Scone retain title in stunning style
Scone Thistle Girls under-13 retained their league title in fine style - going unbeaten for the second year running.
The team’s weekend victory against Arbroath CSC Yellows confirmed top spot of the SWF East Region Lana Clelland League with maximum points.
For two of the girls, Katie Dalton and Olivia Pankhurst, this is the second year they have won the title and now move up to under-15 level.
Manager of the under-13s Dana Ferrar and coach Catriona Colville stated how proud they were of the girls’ efforts throughout the season.
“The girls were very determined to hold their unbeaten record and from the word go on Saturday everyone was up for it,” Dana told the PA.
“They played some great attacking football against Arbroath and it was nice to see a couple of the girls ending the season with their first goal for Scone.
“It has been a very special season, especially for Katie and Olivia who were part of last year’s winning squad also.
“Last year we lost the majority of the squad and we brought in a number of new players but the girls quickly gelled. The team spirit on and off the pitch from players, parents and coaches has been fantastic this year. It’s been a joy to watch all the girls grow.
“There are a number of talented players in the team and I hope to see some of them selected for regional squads soon.”
Scone Thistle Girls is a community football club providing footballing opportunities for girls aged under nine to under 17. Teams train weekly with dedicated coaches.
And while Dana is losing players to the older age group, she watches them move up in the knowledge that the future is bright for the club.
“We have four players moving onto the under-15s,” she explained. “We are sad to see the team being separated, however we wish them well.
“The next steps for us at under-13s level is to hopefully continue to build on this success.
“The future for Scone is very bright. Our squads are continuing to grow and we have a number of very talented players.
“I personally enjoy being part of it all, winning the league twice unbeaten as a manager is a special feeling. I have been involved at Scone for nearly three years now and, as I said, seeing the club grow and the players develop is great.
“While I miss playing myself at times, being a coach is very rewarding.”
Dana would love to watch the current crop of Scone stars move on to play for Scotland at some point in their footballing career.
She knows the girls look up to those from the local area who have made that step in recent years, including Arsenal player Lisa Evans and Lana Clelland, who plays for Fiorentina in Italy.
The Perth duo both represented their country at the summer’s Women’s World Cup in France, the latter getting on the scoresheet against Japan with a screamer of a strike.
“It’s very beneficial for the girls to have role models,” Dana explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“We often remind the girls of this as we as coaches truly believe these girls have the potential to represent their country one day.”