First Team

Andoversford Women v Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 9th November 2025 (Sue Henson-Green Cup)

Sometimes football can be messy and graceless, but if the end result is good then… well, a win is a win! Sunday was one of those days. Maybe it’s the slopy pitch at Andoversford, or maybe it’s the fact that the temperature up on the Cotswold hills is a few degrees lower than just about everywhere else, or perhaps it was just because BLU had played their socks off last week and were still recovering. Whatever the reason, we started the game on the back foot. The shape was a bit out of kilter, and within minutes we’d conceded a goal. Andoversford were playing the ball over the top with the wind at their backs, and it was working for them. As coaches Martha and I scrambled to get instructions out across the pitch, reluctant to make any substitutions so early on in the game before players had a chance to get settled in, but when we shipped another goal it was obvious that we had to make one or two changes, using a couple of substitutes to get instructions spread around the team. Things began to turn around and our gameplay became more organised. It took time, and we had a few opportunities that didn’t pay off, but finally we got our first goal, scored by Annabelle in the last 5 minutes of the half.

In the second half there was a lot of 4D chess going on from the technical area as we tried to figure out how to rotate subs, while on the pitch the team had settled into a better rhythm. The back four were still having to work hard to shut down the counter attacks, but other than a few nail-biting moments, the defense stayed strong and handled it well. Mid way through the second half Annabelle scored again and it was all level. Towards the end of the half it was evident that we were probably going to end up with another penalty shoot out, and that meant the usual scramble to get willing penalty takers onto the pitch before the 90 minutes was up.

So second cup match, second penalty shoot out. The first shot from both teams scored zero, but then BLU started hitting the back of the net. Andoversford didn’t score, and as the third BLU penalty went in there was a small celebration from the sidelines, followed a few long seconds later by a larger celebration when everyone finally caught up with the maths!

It wasn’t a pretty game, but as I said: A win is a win, and we’ll take it. Player of the Match was awarded to Evie for a solid and consistent performance, and the Magic Moment trophy went to Tia for keeping out every penalty.

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v Bishops Cleeve Ladies Dev, 2nd November 2025

Another home game, and another home win for BLU, this time against top of the table – and up that point unbeaten – Bishops Cleeve. In a match that racked up 12 goals between the two teams you’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a game full of defensive mistakes and easy shooting opportunities, but that was far from the case. The first half was a fast paced whirlwind, with quick changes of direction as possession passed from one team to the other. Nobody on either side had a moment to slow down and take a breather. Bishops Cleeve have a strong, creative midfielder who is very good at opening up play for her team, so it was clear that we’d have to keep her covered and force them to use other routes through the pitch, and in that I think we were very effective.

BLU goals in the first half came from Evie, then Molly put in two, and then we unleashed our “Goal Scoring Machine” (I’m not sure who coined that moniker but it was certainly apposite on the day), Annabelle, who also put in two. Quick confession here: I can’t remember if the score at half time was 5-2 or 5-3… somebody will correct me.

Going into the second half we knew that Bishops Cleeve would change their strategy, and that meant the first 5-10 minutes would be about figuring out what had changed and how to react. Things were a bit chaotic during that time and we lost some of our momentum, shipping a goal in the process. But soon we were back up to speed and the Goal Scoring Machine™ was back in action! Frustrations got the better of people when Jas caught one of their players in a late tackle, for which she earned a yellow card, but mostly the game was good natured. Bishops Cleeve dropped one of their central defenders to a much deeper position, but Annabelle still managed to get through on goal. At the other end they made several breaks on goal, and Isobelle was forced to sprint hard and put in last second tackles to avoid disaster. Tia also had plenty of work to do during the game, making some great saves in crucial moments.

The game finished 8-4. A goal bonanza, with Annabelle scoring a whopping 5 and earning herself the Player of the Match trophy. The Magic Moment trophy was awarded to Jas for that tackle, and for standing her ground when their player threatened to lamp her. To be honest, we needed 16 PotM trophies on Sunday. All in all it was a pretty good day at the office.

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v Winchcombe Town Ladies 1st, 26th October 2025

Another home game, this time in near perfect conditions. It was a little cold, but mercifully the heating was on in the changing rooms, so smiles all round. Winchcombe had been struggling to fill their team for the match due to injuries and illness, but managed to get a couple of match-day signings so that they could play, albeit with a 10 player team. As is often the case though, a short-handed team will play some of their best football, and Winchcombe were definitely not going to make it easy for us.

Over the last few games we’ve settled into a formation that really seems to work for us, and on Sunday we hit our stride pretty quickly. We played a strong possession game, finding gaps through the midfield and working well to win back the ball when we lost it. Sarah opened the score-line in the first half, and then goals seemed to come about 10 minutes apart, with both Lila and Evie-Jean getting their names on the score sheet.

A quick thaw-out in the heated changing room at half-time, and a team talk from Martha and I which went along the lines of: keep doing what you’re doing. The referee commented that he had yet to award a free kick (other than a couple of offsides, which don’t really count).

The second half was a bit different, with Winchcombe shifting their positions around the pitch every few minutes, giving Martha a difficult task of trying to figure out what formation they were playing at any given moment. Openings were few and far between until Lila – from outside the 18 yard box – spotted the keeper out of position and put in a looping shot over everybody’s heads and into the back of the net. The fifth and sixth goal for BLU came from Evie and Rosa, and at the final whistle the score was 6-0.

Throughout the game Winchcombe had a few moments where they looked like scoring, and credit to our back 4 and Tia for staying calm under pressure, and confidently winning the ball back when it mattered. A few comedy moments of note: Evie-Jean weaving her way around the keeper right by the post, only for the ball to gently trickle over the line to the right of the goal. Then Connie gearing up for a big throw into the box and then pulling out at the last second, somehow managing to catch it just as it slipped from her hands.

Player of the Match was awarded to Connie for her unflappable defending and link-up with the midfield players, and the Magic Moment trophy went to Hollie for her tenacious battling to regain possession from one of Winchcombe’s strongest players, winning the ball and then adding insult to injury by nutmegging her.

A well played game against a friendly opposition who, even after defeat, sounded like they were having a party in their changing room! We look forward to the away match with them in February.

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v AEK Boco Ladies Dev, 19th October 2025 (Women’s Challenge Cup)

Everyone was looking forward to a bright, sunny day, and an enjoyable cup match against a friendly opposition. What we got instead was grey skies, constant drizzle turning to rain, and opponents who may have got out of bed on the wrong side.

As the game got started it looked fairly even, although we were having a little trouble through the midfield as the girls tried to get used to the playing formation. A little tweak soon sorted that out and we got into our stride. We had some good spells of pressure, and so did they, but it was Boco who opened the score-line. As we kept our heads down and got on with our game, the ref repeatedly had to deal with incidents both on and off the pitch.

So we went into half-time down by one goal, but after our last match against Kingswood we definitely weren’t phased. The principle aim for the second half was to carry on with our plan, keep cool heads, and let the referee deal with any issues. Less than 3 minutes into the first half we had our equaliser, courtesy of Lila. In fact the next 20 minutes of the match were a showcase of excellent possession skills by BLU, as girls really found their rhythm.

Now, I’ll level with you… the timeline all gets a bit blurry around here because so many things were happening. Boco were shown a yellow for a sin bin offence, so we had a period of a 1 player advantage. Free kicks were awarded both ways. Another yellow was produced. There were a few late tackles from both teams. Words were exchanged. Basically the match was stop-start all the way up to the final whistle, and during the last few minutes we were quickly making changes to get some penalty takers onto the pitch.

So it was all down to penalties, and that was a whole feature-length drama itself. Evie put in the first, then Lila stepped up. Some say the sky’s the limit, but maybe not with penalties, and as Lila’s attempt flew over the bar she turned round and started walking back to the half way line, only to be called back by the referee. Boco’s keeper had come off her line, and we had another chance. Lila took a run up and hoofed the ball almost into near-Earth orbit! She turned around and began walking, but was called back for a third attempt. The keeper had been off her line again. 3rd time’s the charm, and Boco were understandably upset about it all.

In the end BLU won on penalties, and as we all walked off the pitch the drama was still playing out behind us. Magic Moment was awarded to Tia for having to face down 8 penalties, making at least one save. The Player of the Match was Scarlett for her excellent performance.

We move onto the second round.

Kingswood Women 1st v Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 5th October 2025.

Another away game in Gloucestershire for BLU, this time playing at Kingswood. Storm Amy was on it’s way out, but the wind was still blowing strongly down the field, providing a decent advantage to the team who had their backs to it. Unfortunately that team wasn’t BLU, and Kingswood managed to capitalise on that advantage pretty quickly. Goals started coming in very early, a couple of which where we were somewhat unlucky, and one that barely made it across the line as Tia’s outstretched fingertips scooped the ball away, and if we’d had goal line technology then perhaps the score might have been different. By the 20th minute we were 4-0 down and clearly we had to do something different. Credit to the team here. Despite being down 4 goals in such a short time, nobody had their heads down, and the overall attitude was that we had to get on with the business of levelling the score.

A change of shape and tactics (thanks to Martha) turned the game around almost immediately, and from battling inside our own half we were quickly putting pressure on their defenders. It wasn’t long before Jas scored our first goal, and Kingswood were rattled. Another goal from Evie-J came soon after, and tempers were on the rise. Another attack from BLU and a bit of confusion in their 6 yard box led to an own goal, leaving their keeper upset and a lot of tension both on and off the pitch, with the referee having to intervene on several occasions.

At half time we were one goal away from levelling the score, and we knew we’d have that wind advantage for the rest of the game. We began the second half as we’d ended the first, but Kingswood
were coming back a bit stronger. As the game continued there were increasing interactions between their players and the ref, and eventually a yellow card was shown. With one of their players in the Sin Bin we had a player advantage, and the fourth goal came from Evie-J, her second of the game.

In the end it was a 4-4 draw, and although I think we could have won it, I think we were all happy to take the point. It had been a boisterous match with some interesting behaviour and one or two heavy challenges. Our Player of the Match was awarded to Lila for her big part in changing the dynamic of play, and the Magic Moment trophy went to Erin to compensate for the monstrous headache she’s likely to be nursing after all of those headers.

That was not an easy one, so well done BLU!

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v Bradley Stoke Ladies 1st, 21st September 2025

The weather cleared up for an afternoon of sunshine and blue skies at Coombe Dingle, where BLU took on Bradley Stoke Ladies 1st. We started off with a good spell of pressure, and for the first 20 minutes we managed to keep Bradley Stoke away from our 18 yard box. Our midfield worked well to get the ball forward time and time again, while the opposition’s deep defending was effective at keeping us from getting shots on target. Several times we manged to break through the defence, only to find a goalkeeper with sharp instincts who was not afraid to charge out to the edge of the box and close down the attack.

The second half was more of the same with stretches of dominance, and spells where we were put under pressure. Both teams had chances in front of the goal, but neither were able to capitalise. In the end the game finished nil-nil, and although it was disappointing not to get a win, I would say it was a fair result against an equal strength team. They had a couple of fast attacking forwards, but our defence stayed calm under pressure and handled them fairly comfortably.

Some excellent performances all around the pitch, with our Player of the Match trophy going to Isobelle for such a strong and instinctive performance at Centre Back. The Magic Moment trophy was awarded to Jasmine for somehow managing to spend 75 minutes at full speed being the football equivalent of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

It was the first match of the new season, in unseasonably wet and cold weather. In fact wet doesn’t even begin to describe the downpour that kept all subs, parents and friends practically disappearing inside Dry Robes or cowering under their large brollies. But none of that mattered because the important thing was the scoreline. Things started off well with a decent spell of possession for BLU, and soon we were up one goal thanks to a determined effort by Sarah, with the second goal coming later in the first half, scored by Molly. I think we had a reasonable control of the game in the first half, but Tia and the defenders had some work to do back in our goal. Andoversford were awarded a direct free kick, which somehow made it through the wall, but not through the fingers of Tia. By the end of the first half the rain was starting to make a nuisance of itself.

The second half began with a lot more pressure from Andoversford, and for 15 minutes we were struggling to get out of our half. Both teams had chances and we were forced to defend a string of corners. Rosa was unlucky to hit the woodwork in a goal attempt that probably would have triggered a VAR check if there were cameras about, and Sydney showed some serious bravery in a 50-50 challenge with the keeper. The game ended Adoversford: 0, BLU: 2.

Some excellent performances from everyone on pitch, and quite the introduction to open age football for our younger squad members. Also we’ve got a few things to work on, most notably our throw-ins. Player of the Match went to Tia for keeping a clean sheet, and our Magic Moment trophy went to Lila for her comedy shin pads!

First game of the season, first win of the season, two very damp but happy coaches. (I did take a photograph of the team but it turned out my camera lens was so wet it was just a big blur… sorry.)