Bonnyrigg make it count in final goalfest

Bonnyrigg picked up the South East Region under-13 Girls League Cup after a goalfest against Hutchison Vale at New Countess Park, Dunbar.

With 13 goals scored by the teams in the hour-long contest, there was plenty of excitement for the crowd in East Lothian.

Bonnyrigg had engineered a healthy lead over their opponents by half-time but a comeback from Hutchison Vale sparked a flurry of goals after the interval.

Hutchie assumed an early lead as Louise Picket received the ball on the left side of the box and slotted it past the Bonnyrigg goalkeeper's left-hand side.

Five minutes later and the game see-sawed back to parity as Jamie Lee-Beck's quick run and shot trickled past the despairing Chloe McFadzean in the Hutchie goal.

And it was soon 2-1 in favour of Bonnyrigg as Heidi Smith rattled in a shot past the goalkeeper's right after collecting a loose ball near the edge of the box. Bonnyrigg continued to commit players forward and Smith didn't have to wait long for her second of the game and her team's third. It was a goal of high quality as the impressive attacking midfielder launched a rocket into the back of net from long range.

Bonnyrigg's Lee-Beck was employed to lead the attack and faired well despite often finding herself without company, and she almost netted her team's fourth after smacking a shot against the crossbar, but could only head the rebound over the bar.

It didn't take her long though to finally find the net as she sped past the Hutchison Vale defence and poked the ball past the goalkeeper. Canning, the Hutchie No.?1, was beaten once more before half-time as Nicola Waddell carefully sidefooted the ball into the goal after a teasing corner to make it 5-1, with the Vale defence left to rue some poor marking.

A rousing half-time team talk appeared to reinvigorate Hutchie, who were first to pounce in the second half, with Amy Lynch launching a long range shot past McFadzean.

Hopes of a comeback were temporarily dashed, however, as Chole Stuart slotted home to take the score to 6-2 after being played through the middle.

A goal frenzy soon ensued at the other end, though, as Hutchie clambered their way back into contention.

Vale's Amy Lynch was the first to strike, bouncing a controlled header in from a corner, then Picket capitalised on a magnificent chipped through ball to reduce the lead to 6-4.

Bonnyrigg's Chloe Stuart slipped in to give her side more breathing space but Vale immediately replied as Lynch's cross-cum-shot drifted into the net for 7-5.

The last word of the game, however, was left to Heidi Smith as the Bonnyrigg dynamo swept in from distance, completing her hat-trick in the process.

Bonnyrigg manager Lee Duffy believed that the game was a good representation of girls' football. He said: "It was hard to be fair, Vale played really well. But it was a cracking advert for girls' football."

David Cairns, Hutchison Vale manager, felt that come the second half either side could have ended up victorious.

He said: "I thought that both teams played good football. They won and played the long ball, we didn't handle it. It was a cracking game of football. There was a point half way through the second half where any team could have won it."

Hutchison Vale: Holly Canning, Alex Cairns, Ellika Moore, Amy Lynch, Mhairi Russell, Louise Picket, Bethany Wilkinson, Taylor McKay, Emma Bennett, Chloe Inness, Sophie Cunningham.

Bonnyrigg: Chloe McFadzean, Danielle Shiells, Megan Burnett, Heidi Smith, Laura Fraser, Neave Barnes, Jamie Lee-Beck, Nicola Waddell, Charlie Evans, Abby Orme, Chloe Stuart, Kirsten O'Conner, Shannen Kane.