North Down Ladies 5s Seal Three Points in Home Victory

North Down Ladies 5s secured a well-deserved three points in a hard-fought home fixture against NICS Ladies 4s on Saturday, with a dominant performance sealing a 2-0 victory.

The home side began the game with intensity, consistently applying pressure on the NICS circle. The breakthrough came thanks to the relentless effort of Ella Garrett. It certainly seemed Ella had eaten her three weetabix, as she was full of energy, pivotal in the attacking zone, and absolutely determined to score.

Crucially supporting the attack was Lauren King, thriving in her new centre-mid role, who orchestrated play through the middle of the pitch. Lauren’s vision paid off when she delivered the ball into the circle, finding Ella Garrett in an ideal scoring position. Ella showed great composure, executing several dazzling weaves past the NICS defence before slipping a tricky shot past the keeper putting North Down on the scoreboard just before halftime whistle

Following a focused halftime chat from Captain Ann McBride, the Ladies 5s returned to the pitch. They had fire in their bellies and were focused on searching for another goal. The defence was sharp, and the second goal was a showcase of excellent teamwork and use of space.

A well-executed transfer from the North Down sweeper found Helen Boreland rocketing down the right wing, using the full width of the pitch. Upon entering the 23-metre area, Helen crossed the ball perfectly into the circle, where Lauren King had continued her run to slot the ball home, doubling the lead and giving the home side a more comfortable cushion. Lauren and her team immediately jumped for joy celebrating her fantastic achievement. 

Throughout the entire match, midfielders Emma Johnston & Annalise Burnside both displayed sparkling skills giving spectators something to watch. They simply didn’t stop running and fought tirelessly to break down any signs of opposition attempting to strike up any worthwhile play.

North Down maintained their defensive discipline, standing firm to keep a clean sheet until the final whistle, securing a confident 2-0 win.

Saturday’s match also celebrated the debut of the young talented Lara Greene on the forward line. With a promising performance, there are surely many more games to come for Lara in the years ahead.

Joint player of the match Lauren King & Emma Johnston

Thanks to Bev for umpiring and Anna Bennett for running the bench.