Haslingden Panthers Vs Halingden Sharks

The sun was shining and excitement building for the first day of the season back for the girls with new managers and a new team. The Under 10s now have two teams (unofficially called the Panthers and the Sharks) and their opening game was against each other. The Panthers are made up of girls who have played for Haslingden in the under 9s last season and the Sharks are made up of new players brought in last season and over the summer.

At the start Lyla Cullen went in goal with Gabby Rosthorn and Ana Crofts-Berry in defence, Alannah Pollard and Missi Harvey in midfield, and Ocean Flanaghan and Hannah Derbyshire upfront. Poppy Millard, Gracie Wilson, Fern Ashworth, Meisha Gamble and Holly Taylor started as subs.

The Sharks didn’t display any traits of a newly formed team from the start and it was great even game. After Millard and Gamble came on for the Panthers, the girls put some great passes together and a great run of play from Millard through to Pollard resulted in their first goal from Gamble on 18 minutes.

The Panthers had some great runs of play with strong support in midfield from Harvey (who came close to scoring) and, as ever, great defending from Rosthorn and Crofts-Berry. Haslingden Panthers continued to push on and forced a great save from the Sharks’ goal keeper on 24 minutes. Following Ashworth joining the game, the girls continued, when she scored a well-deserved goal on 24 minutes taking the score to 2-0 just before the break.

The second half started in the same way as the first with the Sharks defending really well and creating a few chances to score. It didn’t take the Panthers long to score their third goal of the game when Ashworth bagged her second on 29 minutes. Wilson and Taylor also displayed some great play to support the girls upfront showing that this really was a team display.

The Sharks grew in to the game and Cullen had to make a great save on 32 minutes keeping the score at 3-0. As the game continued, the Panthers found their feet after the summer break and Derbyshire scored on 20 minutes with Flanaghan not far behind on 41 minutes bringing the score to 5-0.

A great start to the season for the Panthers and some really good experience for the Sharks who will go on to grow in to a great team in the way the Panthers did last season. Well done girls and well done Haslingden (all of you)!

Haslingden Panthers Haslingden Sharks
Gamble (18)
Ashworth (24, 29)
Derbyshire (40)
Ocean (41)