Gwalia U17s v AFC Pontypridd.
Gwalia U17s got their campaign off to a flying start with an impressive victory over a spirited AFC Pontypridd. From the first whistle, Gwalia applied pressure across the pitch, with the teamwork and work ethic built up over pre-season clear to see. The hosts were first to every ball, moved the ball well and produced some excellent football in the opening half.
The breakthrough came in the ninth minute when Summer opened the scoring, before Sienna doubled the lead soon after with a well-taken first-time finish. Summer then embarked on a prolific spell, adding three further goals before the break, her pace and movement complemented by a series of well-weighted through balls from her teammates. Gwenni rounded off the first-half scoring with a determined individual effort to cap an excellent opening period.
The second half offered an opportunity to experiment, with players given the chance to gain experience in unfamiliar positions. Pontypridd continued to compete throughout, never allowing their heads to drop. Summer added another goal to her tally late on, while Ava also got on the scoresheet to complete a polished team performance.
The quality of Gwalia’s passing and movement was matched by clinical finishing, a reflection of the work put in during pre-season. Every player contributed to what was a complete team performance on the opening day of the season.
Head of Gwalia Pathway Deborah Ball commented “We could not have asked for more from our players and they executed everything very well, with some standout performances right across the team.” Players of the match were Summer and Sienna.
Goalscorers: Summer 5, Sienna 1, Gwenni 1, Ava 1
Gwalia U16s v Thornhill
Gwalia u16s continued their perfect start with dominant victory over Thornhill. They extended their unbeaten start to the season with a commanding victory, in what proved a wonderful display of attacking football. Gwalia made the perfect start, taking the lead inside the first minute through Freya J. The dominant opening continued as Georgia and Ava both scored from corners, in a commanding first-half display.
Gwalia returned for the second half with renewed sharpness, producing a string of slick, quick-passing moves that yielded five further goals. Georgia added her second of the afternoon, before further goals from Jess and Mali extended the lead. Freya J then completed the victory with two more goals, securing her second hat-trick in as many games.
The result means Gwalia have won Group C in emphatic fashion, scoring 19 goals and conceding none across their opening fixtures to collect a maximum six points.
Freya H was named star of the match for another accomplished all-round display, with her footwork and composure on the ball singled out for particular praise.
Manager Martin Chick said they were “absolutely over the moon” with the team’s start to the season, adding that the squad have set a high standard that they will now look to maintain.
Goalscorers: Freya J 3, Georgia 2, Ava 1, Jess 1, Mali 1
