Loughborough Town 1st XI 4 - 2 Old Silhillians 1st XI

Loughborough Town 1st XI 4 (1) - (1) 2 Old Silhillians 1st XI

Goalscorers: Mica Cortes x 2

Sils, with 16 players from the 1st and 2nd team squad unavailable for different reasons, travelled to the University, determined not to let the opposition down with a late cry-off. The team also wanted to get some more pitch time ahead of next week's season opener - however, this was always going to be tough, roping in Sophie Williams and a couple of her friends to make up the numbers! Loughborough also lent Sils some players to ensure they had 11 for the first half, and 10 for the second.

Unsurprisingly, the home team took the lead, with Jaz Jenkinson able to make a short-range save initially, but not able to stop the rebound from being hammered in from close range. However, this galvanised the Sils team, and they began to take the play to the opposition. Mica Cortes, on her debut, was causing issues with her accurate and long range aerials, and kept the team going forwards. They soon won a couple of PCs, and from the second of these, the ball get transferred across the top of the D to Cortes, who flicked the ball forcefully into the top corner - we're not sure the keeper even saw it!

The remainder of the half was even, with Town creating chances, but Jess Cox, Sophie Williams and Cortes supporting Jaz in goal well, whilst at the other end, Katie and Kate (Sophie's Uni friends) were combining with Frankie Levey to create chances of their own.

With Williams stopping at 1/2 time, the Sils went down to ten players - though you would have been forgiven in thinking it was the home team that were short on numbers, as the tireless work rate of Imogen Pemble and Claire Wright in midfield was making Town know they were in a game. The home team took the lead through a very well worked move shortly into the second half, making the most of their extra player, but Sils came back into it, and Cortes got her second to tie the game up.

With 10 minutes to go, the Sils legs were flagging, and the extra legs that the home team had eventually told - the sterling efforts of Cox and Cortes as a two player defence finally being outnumbered, and Town were able to score twice to take a deserved 4-2 win. However, excellent performances all round by the Sils, and they will have more confidence going into next week's league match, hopefully with a lot of the missing players now available!