Year 5 & 6 Girls' Football

Saturday 11th January

The day had finally come! The Girls Football Team’s success had been recognised by Mansfield Town Football Club and they had invited the girls to come to the home fixture against Forest Green. The girls were not only invited to watch, but also to be flag bearers and play on the pitch at half time! We had been excited for a long time and it was finally time!

The girls arrived in good spirits and in their football kits. All smiles and looking great, representing their school brilliantly. We took our seats and soaked up the atmosphere. We were sat in front of the away team’s warm up which provided us with some entertainment. The players returned to the dressing room and then the girls were called up to get their flags. We were led onto the pitch and went around the stadium waving their flags and pumping up the atmosphere. The girls got a massive round of applause from the crowd when they were walking around and even had an announcement infront of nearly 4000 fans.

Even though, the result finished 4-3 to the opposition it was an entertaining game! It was an enjoyable experience. We would like to thank Mansfield Town Football club for the opportunity as it was brilliant!

Wednesday 16th October

The Girls Football team attended their first competition of the season and what a start to the season it was!

The girls played a total of 4 matches and won them all! They did not concede one goal in all of the competition. That is great determination. 

The girls played amazing, especially when most of them were experiencing their first football match. They played as a team and smiled the whole way through. They were excited and appreciated every second they played. 

They won their games comfortably by a number of goals. The girls glowed with confidence.

They won the tournament and earned themselves gold medals! They will now represent the area in a county final! Good luck girls and well done.

A massive thank you to Mr Nunn who has been coaching the girls and attended today to support them. 

Friday 8^th March

It was the start of the second half of the season and the girls faced Farnsfield St-Michaels. Last time around it ended in a draw which was very tense and dramatic. This one was another entertainer but with a different scoreline!

The whistle blew and the girls were straight at it making tackles and going for goals! Farnsfield were just the same. Both defences were tested. Ella, who made her debut, had a fantastic start with Lacey in defense to keep Farnsfield out. Michelle showed her usual determination and countered quickly with fantastic support from Eva and Isla J. Eva kept making great tackles and played some fantastic balls to Olivia who chased them down!

Subs were made and shorty after Farnsfield managed to score! We managed to create a couple of chances but Michelle and Eva’s efforts were put wide.

The second half started and we really pushed for that goal. Kyla, who was also making her debut, did not stops running. Making tackles and trying to win possession back for us. She did exactly that and we were able to counter. A great cross from Cerys and Isla J got her shot on goal and it hit the back of the net! 1-1.

Shortly after though, Farnsfield got a second. Maisie was making tackle after tackle and Lacey was even heading the ball clear! Isla P was again tested in goal but she pulled off a magnificent save. Cerys, Michelle, Eva and Kyla linked up well to attack and were threatening. A shot was blocked but by a Farnsfield hand! Penalty. Maisie took the responsibility and hit it right in corner to make it 2-2.

There wasn’t much time left and both teams were going for the win. We had some great chances but couldn’t get the goal. Farnsfield hit us on the counter and got their third! However, we did not give it up. Minutes to go, we kept attacking and a great cross was put in the box to find an unmarked Cerys who hit it wide!! It missed by a whisker. Unlucky.

After the goal kick the final whistle blew. Farnsfield took the 3 points. However, the girls gave everything and they came off with huge smiles on their faces even though the weather was horrible!

The girls were happy and are looking forward to their next fixture, which is a cup fixture in the knockout stages! There must be a winner!

Friday 19^th October 2018

The girls had their 2^nd game of the Dukeries league today and they were against King Edwin. It was another tense but entertaining game!

The girls started well by putting their tackles in to win possession. Lacey was in defense with Maisie and they were tested early but made some great interceptions and clearances to release the pressure. Michelle worked hard in the centre of midfield to attack using her wingers Eva and Isla to pass the ball to get further up the pitch.

The first 10 minutes were tense and King Edwin had the better chances, but we caught them on the break. Olivia and Michelle made a great team up top and got around the defense and Michelle put the ball in the back of the net to put the team 1 up! The girls showed us the team celebration they had been working on!

Just before half time King Edwin managed to get a goal back with some good play. It was well deserved. Half time and it was 1-1.

The girls had a well-deserved drink. Unfortunately, we did not have any substitutions so the girls had to really dig deep! It was a big ask to say that they played in a tournament on Wednesday.

The 2^nd half was tense! It was end to end. Eva played a magnificent ball through to Michelle to have a chance at goal but was saved. Isla started to put in tackles. King Edwin put on the pressure and so did we. We both wanted the win and the 3 points. Lacey and Masie showed great consistency and kept clearing the ball and every time congratulating each other!

King Edwin started to shoot from a distance and Isla P pulled off some magnificent saves to keep it level! They were vital! Three minutes to go and we broke. Olivia clearing the ball up field and Michelle running at attackers. She crossed the ball in and Eva found herself one on one…. But it was saved! Unlucky. The whistle was about to blow but King Edwin broke and advantage was played but again Isla worked back in midfield to support her defence and together they cleared the ball.

Full Time. 1-1.

The girls played a lot of football this week. They did a magnificent job. They all tried their best and never stopped giving! Well done. Another well-deserved point.

Wednesday 17^th October 2018

Today the girls attended a school games mark football competition held at Manor. In total there were 7 teams that all had to play each other and the winner would go through to represent Mansfield in the next round.

The girls had the perfect start and won their first game with Isla J getting on the score sheet! The girls played well in their second game but lost with Maisie picking up an injury and was forced to have a rest. However the girls battled back to pick up a draw in their next two games.

Unfortunately the girls were unable to pick a point up against their next opponents but they were determined to win their next game. That is exactly what they did. Eva got herself on the score sheet and that was enough to get us the 3 points we deserved.

The results were in and 7^th, 6^th, 5^th position were called but Berry Hill was not one of them. We were called at 4^th and narrowly missed out on a medal! But never mind, again they did an amazing job. 4^th was a brilliant achievement.

It was a demanding tournament with the games coming quick so the girls were nonstop. They did a brilliant job and came across some experienced teams. This was what we needed as the girls gained some valuable experience and more playing time together. With every game we grew stronger. Hopefully we can take these experiences into our next fixture which is only around the corner! On Friday! Plenty of rest please girls!

Unfortunately Mr Wright could not make the tournament, but a massive thank you to Mrs Gascoigne and Mrs Clayton for being there to support the children.

Wednesday 26^th September 2018

The football season is back and the girls had their first fixture in the Dukeries league. It was Farnsfield St-Michaels vs Berry Hill. Both teams had a lot of girls playing for the first time so it was going to be a great experience.

The girls took their positions and the whistle blew! They were off! What a start it was as they were end to end. Michelle made some outstanding runs with the ball from the end of our box to theirs and got us a corner.

Maisie started strong in defense and made some important tackles to stop their attackers. Nothing was getting through. Eva and Natalia were working hard in midfield to support defense and then to support the striker, Izzy.

However, we were caught out on a throw in and their attacker broke through the defense and scored. The girls were 1-0 down but they were all determined to keep fighting.

It wasn’t long before half time and Olivia came on and made a great impact winning the ball and passing the ball to Michelle for a one on one chance but the keeper made a terrific save! Farnsfield countered and shot at goal, but captain, Isla P made an even better one handed save! It was one for the cameras. Half time.

The girls got more into the game in the second half and started to take control of the game, keeping most of the possession. Natalia was our throwing expert and put their defense under pressure. Eva had gone into defense and she and Maisie were amazing. They were like a wall letting nothing past.

Isla J moved into midfield and was supporting Michelle, and won a free kick. Maisie went to take the free kick with 5 minutes left. The opposition had everyone in the wall. Maisie ran up and shot…..GOAL! It went straight into the bottom corner. All the girls ran up to congratulate her, even Isla P in goal. She ran half the pitch! 1-1!

It was all Berry Hill for the last 5 minutes. With one minute to go Isla J had a chance at goal and put it wide! What a chance, but she did amazingly well to get into that position. The final whistle blew. 1-1. What a great result.

The girls were fantastic, we could not have asked anything more of them. They walked off with huge smiles on their faces and received a great applause from their parents and carers. Well done girls. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

The Ulyett Landscapes Community Shield

The girls were in the final of the Ulyett Landscapes Community Shield. There were 3 other teams at the final who had also won their group stages. We had to play each team twice.

The final was very competitive and all four teams were up for the challenge. Unfortunately Berry Hill did not win the competition but they experienced playing against some very tough opponents which had lots of experience.

The Berry Hill girls stuck together all the way through and gave it a real go. They played some excellent football at times and were making tackles everywhere on the pitch. They really put in 100%. We could not have asked for anymore from these girls. They were outstanding.

Mia was brilliant in the net. She was tested regularly but kept on trying to stop everything. She made some fantastic saves and was so accurate with her goal kicks. She has really got the hang of it.

Amelia and Aimee were an amazing team in defence. They communicated and read the play well. They made some big tackles to stop attackers. The clearances were great and they always looked to clear to a team mate. Aimee even headed a ball over the fence! That had never been done before! History was made!

We met up during the school day to discuss tactics and we talked about how midfield had to be up to the pitch to attack but also down the pitch to defend. That meant a lot of effort. Even though it was very hot today, the midfield never stopped running to help the strikers and defence. They were fantastic and they did a great job for the team. Well done Isla, Emillie and Evie. You girls were amazing.

Louise had a difficult job as striker. However, she kept on going, showing great skills and she finally managed to find her goal towards the end. Well done.

Although the result did not go our way, the girls kept their chins up and the smile on their faces. We are so proud of the girls and what they have achieved this year. They came away from this competition with lots of bumps and scrapes but they never backed away. They kept on going.

After the competition, the girls kept the team spirit going and persuaded parents and carers for a meet up at MacDonalds for a Mcflurry. Well done girls. You deserved it. Hopefully we can get one more game in..

Monday 14^th May 2018

The Ulyett Landscapes Community Shield

After all the girls’ success this season, they were entered into the Ulyett Landscapes Community Shield, which was held at Mansfield Town Football Club.

There were 3 groups in this competition and the girls were entered into group three.

Could the girls win their group so they could get into the finals?!

We turned up at the venue very excited, however we heard the news that a team had dropped out and the other team were running late and they were the only other team in the group stage! We had to wait an hour for them to arrive! So because this group stage was light on teams, it was decided that we will play 3 ten minute matches and it was the best of three! Game on!

The Berry Hill girls came out strong and full of energy in the 1^st game. We had been warming up for a long time and it worked in our favour because we dominated. The goals were flying in on the first game! Louise got a hat trick and Isla followed up with a goal. However, Aimee and Amelia were strong at the back to keep a clean sheet. The first game went to Berry Hill.

However, the girls were reminded that there were two more games to go.

The opposition started to get back into the game and started with a very good chance. However Mia made a magnificent double save. The girls gave her a great cheer and it made us step up our game. Evie and Emillie were constantly running in midfield to win the ball and create chances. Louise had great service today and got herself some more goals.

Evie had some chances but couldn’t finish! She deserved a goal. The opposition kept on fighting but Amelia stopped them in their tracks with some vital blocks and tackles. Louise made some great crosses and Evie was there to meet and score that goal she deserved! Well done! The second game finished and Berry Hill won! That meant Berry Hill had won the best of three and were going through to final.

We decided to play the last game, so we decided to change the positions of the girls. Emillie played in net and Mia played as a striker! Emillie made some outstanding saves to say she never played in goal before. The opposition got themselves more chances and got some goals! Every time Isla was on the ball she had a huge smile on her face! It was a bigger smile when she got herself another goal! Evie did not stop at one goal either as she scored with a powerful shot to get her second. What a goal. Aimee had some chances but just shot wide! Mia was full of energy and was running everywhere. She had some chances of her own but they were saved by the keeper!

It was an enjoyable last game even though we lost 3-2. However, the girls loved it. They look a stronger team every time they play. The girls are through to the final and they are looking forward to it.

Good luck in the final!

Saturday 5^th May 2018

Girls Football Team

The day had finally come! The Girls Football Team’s success had been recognised by Mansfield Town Football Club and they had invited the girls to come to the last game of the season, which was against Crawley Town. The girls were not only invited to watch, but also to be flag bearers and play on the pitch at half time! We had been excited for a long time and it was finally time!

The girls arrived in good spirits and in their football kits. All smiles and looking great, representing their school brilliantly. We took our seats and soaked up the atmosphere. We were sat in front of the away team’s warm up which provided us with some entertainment. The players returned to the dressing room and then the girls were called up to get their flags. We were led onto the pitch and went around the stadium waving their flags and pumping up the atmosphere. The girls got a massive round of applause from the crowd when they were walking around and even had an announcement!

The girls took their positions on the pitch to introduce the players. We had Sammy the Stag to help us too. What a fantastic experience! The girls were in arms reach of the players and we could hear the thunderous roar of the crowd cheering them on.

Once the players had taken their positions, we returned to our seats to watch the game!

The stags were playing great and had chances but couldn’t put them away. Crawley had one chance and scored! Half time 1-0.

However, this did not dampen the girl’s spirit and energy. They got their shin pads and boots on and got on the pitch to play! The girls divided themselves into two teams and played between themselves. There were some great goals from Millie H, Chloe and Isla J! There were some amazing saves from Mia and Millie-Ann. Isla P was showing great dribbling skills. Lexie, Evie, Emillie and Aimee were getting stuck in and giving it everything. Amelia was kept busy and made some great clearances. They provided great entertainment for the crowd! They gave us a cheer and an applause when the girls made their way off.

We watched the second half and it had plenty of action. Mansfield scored and made it 1-1. The crowd were loud and the girls were joining in on the singing and cheering.

The game finished 1-1 and unfortunately stags didn’t make the play offs but the girls had a brilliant time and really did our school proud. There was a crowd of just over 4000 people! The girls were very brave today, so well done!

The girls deserved this after their fantastic season and hard work!

We would like to thank Mansfield Town Football club for the opportunity as it was brilliant!

Year 5/6 Girl’s Football

School Games organised a football festival which our girls were really excited to attend. We faced four other teams in this competition and all were very competitive.

The festival was held at Manor and we played on the AstroTurf. So no boots today! However, the girls were well equipped with their football trainers! They looked very smart in their new kits too! We also brought great support with us and what great weather it was! The sun was shining!

Berry Hill’s first opponents were King Edward. We played them not long ago and it was a very close game! Would it be the same? The Berry Hill girls had a great start. They dominated possession and put constant pressure on their opponent. It was 0-0 at the break but after half time we came again! Emillie passed a great ball through to Louise who skipped past a player and finished her chance! 1-0. We managed to defend it comfortably and took the 3 points!

The girls showed great confidence and they displayed great teamwork and effort! Now they had more experience playing together, they dominated their next opponents too and comfortably beat them 2-0.

Their next opponents were a little more challenging. We had some defending to do but Amelia and Amiee were outstanding and put great pressure on their strikers. However, if they managed to get a shot, Mia was there to keep another clean sheet! Another win! 1-0.

Unfortunately one of the teams had to leave early! So we did not get to play our last game. It was the presentation time. Our children were nervous but eager for the results. They announced 4^th place and 3^rd place. Berry Hill still hadn’t been announced…. 2^nd place….. Sutton Road, so that must mean 1^st place were BERRY HILL! The girls let out a great cheer! Well done girls!

It was an outstanding team effort! Isla J did an amazing job in midfield and tackled for everything and put real pressure on her opponents! She has improved a lot. Evie also was involved and really attacked the ball and made some good runs with the ball, well done. Isla P was excellent and played many positions but adapted to them all. Always running for the team and finding space.

Amelia and Amiee were key in defense. Although we were mostly near the opposition’s goal they always held position! Then when the opposition did counter they were there to stop them. That was playing as a team so well done girls! We had to hold onto 1-0 leads and Mia did an excellent job and made some vital saves. When she did, she was quick to kick the ball down the pitch for quick counters. Emillie made her debut and what a debut it was! She assisted some goals and won gold with her team so well done.

Louise was our golden boot winner today, as she scored all of our goals! So well done Louise and great composure in front of goal.

Overall what a competition. The girls displayed great teamwork and represented their school proudly. They motivated, encouraged and supported each other. They are really understanding their positions and held them well which made us a great team!

Awesome work! We go again a week on Friday against King Edward!

Mr Wright

Friday 9^th February

The girls had their second football fixture against King Edward Primary school and what a game it was! The match had originally been organised just before Christmas, however it was cancelled due to the weather! This time the weather was much better, although it was very windy!

We had a couple of debuts today and they were Evie and Millie-Ann, who slotted into the team very well and had an excellent performance!

The girls had learned from their mistakes from their first fixture and as soon as the whistle blew to start the game they piled on the pressure and won the ball immediately from their opposition who started with the kick off. Louise intercepted the ball and ran at goal and found herself one on one with the keeper and she calmly slotted it into the back of the net! 1-0 to Berry Hill.

For the next 5 minutes the game was even. Berry Hill created some chances and so did King Edward but Amelia and Aimee were determined at the back to limit these. Mia again was fantastic in goal with some huge goal kicks to realise the pressure off the defence.

King Edward hit a long ball forward and unfortunately it hit a Berry Hill hand in the penalty box, which resulted in a penalty. The penalty was a fantastic strike, hitting the post and going into the net. 1-1.

King Edward gathered momentum and shortly after scored another goal. The Berry Hill girls did not give up and encouraged each other to keep going. The midfield, Isla, Chloe and Lexie worked super hard to keep running up and down the pitch to support the striker and defenders. Eventually, they managed to clear a great ball to Louise down the wing who cut inside and shot at goal from distance and scored!

Berry Hill now had the momentum and shortly after Louise got her hat-trick with another super strike from distance! Half time 3-2.

The girls came in for the half time team talk and they were ecstatic that they were leading! However, Mrs Gascoigne and Mr Wright had to remind them that there was still another half to go and they had to keep focused! The girls controlled their excitement and went out for the second half.

Then next 10 minutes was very tense as it was very even. Mia was tested but she kept the ball clear of her net! Lexie, Mille-Ann and Evie were putting in some big tackles to prevent King Edward attacking. However, the pressure became too much and King Edward got their equaliser. 3-3 with 10 minutes to go. King Edward celebrated and encourage each other to go for the win.

Mrs Gascoigne did an amazing job with the substitutions to keep players fresh and informed the girls of the tactics. Tactical genius, as Millie came on to run her socks off to win the ball in defence to clear the ball to Louise who ran at goal. She chipped the ball up and hit a King Edward hand in the penalty box…PENALTY! The girls gave the responsibility to Louise, who stepped up and scored her 4^th and put Berry Hill in front. 4-3 with 5 minutes to go.

King Edward did not give up and they came straight back at Berry Hill. However, again Aimee and Millie cleared and Berry Hill countered. However, most of the Berry Hill players pushed forward leaving Amelia at the back on her own and King Edward cleared to leave their striker one on one with Amelia, who was magnificent and made a very important tackle to keep them out.

King Edward won a free kick and it was to be the last kick of the game. They shot… and it went over the bar. The final whistle went and the girls shook hands. What a fantastic game.

We came in for a team talk at the end, although it was more of a victory dance. The girls were covered in mud, bumps and scrapes but the girls had huge smiles which was brilliant to see. The girls ran to their parents and carers to celebrate with them afterwards.

King Edward were great opponents and great hosts, so thank you. Another thank you to the parents and carers for coming and supporting the team. A big well done to the girls too.

Result: King Edward 3 – 4 Berry Hill

Women of the Match: Louise

Mr Wright

Monday 20^th November 2017

Year 5/6 Girls Football – Friendly

Today was a very exciting day, because it was time for the Berry Hill year 5/6 girls to play their friendly match against Samuel Barlow Primary Academy. The girls had been excited about a fixture for weeks and they finally had one!

Their excitement showed throughout the whole match as the girls did not stop smiling all the way through the game! This was most of the girls’ first ever football match so what an experience.

The game kicked off and unfortunately the home team ran at goal and scored! It was a shock to the Berry Hill girls. However, they were ready the second time and battled hard. The girls worked hard to stay in position which was really important. Amelia was tight to her marker and made some amazing blocks throughout the game, preventing goals for sure!

Samuel Barlow managed to score a couple more goals in the first half, however, towards the end of the half we started to put on the pressure. Chloe started to win the ball in midfield and pass to Louise. Louise showed her experience by knocking the ball past defenders. She shot on the edge of goal with great power and accuracy, but the goalkeeper managed to get a strong hand to it.

Samuel Barlow came back to attack and had a powerful shot of their own, but Mia pulled out an amazing save. It was that good that the home team and the Berry Hill girls all stopped to applaud her! But the ball was still in play!! Rightly so though, that deserved massive praise.

Half time – 3-0. The girls came in for a team talk and they all had smiles and shared some laughter about the events of the 1^st half.

They came out to the second half with more fight and every one of them put in tackles. Isla J was consistently running up and down the left wing to help support the attackers and then support the defenders. On the right wing we had Aimee who was just as hardworking. She was up against an experienced opponent but she made it very difficult for her. To add to this, we had Lexi who made some crucial tackles and blocks in our area to prevent the opposition’s strikers.

Berry Hill was on the attack. Isla P won the ball in midfield and played a superb pass for the strikers, Millie and Louise, who passed it well between them to leave Louise with another chance on goal but unfortunately we could not convert.

Millie was playing as a striker but she showed us how hardworking she was because she was helping out in most areas of the pitch. It was fantastic.

Samuel Barlow managed to get another 2 goals, however in the second half we gained more chances on their goal and we reduced theirs.

At the end of the game we decided to have a penalty shootout. Amelia and Mia managed to score against their exceptional goalkeeper.

What a game! What an experience, everyone really enjoyed it. Their manager said that we have great potential and all we need is more game practise. So, I had better get on the phone to arrange some more! They are looking forward to playing us again.

Well done girls!

Result: 5 – 0 Samuel Barlow