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Winchcombe Town Ladies 1st v Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 1st February 2026

With fixtures being postponed left, right and centre, we were fortunate to be playing away on a 3G surface, and with pretty reasonable weather for a change. We only had one substitute available for the game, and various players were nursing some minor injuries, so we knew we were going to have to manage energy levels and not aggravate tender ankles, etc… Feel free to look up the definition of foreshadowing at this point.

The first 5 minutes of the game were a bit messy, as is often the case, and it took some time for BLU to settle down and get some control of the ball. Conditions were a lot warmer than anyone expected, so we had one of the earliest substitutions we’ve ever made as Katie began overheating from wearing too many layers. The team got into their stride with a decent spell of possession, and around the 10 minute mark Evie put us on the scoreboard. As the game continued there were some interesting decisions by the referee, and quite a few moments entirely missed because he was looking in the opposite direction. Neither side came off better or worse, but it was causing a fair amount of confusion and raised eyebrows. Mid way through the first half a no fault collision between an attacking player and Izzy aggravated an already tender ankle. She carried on playing for another 5 minutes, but it didn’t ease up so she was forced to come off. While the ice packs were being applied, everyone was in our 18 yard box defending with the ball mostly up in the air, and an unlucky mistimed header sent the ball the wrong way and gave Winchcombe the opportunity to equalise.

At half time we regrouped and counted the number of injuries, ice packs being handed out like sweets. Izzy’s ankle was still bad, and it looked like we were going to have to play the rest of the game without any substitutes, while Winchcombe had a full squad to work with.

The second half got underway and it was looking good for BLU. We were passing the ball around well, and often managing to stay in possession following some seemingly impossible 3 on 1 situations, but unfortunately for us it was Winchcombe that scored first. The game progressed in waves of good spells and less good, while the referee continued to confound everyone. Our midfield and forward players kept pushing through the wall of black and white shirts, giving us opportunities to score, but it was the final quarter that was troubling us. As the clock ticked down to the last 10 minutes, Katie got caught in a crunching collision and took a painful boot to the thigh. The last of the ice packs came out, and Izzy, with still very sore ankle, came back on to give us a fighting chance. So it was down to the dying minutes, and we had a set piece inside the Winchcombe half. Tia came out and pushed everyone up, and with almost every player inside the box it was difficult to tell where the ball was, until suddenly Izzy leapt through the crowd like a Valkyrie swooping down from the air, and caught the ball with perfect timing, sending it straight to the back of the net.

The game ended 2-2, with everyone looking absolutely exhausted (both teams), a real game of attrition. Player of the Match was Liv, who at one point had 4 players trying to tackle her at the same time and still came away with the ball at her feet. There were a few magic moments, but the trophy had to go to Izzy for that wonder goal at the end!

Abbeymead Rovers Ladies First v Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 18th January 2026

The second trip to Abbeydale in as many weekends, and this time we had no wind, but we did get the rain. A sticky and bobbly pitch gave both teams a tough workout, and with only one substitute on the bench we knew we were going to have to manage the fatigue towards the latter stages of the game.

A bright start for both teams, with good movement on the ball and some solid defending. Retaining possession was tricky on the rough and sticky surface, so the direction of play was switching continually. For a while we were struggling to get out of our half, and at the 13 minute mark Abbeymead opened up the score-line. This was looking like familiar territory. The back four were working hard to shut down attacks, and despite football being a contact sport, Lilly was shown a yellow card for muscling a player off the ball. Nobody really understood why the ref chose to show a card for what was basically robust jostling, and even the opposition coach said it was too harsh. There were a few more interesting decisions by the referee through the rest of the first half, most of which seemed to go against us, but that’s just football. As the half continued BLU looked stronger and more confident on the ball, but we weren’t able to get the equaliser, so in a carbon copy of the previous week we ended the half a goal down.

We had a solid start to the second half, controlling play at times but also dealing with counter attacks confidently. Both teams were playing hard, and with the amount of mud on the pitch it might have looked more like a rugby game to the casual observer. At one point Abbeymead made a strong attack down the right hand side, Connie chasing down at breakneck speed put in a perfectly timed last-ditch sliding tackle, and carried on sliding into the middle of the next week. BLU had several good opportunities which didn’t quite find the net, one of which sent across the face of the goal towards the bottom left corner was only just kept out by the keeper’s toe, and then finally Evie managed to score the equaliser. As the second half continued the fatigue increased. At times play because scrappy, and as with the previous week there were one or two long stoppages. There were a few more opportunities at both ends, but neither team could break the deadlock and as the light faded the final whistle came with the scores at 1-1.

BLU and Abbeymead are evenly matched which makes for really competitive games, so taking a point from this one was a decent outcome. We look forward to hosting them at Coombe Dingle in March. Player of the Match was awarded to Imy for making a habit of getting herself in the right place at the right time throughout the game, and the Magic Moment was Connie’s super sliding tackle. A big welcome back to Grace, who made her season debut and hopefully not her last game this year!

Abbeymead Rovers Ladies First v Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 11th January 2026

A tricky cup game in absolutely awful conditions, with the freezing wind howling down the pitch diagonally, which meant 80% of the play was on the opposite side of the pitch to the technical area, and wind advantage to the team playing right to left. We struggled to get out of our half at first and Abbeymead scored at the 10 minute mark. About 15 minutes in we were finding our form again when catastrophe struck and Molly’s ankle injury reappeared, putting her out for the rest of the game. Over the next 30 minutes the match was more even as we repeatedly broke out of our half and got into good positions, but getting a good cross in from the left was difficult. Defensively we were on good form, with the 2 fullbacks comfortably dealing with attacks down the wings, and the formidable duo of Lilly and Connie muscling players off the ball down the centre.

We went into half-time 1-0 down, and pretty fatigued from the relentless wind, but with the knowledge that we’d have the wind advantage in the second half. As the game restarted we looked stronger, and Annabelle got in several lightning attacks through the centre, but Abbeymead were very strong in defence, and their goal keeper – despite being injured – kept making somewhat miraculous saves. Eventually the goal came from the right hand side courtesy of Izzy, and we were back in contention. There was a lot of stop-start during the half as Abbeymead dealt with various cramps and injuries, so the momentum kept getting sucked out of the game. Despite our best efforts we just couldn’t get the second goal, and inevitably the full-time whistle blew with the scores at 1-1, which meant another cup game ending in penalties.

The wind continued to batter us and the light was fading quickly, and after 5 penalties each we were still square. Sudden death didn’t help matters… for a while there was a worry that the fading light might prevent us from finishing, but in the end it was Abbeymead who managed to split the scores on their ninth, ending penalties at 4-3.

So that’s our run in the league cup at an end, but we’re still in the county cup. We’re back at Abbeymead in a week, so we’ll flex our muscles and hopefully secure some more points in the league.

Player of the Match: Lilly, who looked like she was thoroughly enjoying pushing players off the ball around the 18yd box. Izzy takes the Magic Moment award for that goal.

AEK Boco Ladies Dev vs Bristol Ladies Union 1st, 21st December 2025.

All good things must come to an end eventually, and on our last game of the year that’s what happened to our season unbeaten record. Not the Christmas gift any of us would have wanted.

Boco’s home ground was unplayable, so we were moved to their backup ground at Fisher Road. The changing rooms were so far from the pitch that there was little point in using them, and the pitch was about as good as can be expected after the weeks of rain we’ve had, which is not very. Playable, but sticky and bobbly as hell. We started the game playing up the slope, which was made even more difficult by the state of the ground, and within 90 seconds we’d conceded a goal. Boco had a pretty straightforward set of tactics: play high, put the ball in behind and get through on goal, and they could do that with impressive speed. Off the ball they were giving no room for passing, and consequently we just couldn’t hang on to the ball. Boco got another two goals in the first half, one from a well played corner and the other from a lucky interception on the edge of the 18 yard box.

At half time the mood was still fairly positive. We’ve been in this situation before and come back from it, so with the slope to our advantage we still had a chance. Substitutions were going to be the problem though, with only 3 on the bench, Izzy still recovering from the flu, and Lila struggling with a knee injury.

The second half started better, but it was clear that Boco weren’t going to run out of steam. We made good ground every time we got the ball to the wings, but struggled to finish against Boco’s very strong defence. We shipped another two goals, then Rosa managed to get a clean shot on goal and put BLU on the scoresheet, but with only 10-15 minutes remaining there was no chance we’d be able to come back in any meaningful way.

At the final whistle it was 6-1 to Boco. A comprehensive defeat from a very strong team, so there was no shame in losing. BLU fought well and everyone put in maximum effort, but it just wasn’t our day. BLU’s Player of the Match was Rosa for her relentless energy, and the Magic Moment went to Lydia for a full 30 seconds of dazzling footwork in Boco’s 18yd box. Honourable mention to Lilia for her acrobatic near-cartwheel over the keeper!

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v Kingswood Women 1st, 14th December 2025

Another day on our home ground, but this time on the artificial surface which often proves to be an Achilles heel for BLU. Not this time though. A strong breeze running across the pitch meant that the ball wound up in the dugouts more often than usual, so there were dozens of throw-ins before we’d hit the 5 minute mark. It started positively though as BLU moved the ball around quickly, mounting attack after attack. 10 minutes in, Molly got herself in a great position in the right side of the 18 yard box, and spotted Sarah coming in from the left. The cross landed at Sarah’s feet, but the goalkeeper had read it and was closing the gap, only to find herself nutmegged. First goal to BLU.

Kingswood responded quickly, and put in a couple of attacks at our end, and it looked like we had it under control until the ball caught a loose arm inside the box. The ref pointed to the spot… sort of, it wasn’t altogether clear for a good 10 seconds. What’s got two thumbs and has one of the best penalty saving records in the South West? That would be Tia, who made short work of keeping the ball out. Not long later Tia found herself making another big save, but this time it was followed by another Kingswood player and they got their first goal. Back down the other end BLU were pushing forward when Molly was caught and went down heavily, badly twisting her ankle. It was clear that no amount of Magic Spray was going to fix it, and Molly’s game was over for the day. While I was trying to get Molly comfortable and administering ice packs, Lila took the direct free kick and found the target!

A (very) brief warm up in the changing room during half time, and then we were back out on the pitch. The second half was more of the same. Good levels of possession, and some great movement around the pitch. Sophie was making an absolute nuisance of herself on the right wing, which had her opposite number getting more and more frustrated as the game went on. Jas was a continual blur of speed as usual, and at the front Amber had her shooting boots on and got herself her first BLU goal of the season in her first BLU match of the season. A few more changes of personnel followed. Sophie got herself a well earned break, which probably would have been a relief for Kingswood’s player at left back, only to then find Lilia dancing around her with just as much energy. Sarah was back on for the last quarter and made it count with another goal, threading it through from the right hand side into the bottom left with pinpoint accuracy.

The final score was 4-1, and I think both teams were pretty tired at the end of such an energetic match. Player of the Match was Sophie for her absolute authority on the right wing, and the Magic Moment had to be Sarah’s Nutmeg goal! The curse of the Astroturf has been lifted… except for the injuries.

Bristol Ladies Union 1st v Tuffley Rovers Ladies 1st, 30th November 2025

A rather cold and windy day at BAWA, with very few clouds to block out the low sun. Fortunately we started the game with the sun and wind behind us, which gave us a small first half advantage, but we knew we’d be facing into it come the second half.

Both teams started the game at full speed, and Tuffley have a couple of players up front who really are fast. So do we though, and once Annabelle had the ball at her feet and found a bit of space she was off like a rocket, so it was that 8 minutes into the game she got us our first goal. The whole team were having to work for it though. There was not a position on the pitch where anyone could sit back and relax. 11 minutes after the first goal, a well worked set up gave Sarah the opportunity to knock the second into the back of the net. Over the next 25 minutes or so we had quite a few good opportunities to score, but they were either collected by Tuffley’s keeper or pulled slightly too wide or high. The BLU defence and Tia had their share of work to do too, and the look of relief from Katie when she was given a break probably give Lilia something to worry about as she came on.

At half time we knew the next 45 minutes would be into the wind and into the much lower, and unfortunately not-obscured-by-clouds sun, so not the time to get complacent. The second half started a bit scrappier than the first. Players were being pulled out of position as Tuffley picked up their energy levels, and possession changed sides a bit too quickly. Meanwhile on the sidelines the substitutes and spectators huddled deeper into their coats as the temperature dropped. Both teams had some goal scoring opportunities, neither could capitalise. Then suddenly Tuffley won a penalty due to a stray arm inside the box, and at the exact same time the sun appeared again from behind a cloud. Tia was going to have to face down a spot kick with the sun in her eyes…

…and face it down she did. It was a good penalty, but Tia went the right way and got a strong hand to the ball. The last few minutes were still being played at pace, and another last minute attempt by Tuffley was miraculously blocked inside the 18 yard box by Isobelle, who seemed to come flying out of nowhere.

At the final whistle the score was 2-0, and despite the loss Tuffley Rovers were smiling and friendly. I did find out that one of their strongest players managed to get through the match with a broken toe!

Isobelle won the Magic Moment trophy for that crucial block at the end, and the Player of the Match went to Amelie for her apparently limitless tenacity.

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.