Strong Sils end Nun-beaten run

A fast-paced game of 3 x 10 minute periods saw Sils take the spoils thanks to some great defensive marking, tenacious midfield play, and excellent finishing

Period 1 : Sils took this session 2-0. After a slow start in the frosty and sandy conditions, Sils took a deserved lead. Annah fired home from close range after some great build-up play from Libby (King) & Lottie. Although Nuneaton tried to respond they could not find a way past the impressive Emily & Libby (Reid). Quick to take advantage on the counter-attack, Dominic pushed a 16 through to Matthew, who interchanged with Marissa & Annah before doubling Sils' lead. 2-0 @ the break.

Period 2 : Sils spent most of this time on the defensive. They were helped by some solid defending from Henry, who put in several well-timed tackles (where did he learn that from, Ed?) and gritty tackling in midfield from Marissa, Lottie, Annah & the two Libbys.
Although Emily & Dominic defended stoutly, managing half a dozen clearances between them, Nuneaton halved the deficit when they squeezed the ball into the Sils net from a tight angle, 2-1 @ the break.

Period 3 :As I chewed what was left of my fingernails, Libby King was substituted with a hand injury, meaning that a defensive reshuffle was needed.As Henry, Dominic & Emily kept Nuneaton at bay with some excellent tackles and a couple of sublime clearances, Sils pushed on for another goal. It came courtesy of a wonderful counter-attack that involved Marissa, Lottie, Annah & Libby Reid. As Sils pushed into the D, a dramatic series of shots resulted in Matthew pushing the ball past the Nuneaton defence into the net.FT 3-1

As I promised the squad, here are the OPTA scores :

Emily - 8 -an assured defender,confident pushing forwards. One to watch.
Henry - 8 - developed well this season.put in some decisive tackles.Well done,
Dominic - 8 - confident defender, a reliable last line of defence, #teachdaddyplease
Libby K aka the Libster - 8 - capable in defence or midfield. Took a nasty knock but played on. Will do very well.
Libby R - 8 - comfortable in several positions and helped set up several chances from midfield. Full of running.
Matthew - 9 - covered a lot of ground and took both of his goals well. Needs to tell his Dad that 2 goals is "jug avoidance" so we all expect free orange juice at the next match ! MOM, well done.
Annah - 8 - recovered from a knock to the hand to finish the game.Scored a good goal and supported midfield well. Has potential.
Marissa - 8 - a really promising player who fits into the team well, whether in midfield or defence. Tactically astute for her age.
Lottie - 8 - great performance from a player with good potential.