so well. We restart and maybe a few heads had gone and after basically another minute or two Academy come straight through our middle and high it goes again and a carbon copy goal it is. 2-0 down with only barely 20 minutes played. This had now lifted Academy and Bury looked there for the taking. We had to get things back running and want it more. After the next couple of shaky minutes we were getting things back together and break through Academy's defence and are one on one with their keeper and just as our striker skins her to put the ball in the net the ref blows up. Was it a foul, was it an injury, was their an incident. Oh no, it was a ball that had entered the field of play down the other end of pitch. Drop ball given with instruction to let the Academy player hit it back down field to our keeper. Enough said on that one. Bury just regrouped and pressed again and then as we broke through the Academy back line once again on goal ,once more a beach ball comes on the field as our striker is pulling the trigger. Yet another dropped ball with the Academy player told to hit it back at our keeper from her own penalty area. Speechless. Half time comes and the players are told get this game won as we are the better team but things just are not going Bury's way and we must change things in the middle to counter the very good Academy midfield who were bossing it in that area. We go three at the back and put Ellie in mid to even things up. With this girl being fearless it instantly changes things for the better and Bury are in charge yet again and by changing one player around this game went on its head and we knew Bury would pull it back and pull it back we did in dramatic fashion as we piled it on and finally we got the reward we deserved and our own new midfield mistro Ellie puts a goal away to the raptures of the crowd of at least 200 people watching this one. Now Academy had to pull it together, but Bury now wanted the glory and our strikers fought for everything and finally we break down Academy's defence yet again with Lizzie putting Bury on level terms with Academy in stunned silence. Bury simply piled it on for the win and with only five minutes left Academy break out and hit a long ball in over the top from the right wing and their striker brings it down. It reminded me of the Maradonna incident of the 1986 world cup finals and the hand of god. Anyway she stuck the ball in the back of the net and 3-2 it was to Academy. In an absolute thriller Academy get the spoils in an epic and that's why we had probably the biggest ever fan turnout for a game of this calibre. Easily the two top teams in the North West.