The Dragons turned up to Newmarket on a sunny but chilly morning, with our primary aim being to score as many goals as we could to try and put us in a stronger position compared to the other teams in the league. The starting whistle blew, and the Dragons were off, immediately setting the tone of the game. Determined for an early goal, Norah Brill swiftly carried the ball down the pitch, and did a fabulous hit that the goalkeeper unfortunately saved, but nimble Flo Dexter was in just the right place to receive the re-bound and slide the ball past the goal keeper within the first 4 minutes of the game. With strong upfront players Alessia Russo and Keira Maxey putting pressure on the opposition, A. Russo managed to make a great interception and took the ball to goal, putting the Dragons up 2-0 within 10 minutes of the match. 2 minutes had passed and Libby Moore was dribbling the ball down the left side of the pitch, with the ball just out of reach from her opponent, and Annabel Armitage was in the perfect position to receive the ball from Moore and tap the ball into the goal. Frustration was building within the Newmarket team, and they were desperate to score a goal. One player made a breakthrough and dashed towards the Dragons’ defending D, but Eliana Russo was fully prepared and did a brilliant slide tackle, preventing the opposition from getting anywhere near our goal, along with our mighty defenders Caroline Geddes, Nadine Curtis and Josie Criddle. Shield players Brill and Carol Murray were doing an excellent job at supporting our attacking players, and during the first half, both had numerous runs down the pitch to enable the Dragons to have many scoring opportunities. Brill’s deft skills resulted in another assist for A. Russo’s second goal of the match. Nearing the end of the first half, top diamond Becky Warters was not going to let the opportunity to score a goal pass her by, and shot the ball into the back of the goal with precision and force. At half time, the Dragons were 5-0 up, and they regrouped and reenergised with some Harry Hippo sweets and Jelly Babies, with their minds set on doubling the score during the second half. Once the second half began, Dexter took the ball and carried it down the right channel of the pitch, dodging multiple players, and with Warters in the D to finish the job, the Dragons’ sixth goal of the match had been scored. Maxey and Moore continued to have many runs down the wings of the pitch, but Newmarket were persistent in not letting the Dragons through. They fought back, but with Geddes, Curtis and Criddle in defence, Newmarket had no hope of getting past them. Geddes and Criddle were constantly blocking the path for any opponent trying to run down the wings and they always successfully managed to regain possession whenever Newmarket had a breakthrough. Curtis played the vital position of being our central pivot, and always ensured that the ball would get back to Moore, Dexter and Maxey to create more attacking opportunities. Resilient Murray was continuously supporting the attacking players and providing a brilliant shield which allowed the ball to always stay in our attacking D. The Dragons were determined to create a larger goal difference, and swift Armitage scored 2 goals within 2 minutes of each other, causing her to get a hat-trick. Shortly after, speedy Moore did a magnificent drive down the left channel, and was able to eliminate all of her opponents by dodging around them, and once she entered the D, she gave the goal keeper no time to react and hit the ball in the back corner and scored a fantastic goal. With the score now being 9-0, the Dragons had their minds set on a double digit figure. Dexter and Maxey had many runs down the line, and on one occasion, Maxey expertly dribbled the ball and luckily hit it on an opponent’s foot in the D. This was a crucial moment in the game as it meant the Dragons had won a short corner, giving them the ultimate opportunity to score a 10th goal. On the first attempt, Warters hit the ball with great power but an opponent was in the way and it hit her foot. The Dragons had a second opportunity, and Moore injected the ball to Brill, who then hit the ball with such force and might that there was no chance the goal keeper was going to stop it, and it glided into the back corner of the goal. With spirits high as ever, Moore knew just how to finish off a marvellous match with another amazing run down the pitch and ending with her signature ‘sling-shot’ goal! The Dragons finished their match with an outstanding score of 11-0 and were overjoyed with their double digit score. Well done to everyone, who played so strongly and fiercely, and Player of the Match went to Flo Dexter for her consistent play and brilliant attacking throughout the game.