Watchet Vikings Girls scored an impressive 6-3 victory over Middlezoy U12 Girls on a bright, blustery Saturday morning.

The girls were fired up to get back to football off the back of two postponed fixtures. Unfortunately they were one player short, Middlezoy’s manager, Sam Armitage (ex-Watchet U14s manager) kindly lent the Vikings one of his players: Bella in the first, and then Taliha in the second half, so that they could play a full 9-a-side game.

This was the girls’ first ever home game on the Memorial Ground, and it was inspiring for them to be kicking off immediately before the Watchet U15 Girls - the first time two Watchet girls teams played back to back alongside one another.

The first half started well, with Effie Ellwood stretching the line forward and Annabelle Tilley and Bella (Middlezoy’s loanee) discovering just how much width they had on this bigger pitch. Ella Boyles and Ruby Anning battled hard from the off in the centre of the pitch, whilst Lois Jarman Prendergrast, Mia Pipe and Nikkita Glasson held a really strong line throughout the whole half, proficiently interposing themselves in the right places at the right time.

Amber Touchin remained stoic and determined in goal, expertly distributing the ball with some enormous kicks and using her hands well as the Middlezoy poked at scraps in search of some kind of breakthrough.

It was Watchet who struck first as Ella Boyles scored, collecting the ball in the box and cooly slotting under the keeper. Not long afterwards, Armitage’s head was in his hands, as the player that he lent us scored the second, Bella shooting the ball high into the net from a corner.

Watchet made it three as a close-range scramble in the box, pinged and rebounded, VAR was needed on a couple of occasions, but finally Ruby Anning, making her long awaited debut in 2023, grabbed her first goal of the season. Middlezoy were able to grab one back before half time, with a well-timed breakaway through Watchet’s line, with Watchet going in at halftime 3-1 up.

The second half started with as much energy and passion as the first, all of the girls getting the ball under control and passing with composure, special mentions to Annabelle Tilley and Ruby Anning.

A couple of great saves from Amber Touchin kept the game always in Watchet’s control. The few times she was called upon, she always closed down her onrushing opponent expertly and smothered the ball up in her hands. As the game went on Watchet looked more and more comfortable with the Vikings dominating the middle of the park, brilliant passing and defending by Mia Pipe and Ruby Anning and linking with Ella Boyles brilliantly dribbling or passing through Middlezoy each time she got the ball.

Ella hit the bar from distance and then scored not one, but two more goals, securing her second hat-trick of the year.

Effie Ellwood wrapped up Watchet’s fortune with a close range finish, for her first goal of 2023, making the game 6-1 with 10 minutes left.

As the game was closing out, Watchet’s manager switched much of the team into different positions to give them some experience. Naturally this destabilised the Vikings a little bit and Middlezoy deservingly grabbed two late consolation goals to take the final score to 6-3.

Goals: Ella Boyles (3), Ruby Anning, Effie Ellwood, Bella [Middlezoy loanee]

Watchet Vikings are recruiting. If you are a girl in Year 5 or Year 6 and want to join the team, contact coach Jack on 07939 850114.