County girls prove to be six hitters

NORTHUMBERLAND Under-16 Girls kicked off off their campaign by defeating Cumbria 6-0.

North started the game in lively fashion, Caitlin Hutchinson (Astley) and Ellie Ford (Burnside) settling straight into the game.

Several times in the first 10 minutes the two combined to make excellent openings for the attackers running into the box.

The best chances fell to Elllie Hartgrove (Astley) and Jessica Brown (St Thomas More), but neither of them could convert them into goals.

North set up repeated attacks without success, Brown being the fulcrum.

She finally made her own opening as she picked up the ball on the edge of the box and ran through three or four of the Cumbria defenders - only to see her shot cannon back off the post.

North finally made the breakthrough when Brown split the defence for Ford to run on to the ball and find Kenzy Collingbourne (Gosforth), who converted her cross.

The second goal arrived when Brown won the ball on the edge of the box and slid a pass through to Hutchinson, whose cross was put into her own goal by a Cumbria defender.

Collingbourne and Brown then rattled the cross bar and post but the third goal was not delayed long.

Great play by Neve Jameison (J C Spence) down the left found Hartgrove on the edge of the box and she opened her account.

Hutchinson applied great pressure on a Cumbria defender, forcing a mistake.

Collingbourne then pounced on the loose pass and slotted the ball home for 4-0.

The second period began more slowly, North starting to become sloppy on the ball as the wind started to swirl around the pitch.

Then Olivia Burnip (Gosforth) picked up the ball on the left, cut inside on to her right foot and saw her shot skid past the Cumbria goalkeeper for her first goal of the season.

Brown then rounded off the scoring with a left-foot curler.