Sunday saw the first tournament of the season for the U10 girls. With a familiar squad bolstered by a couple of new faces Crostyx travelled the short distance to Saffron Walden hopeful that they wouldn't be overawed by the step up in leagues.

Probably with the youngest squad there this was further highlighted by the promotion of the two eldest U10 to the U12 age group. with Nelly Grogan-Fenn strapping on the pads for the first time the first match was against Blue Hornets.

In truth we never really got going and all the action was with Alice Kilby, India Shepperson, Sunny White and Nelly, in other words our defence! Hornets U10 were one of the strongest sides across both age groups and their organisation, determination and focus set the bar high and one that we must aspire too. Despite the heroics of the defence and the industry of our midfield we conceded five well crafted and good goals which drew applause and admiration from the crowd.

Regrouping we faced Saffron Walden and whilst some other squads might have let their enthusiasm dip not these proud purple clad dynamos. Taking the ball from the start Sophie McKenzie and Anya Pitt listened to the coaches advice and exerted a degree of control in midfield. The defence stung by the previous result looked more organised and resolute and Sunny and Alice never looked like conceding a goal. With Bebe Heyes breaking through and creating chance after chance the crowd wondered if the goal might ever arrive. The contribution of Freya Murphy and Amelie McKenzie with their dogged comittment and determination saw the ball breakthrough to debutant Aimee Bromfield-Brown who calmly stepped through two tackles before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom right hand corner for a well deserved goal. That was enough for Crostyx to hold on to the final whistle.

The last game against Upminster would dictate how the day would be remembered and with some areas to work on highlighted by their coach and a reminder of some of the basics Crostyx ran onto the pitch with a purpose. Changing the formation and team positions Freya led the way by turning defence into attack at every opportunity and when the ball was sent out wide Bebe slid a great cross into the D for Aimee to take past the remaining defender and place home for her second. Crostyx were in full flow now and never let Upminster settle. The sole opposition attack well policed by Nelly and cleared by Sophie. Alice and Anya now become a dominant midfield pair and when the ball broke to India it looked like a certain 2nd goal. As the angle narrowed the ball went agonisingly wide and Crostyx hadn't killed the game off. A minute later they did just this with Amelie causing the defence to make a mistake and goal scorer Aimee picked up the loose ball and turned provider with an unselfish pass for India to grab her goal and put the result beyond doubt.

In summary a fine performance in a higher league which bodes well for the rest of the season. The nice thing about the team is they want to improve and training is a great way to do this. A focus on the basic skills and increased concentration during games will help and will no doubt follow. Special mentions must go to Aimee for her two goal debut and Nelly who donned the pads the day before and showed real promise. It is a vital role for the team and her contribution was much appreciated