Before kick-off, both sides stood together around the centre circle to observe a minute’s silence in remembrance. The game then began with Wingerworth getting us underway, and it was Charnock who carved out the first attacking chance, with Nevaeh and Grace linking up well to put early pressure on the home defence. The pitch was heavy and waterlogged in places, making clean passes tricky, but both teams started brightly and looked up for the challenge.

After a positive start, Charnock then endured a tough 10 minute spell in which Wingerworth found the net three times. The home side’s finishing was sharp, with the number 7 looking particularly impressive.

At 2-0 down, our girls kept battling hard. Summer and Raegan worked relentlessly pressing forward, while Evie, Eva, Amaya, and Georgie defended courageously under pressure. It wasn’t long before Wingerworth added a third goal, but the effort levels from Charnock never dropped and matched Wingerworth across the pitch, only missing that final touch in front of goal.

The girls came out with renewed energy in the second half, attacking down the wings and working hard in midfield. At the back Chloe was once again called into action, producing some outstanding saves as Wingerworth continued to threaten on the counter attack.

There were some decent passages of play from Charnock as the half went on - Keavey and Rae combined well to create a good chance, and Amelia made a strong run down the right wing, but was just unable to find the final shot. Wingerworth’s number 10 continued to cause problems though, forcing Chloe into two more fine saves before finally squeezing a shot across goal and into the corner to make it 4-0.

Still, our girls never stopped pushing for a goal. Nevaeh looked lively up front and went close, whilst Evie was kept busy at the back making some crucial clearances. Maisie too showed her fighting spirit, refusing to give up right to the final whistle. It was a much-improved second half performance that showed the girls’ determination and character.

This week’s Parents’ Player award went to Chloe, whose brilliant saves kept the scoreline respectable, and Coaches’ Girl of the Game was Raegan, who never stopped running and put in a real shift in midfield.

After the match, Manager James said he felt that there were 10 minutes in the first half where we were asleep, and that cost us three sloppy goals and gave Charnock a mountain to climb. But when we woke up and got into our stride, we caused Wingerworth problems in multiple areas - the only thing missing was a goal.

Charnock were beaten by a good side today, but the game was played in the right spirit by both teams. The girls can hold their heads high, take the positives, and move on to the next challenge. Up the Charnock!