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Not that I fell behind, or anything, but now that the season has finished, I will gradually put up all the match reports
that Sandra has sent (and had to re-send). Enjoy:-
Sunday 4th February

Garden Village get off to a great start taking control off the game right from the whistle. The village girls put Llangyfelach under pressure with some good passing and ball control Hollie getting the ball wide to Josie who sends a great ball in which Jenny is unlucky not to put in the back of the net. Village produce some good passing and hard tackling keeping the ball in the Llangyfelach half for the first fifteen minutes of the game, much to the delight of the Supporters club!

Against the run of play Llangyfelach get a corner which they scramble into the back of the net, this seems to give them renewed spirit and we see them putting Atom and her back line of Caz, Megan and Amy-T under a lot more pressure. Hollie, who Ian decided was the most chopsy girl in the squad and possibly the loudest used this skill magnificently helping to keep her team mates motivated as several more goals went past Tigger. Tigger did well although she did complain that the unexpected sight of the sun was most distracting, still the Supporters Club enjoyed feeling the warmth on the touch line!

Just as half time approaches there is a free kick taken quickly by Hollie which is passed straight to Jenny who makes a run for goal and slams one into the back of the net leaving the girls delighted to be going into half time with a goal under their belt.

Village show some signs of getting another goal with Josie sending in some cracking balls from the right giving Jenny and Elle the chance to push forward at goal. Alex and Sophie do really well playing in their first full game for Village; we hope to see them regularly on Sunday mornings well done girls! Nice to see some new faces joining the Supporters Club on the touch line a nice turn out this week

Llangyfelach score again but Village fight back, Josie winning the ball on the right sending in a great cross for Jenny who does a one two with Josie then calmly puts the ball past the Llangyfelach goalie. The supporters club go wild along with Gwyn who bravely made it out of his sick bed to stand in for Coach Ian who had to go off to hospital with a suspected broken foot.

Village make some changes with Shorty and Leah coming on we see Elle drop into defence and with her tackling skills she soon gets the ball out and up into the midfield this means we can once again push forward giving Hollie the chance to knock one into the net, way to go Chopsy! Final score 8 – 3 , Village Girls should be pleased with the way they played during many spells of this match showing more confidence and belief in their abilities, Well done to all who made up the Village squad this week.
Happy Days!!!!!

Sunday 28th January
BEACH TRAINING SESSION

As Garden Village have a bye this week Gwyn in a moment of madness decides to have a training session down Llangeneth beach, this news is welcomed by the girls but the parents are not so sure and by the ratio of parents to children it seems the parents chickened out of this fun day. The day although still cold and breezy is much milder than it has been and the biggest bonus off all - it’s not raining!

After a warm up run along the beach there is a race up and down the dunes which results in a lot of cheating and quite a bit of wrestling along the way. The girls are soon nice and warm and thoroughly enjoying the fresh air, at this time the few parents brave enough to face the bracing weather go off in search of some warm coffee leaving Gwyn the intrepid and the ever dedicated Denise in charge of the girls. During this time we are told a great game of rounders was played, which we were sorry to miss but the lure of bacon butties and a warm café was just too much for us to resist.

Holly thinks she’s found a ball game where her poor little tootsies will be safe but with her recent record of injuries starting to play rugby will probably just mean that she will start breaking her fingers instead!

There was a slight panic when Rosie started to turn blue but not to worry it seemed Atom had the cure, get her to do some of Ian’s army press ups yes that will soon get the blood circling again.

With every one suitably exhausted it was time to head home, one thought seemed to please the girls with Ian unavailable today they could at least still walk back to the cars rather than crawl, which they just know with his idea of training that’s all they would have been able to manage.

Today’s session proves a great success and gets the thumbs up from all the girls - Josie, Atom, Rosie, Caz, Lorna, Katie, Elle, Holly, Megan, Jenny, Shorty and Amy-T.

Happy Days

Sunday 14th January
Garden Village 1 Landore 8

A cold but dry morning sees Village turn out for their first game in almost two months. They may not be match fit but after some hard training sessions from Ian they are certainly ready to play some football. Landore took control from the whistle playing some good football, but the village girls were not going to make it an easy match for them, and they fought hard to keep Landore out of their half. Katie the Strong works like a Trojan along with Atom Carys and Megan defending our goal line.

Tigger, who has been out of action for some time, comes back in great form and does a fantastic job, making several cracking saves, keeping Village in the match. Nice to have you back in goals Tigg! Shorty and Amy battle hard to get the ball in midfield out to Lorna or Josie on the wings, so they could get Olivia, along with Elle to push forward.

Landore scored several goals as Village show a weakness at defending corners, but some great play sees Village fight back with some good passing and ball control. Half time gives Ian and Gwyn a chance to give the girls their pep talk, giving them confidence to go back out with renewed spirit.

Lorna makes a great run on the left, taking the ball up the line, closely followed by Elle and Olivia, with Josie covering the centre. Unfortunately Landore scramble the ball away before Village can get a shot in. Atom worked hard on her goal kicks, picking out Village girls to send away into the Landore half, with Josie, Lorna and Olivia, making some good runs off these balls.

With little time left on the clock Olivia, Lorna, Josie and Elle start pushing forward, tackling hard against the strong Landore defence, and forcing the goalie to come right to the edge of her box to help them. Josie who spots this calls for the ball, and lobs a cracking ball over the goalies head. The girls and supporters alike hold their breath as they wait to see if it will drop into the back of the net... YES ! What a goal ! Must surely be the goal of the season. The supporters club went wild, and at the final whistle one wonders who were the winners of this match Landore with their 8 goals or Village with their hard fought 1 goal? This reporter has to say Village of course (no bias in any way), for their courage, spirit and determination, playing with no substitutes to call on, and for not giving up until the final whistle was blown.
Well done to all the girls in this fine squad.

Sunday 26th November
I think the Under 14s opponents must be getting too scared to face them, because for the second week
running, their game was called off due to rain, although the Under 10s and Under 12s played.

Sunday 19th November

This weeks game against Mumbles was cancelled due to rain

Sunday 12th November
Garden Village 5 Dafen 3
(Jenny x3, Holly, Latest-Amy)

Squad: Jenny, Lorna, Josie, Atom, Katie, Tigger, Carys, Holly-Chopsy, Megan-Sweetheart,
Amy-Latest, Hannah, Shorty, Leah, Elle, Olivia

A dry chilly morning, and Village are at home playing against Dafen. This is a side that when they lost against Village in a spectacular cup game last season, appeared to be bad losers, with lots of very rude name-calling and totally unfounded accusations being flung about. Village however are above all that as they prefer to put their efforts into playing good football and are ready to do battle.

After a two minute silence for Remembrance Sunday, Village get off to the best of starts with Lorna passing a long ball to Jenny who, with her pace, leaves the Dafen defence standing, and is unlucky not to get a goal. This seems to spur the girls on, with the passing and crossing becoming ever more confident.

Village put Dafen under a lot of pressure, with Latest-Amy, Elle and Holly pushing forward, using Lorna and Josie on the wings to great advantage, which eventually leads to Holly (now is that Windy, Chopsy or Supergirl) scoring a fantastic goal. Dafen up their game, but Holly and Lorna soon send Jenny away again, and this time she puts it in the back of the net.

Atom does a magnificent job through most of the match, keeping her back four, Carys, Katie and Megan in line with herself, giving Dafen no room to break through. Village were playing so well that the Supporters Club were going wild on the touchline, which is not a pretty site!. Nice to see so many today, and I think the dads outnumbered the mums for the first time.

Dafen again fought back with some vigorous tackling, although what was obviously a fifty fifty tackle by Carys resulted in a free kick. Village, under pressure and feeling the bruises see Dafen eventually scramble a ball into the back of the net. Village battle on with Hannah, Shorty and Leah all fighting to win the ball. Katie the Strong puts in a great performance keeping the ball away from Tigger.

The second half starts after the team talk from Gwyn and Ian again a lot of Happy Days being bandied about as they are told not to stop pushing forward, to stay focused and not to feel under pressure as they are doing a great job.
Something strange happened at this match. Gwyn and Ian managed to stay on the touch line, and off the pitch, although Ian’s voice was all you could hear, booming out directions to the girls, and he was the other side of the pitch to the supporters!! Several of whom were concerned for his blood pressure. After spotting Lorna doing her hair on the pitch, Gwyn assured Ian that in future, an emergency hair care bag (straightners, clips etc) would be brought to each match along with the medical kit!!

Village start well with Olivia and Josie linking well on the right, pushing the ball forward. Both Olivia and Jenny again unlucky not to score. Olivia and Josie pass some cracking one-twos which sees the ball on the goal line. Several Village girls scramble desperately to try to get it over the line with the supporters willing it over with the power of voice - the final touch we think goes to Latest-Amy.

Tigger is put under pressure as the defence adjust to changes. She makes several good saves, but Dafen press hard and score once again. Atom gets control of the defence, leaving the midfield free once again to win the ball, making full use of the pitch they pass well. Josie and Olivia cross in to Jenny, who after several attempts gets another goal. Village now ahead by 2 goals. Holly almost gets another but the shot goes wide. Ian has the supporters in stitches when he yells to aim it between the two big white posts. A great game played with confidence resulting in some superb passing making full use of the girls on the wings along with an awesome back four. Well played Village.

Nice to see Jenna today who came to support Village, although we would love her to come back and play. We missed Rosie today our experienced midfielder who we hope will be back soon along with our chief cheerleader Angela. Andrew just does not do justice to the role!

A select few (or the only ones willing to be in pic) of the Supporters Club what a motley crew!!

Sunday 12th November
No match. The Girls had a bye this week
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Sunday 29th October
Garden Village 1 Landore 10
(Jenny)
Squad: Josie, Carys the Bold, Atom, Elle, Jenny, Megan- Sweetheart, Shorty
Leah, Alex-Tall, Latest-Amy, Holly-(now is she Windy or Chopsy?)

Village head off today minus some key players notably Rosie, Tigger and Katy the Strong, leaving Village with the bare minimum to play a very experienced Landore team. However they are full of spirit and determination as they warm up with Coach Ian on this bright but chilly morning. We also appear to be missing Lorna (along with Katy and Denise),
who are said to be busy soaking up the sun in Spain. Cannot imagine why they would pick Spain over cold, wet football days! Well, apart from visiting their grandparents. The supporters Club would like to take this opportunity to officially welcome Lorna and Katy’s grandparents into the club, as they regularly keep up to date with their football star granddaughters by visiting the web site. Nice to know our web site is now international!

Supporters Club tip of the week- Open mouth before pouring coffee in!!
Landore as usual put Village under pressure from the kick off. Despite some nice tackling from Josie and Chopsy who pass the ball up to Elle and Jenny, the Landore defence soon have the ball back in the Village half. Our back four Atom, Megan, Leah and Alex really have to work hard to keep the ball away from our goal. Carys steps up again this week to take on the role of goalie against some of the strongest strikers in the league. Even if she’d sprouted another two hands it would still have been difficult to stop some of their shots from landing in the back of the net. Latest – Amy works hard as she takes on Lorna’s role on the wing. She also had a spell in defence which she seemed to enjoy.

The Amazon marking Josie finally sent her flying after several previous attempts to launch her into space, with no reaction from the ref. This reporter (who is in no way biased of course), thinks that a red card should have been shown or at the very least had a good telling off from her mum!!!!

Shorty showed some excellent footwork, taking on several Landore girls and Megan–Sweetheart again showed determination and pace, making sure she put the ball out of play when needed. Village barely left their own half of the pitch as they battled hard to win the ball, never giving up even though Landore continued to score.

Half time comes, and the team talk involves Ian telling the girls how good they are, and not to be intimidated as they are a great team. That they must work hard together and something will come, Gwyn adding the odd "Happy Day" and "Shocking". Ian and Gwyn (who was supposed to be linesman) were again found to be wandering all over the pitch whilst encouraging our girls very vocally, but this week no complaints from random football hecklers. Obviously a much better class of football supporter at Landore!!

Holly and Elle get forward sending Jenny away. Unfortunately Landore are too strong and Village are on the defence again, Landore play some lovely passing football, but with no subs to call on, a tired Village side struggle to get the ball. Andrew does his best as stand-in cheerleader to spur on the girls. Holly’s dad tried helping, but was having trouble opening his mouth at the right moment- hence supporter’s tip of the week!! The Supporters Club is definitely growing, but we do miss our Chief Cheerleader, Angela and her deputy and official loud hailer, Jules. Much too quiet without them, so hurry back ladies, we need you.

Just when we think there is no way they can break through, we see a lovely tackle by Holly, which sees us get into the Landore half. Josie then battles with the Landore defence, winning the ball and sending a great cross to Jenny, who takes her time, and puts it firmly into the back of the net. The Supporters Club go wild. You would think we had just won the game. Ian shouts to girls “Look we’ve got them worried now!! They don’t know what’s hit them!!" making everyone, players and supporters alike, smile, lifting all our spirits, although asking them to get another 9 in the last five minutes was perhaps a step too far!

Still smiling after a tough game, the courage of the Village girls shines through.
Well done Village your time will come !
Happy Days

Sunday 22nd October
Garden Village 7 Cimla 3
(Jenny x3, Elle, Olivia, +?, +?)

Squad: Josie, Rosie -Blind Warrior, Megan-Sweetheart, Atom, Katy the Strong, Lorna, Elle,
Carys the Bold, Jenny, Shorty, Leah, Olivia, Latest -Amy

A cold wet miserable day sees Village head off into the wilds of Cimla; the one bright spot is this week we have a full squad including subs!! Nice to see some new faces joining the Supporters club, although we were missing Elle’s dad (out on the pop again last night?) and our chief cheerleader, Angela along with her deputy Julia, our resident medic and loudhailer!

A brave (no that should be Bold) Carys steps out of retirement as our regular goalie. Tigger had the misfortune of messing with an unruly chair, landing her in casualty with a suspected broken wrist. Much to our relief no bones broken, but she will not be available for a couple of weeks. That’s providing she doesn’t pick on any more furniture of course.

Village get off to a good start. Plenty of passing of the ball, and with Jenny obviously on her toast and marmite this week, it was not long before she had put the ball into the back of the net. Village enjoyed plenty of the ball with Megan-Sweetheart again showing signs of becoming a regular in our back four with her tackling and kicking keeping the ball away from our Carys. Atom and Katy the strong also getting in some vital tackles, giving Josie and Lorna the chance to get the ball up the field to Elle and Jenny. Jenny gets another, and a few near misses by Elle and Lorna get the supporters fired up, Village were in control of the midfield, although Rosie-Blind Warrior did, on occasion leave the Supporters Club wondering if she had remembered her contacts, but she was just temporarily confused as she had been looking for a round white object, but was reassured that the round yellow thing by her feet was indeed the football!

Ian and Gwyn, as usual on the pitch running up and down shouting encouragement to the girls, with a lone Cimla Lady who just stood on the pitch complaining they were on it ! She might have found her time better spent encouraging her own team whilst on the pitch. This was done by the Supporters Club who clapped when Cimla scored and also congratulated the goalie on her numerous good saves. In deference to a Cimla player we were also asked to stop taking photos so all faces of the Cimla girls in shot will be edited as our girlies, especially Rosie, Josie, Lorna and Carys simply adore having their pics on the website!!!! The second half starts after team talk from Gwyn and Ian. I am told not much use of the word "shocking" this week more "Happy Days". Like the first half, plenty of passing between the players giving Elle several chances, until one finally goes into the back of the net. The team spirit was high this week, with the girls calling for the ball and helping each other out, which was a big improvement on last weeks game.

Olivia had this week cancelled all her engagements to join us for her first match of the season; she got stuck in winning the ball, passing well and was soon on the score sheet for us. Leah and Shorty (or should I call you Fizzy after spotting you going for a sneaky fizzy drink during match time) do well, with Shorty getting in some brave tackles. Way to go girl!! Josie gets away again on the right, but she seems to have her very own entourage of Cimla girls surrounding her (accidentally pulling her hair and kicking her), but she does well crossing the ball into Jenny who again puts it in the back of the net. Latest -Amy does well with her pace and strength on ball. She is also going to be a great asset to the team. She almost scored out there today. It won’t be long before she is on that score sheet.

Not wanting to be outdone, Atom blasts one of her now-famous shots, almost from the centre line,
and the shot only just misses the goal !!!

A good game played with confidence and spirit you girls are doing us proud and we at the Supporters Club can see that you are turning into quite some team!!
Well done Village Girls
Happy Days

Ian, Andrew and Gwyn were spotted pushing a large white van through the car park after the game by several of the girls. They are just hoping that this is not another of Ian’s training tactics. If anything with wheels is spotted on the astro turf they will be heading straight home!

Sunday 15th October
Garden Village 0 Llangyfelach 14

Squad: Jenny, Josie, Tigger, Lorna, Katy the Strong, Elle, Carys the Bold,
Rosie Blind Warrior, Megan- Sweetheart, Shorty, Leah

A bright, cold morning sees Village this week, playing on their home ground against a depleted, but still exceptionally strong, Llangyfelach side. Village only have a minimum squad available this week, as some key players have prior engagements. Village are pleased to see the new girls turning up regularly on match days to make up the squad.

The Supporters Club were a motley looking bunch this morning, with some bizarre winter clothing on display, much to the amusement (that could be embarrassment) of their poor children..
Supporters Club Tip of the Week
Must look in mirror with the light on before leaving house in mornings!!

Village again having to change team formation, making it difficult for the squad to settle into a natural playing rhythm. Village do manage to hold onto the ball early on, with Lorna, Josie, Elle and Jenny pushing forward, but the Llangyfelach girls were just too strong on the ball for Village to hang on. Rosie Blind Warrior bravely takes on the goal kicks, totally confusing the opposition by wearing her contact lens in the right eye meaning she can actually kick the ball, go Rosie ! Megan, our new defender is proving to have a good kick herself, and is also starting to show promise with her tackling abilities, Ahh, nice one Sweetheart!. Tigger once again is worked hard and she does well to save shots fired from some very experienced strikers, in the end, the strength and persistence of the Llangyfelach girls sees them shooting with such force that even a 6ft Amazon would have had trouble keeping them out.
(Tigger is doing great don’t forget this girl has, as yet had no formal goalie training)

Even with Ian and Gwyn ranting up and down the side line, the Village girls seem half asleep and their confidence takes a hammering as the goals keep on going in. Jenny does manage to get close with a couple of shots at goal, but they are quickly scooped up, with the ball getting straight back into the Village half. Carys and Katy the Strong tackle hard with Katy living up to her name, getting in some strong challenges and winning the ball. Now this girl really is a contender for the title "Warrior".

Lorna decides to add her name to the list of contenders for the title "Warrior" !!

Gwyn and Ian are once again threatened with the red card by the ref for creeping well onto the pitch, despite repeated warnings to stay on the touch line, each blaming the other for their behaviour. Now is that a good example to set the girls? The second half starts after the team talk, which I am told consisted mainly of the word "Shocking"! Rosie doesn’t start this half as she feels unwell, and to be fair was slowly turning into a beetroot. Never mind, at least she could see to aim at the sick bucket if needed. Nurse Hannah was on hand to keep her company, as our resident medic was busy on cheerleading duties.

Village did get into the Llangyfelach half a few times, resulting in shots from Jenny, Elle and Josie, but again they are not able to find the back of the net. Shorty and Leah battle hard in midfield, but the might of the Llangyfelach girls are just too much for our girls. Apart from the occasional pass ,Village looked lost out there today which is a shame as over the last few weeks they have come on so well. Garden Village Girls must not lose heart. Get out there next week, and play with the determination and spirit we know that you have.

The Supporters Club received reports of a strange, veiled woman appearing on the touch line.
This mysterious person looked extremely spooky, and some believe that it was she that scared the football out of our girls!!!!!!
Not that they are looking for excuses for the way the girls played of course.

Artists impression of our mysterious woman.

Sunday 8th October
Garden Village vs Llanelli
Squad: Josie, Atom, Tigger, Lorna, Elle, Katy the Strong, Rosie Blind Warrior, Shorty, Lea,
Megan-Sweetheart, Alex-Tall, Carys the Bold

A cold day today with a chilly breeze sees Village head out to "somewhere past Strady" (Gwyn`s directions), Andrew’s directions were a little less vague "past Strady, past ford garage look for a new café on top of a hill". All very well, but the café is actually down a dip, so you can barely see it from the road, unless of course you have some beady-eyed children looking for a football pitch. This week we have a full squad turn out (even a sub!), to take on the might of the Llanelli Reds once again.

A great pitch with a café on site, which is a wonderful surprise for the supporters club, as they never say no to something hot! Shame they didn’t know beforehand or they would not have let Elle’s dad get away with a morning off as they could have plied him with coffee for his anticipated hang-over.
Supporters Club Tip of the Week
Hair clips keep the old fringe out of your eyes on those windy days for both male and female supporters alike, well for those of us lucky enough to still have some hair!

Gwyn and Ian give their team talk, which involves a lot of praise for the girls in their new found confidence on the pitch, after a good warm up where Ian must have made the mistake of mentioning aggression again. Atom decides to practice taking out the opposition. Unfortunately she did this on Josie, leaving her with a bad foot, not a good idea just before a match!

Village do a great job in midfield especially, with Lorna and Josie holding injuries and Megan-Sweetheart (ahh) and Lea still finding their feet. Rosie Blind Warrior is on her own, but with her one contact lens in place she is ready for battle, once we point her in the right direction of course. Tigger, again does a great job in goals, making some vital saves after some very strong shots fielded by the Llanelli girls. Atom once again holds the back four, with Katy the Strong, Carys and Alex. Again Carys shows her strength. Looks like there is now a strong battle for the title Warrior, what with Atom and even Josie becoming more confident. Look out Rosie game on!

Village hold the Reds at bay for most of the first half. Elle and Shorty manage to push up, after some great passing from Lorna and Josie, but the Llanelli defenders hold strong, leaving Village finding it difficult to get a shot at goal. Our defence is put under great pressure, and just before half time we see two goals go in which Tigger could do nothing about.

Second half sees Village spending most of the time in their own half, with the midfield and defence battling hard to keep Llanelli at bay, once again Tigger having to working hard. Some good play between Josie and Elle saw one or two breaks, but the Llanelli midfield and defence soon had them shut down. Carys again fighting hard along with Atom, Katy and Alex to hold the back four, but they were constantly under pressure from some very good Llanelli players, who were soon on the score sheet again.

Tigger takes her first penalty, after Atom this time does take out one of the opposition!! Tigger makes herself so imposing in the big goals that they send it over the bar. Well done Tiggs you stood strong.

We can still take a lot from this match, as we are still finding our feet with this squad of girls, some of whom are new to the game, as they are putting 100% into each match. The supporters club can see that Village are becoming a team at last, with girls calling to each other and working to help one another. Tigger a major asset to the team, again saves us from a major defeat, with her handling of the ball getting better every week. Kim our resident ex-goalie was particularly
pleased with her efforts in the first half. We were not expecting to play in full sized goals this season, so she is doing a great job.

A good turn out by the supporters club this week. Shorty has some pull, I think they were all with her. Hope to see as many next week!! We did miss our regular Mr Nice Guy, you know the one, balding, orange, likes to wear trendy gear, wanders about aimlessly shouting footbally things out to encourage the girls. I am informed he was busy fixing a leak!!! (Bet he really had a sun bed booked.)
Ian and Gwyn are quick to encourage the girls, or "Ladies" as Ian likes to call them, on their hard work throughout the match. I am sure we could still hear the echoes of "Shocking, Shocking, Shocking" over the ref’s decision to award a penalty against our poor, little, quiet, shy defender!! as we drove away from the pitch. Happy Days!

The strain of being a cheerleader, important proof reader, paparazzi,
Chief Medic, Welfare Officer-upsetter and mother of a goalie is clearly taking its toll
on poor Jules. She was lately seen by Ian sporting a most bizarre look-note the
fringe pony-tail, old mans socks, and what look suspiciously like Jesus sandals.
Her daughter refused to have her picture taken with her, and begged
her to get in the car before any of her team-mates spotted her,
I don’t blame her.

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Sunday 1st October
Garden Village vs Cimla
Squad : Josie, Tigger, Rosie, Atom, Lorna, Carys, Elle, Shorty (new Amy), Lea, Megan

A cold wet miserable morning with parents waiting patiently for the much expected call to say "game off",
but with no such luck, we meet at Village to follow Gwyn, our intrepid leader into the wilds of Cimla.
The supporter’s club tip of the week: Time to get out your thermal underwear, find your flasks and get some funky wellies!

After a motivational team talk from Ian and Gwyn, Village go out with a positive attitude which shows immediately from the kick-off. Lorna, Josie, Lea and Shorty do well in midfield giving Elle a first go for goal. Some good passing and team play see Village constantly on the attack. With Carys, Atom, Rosie and Megan working hard to keep the ball in the Cimla half, it was not long before Elle gets one in the back of the net. Lorna, Josie and Elle have several shots between them, giving the Cimla goalie a hard time, but she does well to keep them at bay. Village battle on, tackling hard, pushing forward all the time, forcing Cimla to defend their goal, giving Tigger a quiet half. Josie finds herself free, runs with the ball, finds Elle and another goal goes in. We are 2 up and Village look like they are playing as a team.

Ian and Gwyn battle it out to see who can get away with being furthest out onto the pitch with out the “official” ref sending them off, Ian won! Almost in the goal with Tigger at one point!!!

Half time sees a confident if a little tired Village team (especially as the pitch on the one side was on a definite slope)

The supporters club were out in force this week. Nice to welcome some new faces, although we did miss our chief cheerleader, Angela. Jules and Andrew on their usual form, keeping the supporters motivated with a string of verbal babble, which as this is going on the girl’s web site, can not be repeated!!

The second half starts well with our midfield again giving Elle and Josie the space to try for goal, winning them several corners which were taken well by both Lorna and Josie.

Rosie, who Ian told to be a bit more aggressive with her play, was obviously confused and thought he meant start a fight!! Only joking, she did really well putting a lot more into her tackling, and winning the ball against some very physical Cimla players. Atom launches one of her super hard shots Unfortunately she didn’t look first and hit poor Shorty so hard that she was knocked right off her feet. The supporters club thought it was game over for her, but Shorty is made of stern stuff, and was straight back on her feet, although she may end up with a black eye!

Village went quiet, and lost their shape for a while during the second half, letting Cimla back into the game with a goal.
We were caught out on the break several times, as our defence struggled to get back, leaving Tigger exposed. She does well to save a few shots, however Cimla then take a cracking shot which Tigger could do nothing about, making the score 2-all. Atom retaliates with a storming run and shot at goal, which unfortunately goes wide. Ian and Gwyn start ranting and Village wake up again, taking the ball back into the Cimla half. After some good play, there is a scramble in the box and a knock back from Shorty sees a confused Cimla nudging one into the back of their own net. Shorty will of course claim this goal as hers. With time running out, and the girls starting to run out of pace, there is another run at goal, with both Josie and Elle unlucky not to score, but away goes Shorty again, and she lands one in the back of the net herself. So 4 – 2. Gwyn gets the ref to check his watch, as we seem to have been playing forever. Finally the whistle goes, a great win for a very hard working, spirited Garden Village squad. Happy Days !

The supporters go wild, and a very emotional Gwyn is heard to be muttering "Shocking" all over the pitch.
Ian, equally proud of his squad, is already thinking of strategies for his next training session.

It has been noted by the supporters club that several girls answer to the name Shorty, but it looks as if new Amy gets the honours, whilst Amy-Marie comes away with Short-Ass or Tigger, as she is also known, After several attempts at remembering her name, Megan appears to be Sweetheart after this week’s game! Ahh. Rosie I think needs something suitable, such as Warrior or DangerRose!!!!

A tough game played with no subs, as still unable to field a full squad, so once again WELL DONE to all our regular girls who gave 100% out there today. This team is definitely coming together now!

Sunday 24th September
Garden Village vs Landore
Squad: Josie, Atom, Tigger, Lorna, Carys, Elle, Katie the Strong ,

A Warm but breezy day today, reminding the supporters club that it is almost time for those wellies and thermals to be found again! No coach Ian today, so it’s left to Gwyn to get Village motivated this week, which he does, even managing to get our beloved Jenna to come in from Jenna World to help out her old team mates in their hour of need. Great to see you back in the Village kit Jenna, we have so missed you! (See you at training on Tuesday; it’s been too quiet with out you, from Sandra!!)
Landore wanted to play 11 a side today, and even with our Jenna stepping into the breach we were one player down, so thank you to Landore for making up the 11 players by letting first Rachel, then Jess play for Village.

Village, who have not played 11 a side for a season, and with two new girls on their team get off to a great start by keeping Landore at bay with some courageous tackling from our midfielders and defence. Landore pushed hard, giving Tigger a hard time, but Tigger was well up for it (even though she looked lost in full size goals), covering the ball with her safe hands, and once again saving Village from a massive defeat.

Katie the Strong, Atom and Carys did well defending a strong Landore strike force. A special mention for Carys, who played up a level this week. Ian’s training regime is certainly getting these girls' fitness levels up to a new standard. Good going girls.

After a hard fought first half, Village are 3 nil down but they are full of determination and go into the second half with renewed confidence. Landore again press hard, but Lorna, Josie and Elle battle hard, and manage to spend a little more time in the Landore half, and with Jenna our Spirited Dynamo on fine form, Village give another gutsy and enthusiastic performance.

The final score does not accurately reflect the way the game was played, as Village held Landore for much of the match, but with no subs to bring on for much needed fresh legs the tiredness in the last ten minutes led to a couple of goals from Landore, but a great overall performance by Garden Village left the supporters club in no doubt that there is plenty to come this season. Our new girls, Amy and Lea played with great spirit and will be a fine addition to the team. A big thank you to our regular, dependable girls who turn up for training and on match days week after week (you know who you are), we hope that all our girls will make the same commitment. That goes for the supporters club who were very few in number today.

The supporters club missed their chief cheerleader Angela today (Rosie not well), but the fanatical Jules along with Andrew and Sandra tried hard to make up for the lack of support by being very vocal, even attempting a Mexican wave!! much to Josie’s horror. A late show by Elle’s dad, Paula and Jan helped swell the numbers a little. Come on supporters we promise to keep Jules under control, well we’ll try! Kim our resident professional goalie coach settled in behind goals to help Tigger, and Gwyn does the usual, confusing everyone by spending all his time on the pitch so no one sure who’s ref. Look out girls, Gwyn`s new word for the season is
SHOCKING!
Let’s not give him the excuse to use it, like today when you played so well he had to go back to
HAPPY DAYS!!!
(submitted by Sandra)
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Sunday 17th September
The Garden Village vs Dafen friendly was cancelled

Sunday 10th September
Garden Village vs Llangyfelach

The new season starts with a friendly against Llangyfelach, on a lovely warm sunny day, with a full squad of girls. Ian and Gwyn get the girls warmed up, and give their team-talk welcoming our regular girls back along with a few new faces. Tigger gets some professional goalie training from our resident ex-goalie Kim, which she uses to great effect during the course of the match, making some superb saves and showing what an asset she is going to be in goals.
A shaky first half for Village as they struggle to get control of the ball. Midfield do well, but are soon under pressure, and with a new defensive line up we were soon in trouble. Only the fearless actions of Tiggs saves us from a massive defeat. Atom finally arrives after being given directions by Gwyn that sees them arrive at the wrong pitch. Not to worry she is soon on the pitch, giving our defence a much needed boost.

The second half sees a definite improvement with Jenny, Josie, Lorna and Ellie getting stuck in with some good tackles and Katie The Strong holding the defence well. Jenny and Josie both managed to get free and had attempts at goal. I must mention the improvement of our blind midfielder, who since having contacts is now able to see the ball. What a difference. She managed to tackle and win the ball! Well done Rosie. It will of course take some time for Village to settle down, whilst getting used to playing alongside our new girls, but there were signs of this team being able to come together and make this season even better than the last.

The supporters club, led by chief cheerleaders Angela and Julia (or Gobby as she is referred to by Gwyn and Andrew!), were pleased to see some new faces on the touch line. We hope that this support lasts for the season. We especially welcome Andrew onto the cheerleading squad this season, only where was your special pink supporters hat? I am sure it would go lovely with your natural orange glow!
(submitted by Sandra)

Garden Village Juniors Under 14s are playing their first season of 11-a-side football. A core of very experienced
die-hards have been joined over the last year by some new recruits, and are currently enjoying a tough new training regime.

With over 40 players from all three age groups at training, and registered on 5th September it is looking good for the new season. Welcome to all the new girls, and welcome back to all the regulars. Good luck for the new season !

All players need to have completed their registration forms.
If you have not yet registered, contact Louise.

Subs of £10/month are payable at the first training session of the month from September to April