But once we were in, it was time for our Under 12’s final match of the season - and with league safety already in the bag, the girls were keen to finish on a high.
Charnock kicked off brightly, Nevaeh testing the Thorncliffe keeper early with the first shot of the game. Corrin was up for it from the off, battling hard and driving forward, and at the back, Lottie calmly stopped an early Thorncliffe chance. It was clear this
one would be a tight contest.
Eva linked up nicely with Maisie who sent a high ball forward, while Nevaeh’s long throw found Corrin to keep the pressure on. Evie showed her defensive grit, cutting out a dangerous Thorncliffe attack with a well-timed tackle. Lottie then tried her luck with a high shot that had the keeper watching nervously - just wide!
Thorncliffe kept pressing forward, but Eva, Maisie and Evie stood firm to clear a series of corners. Summer then produced a superb save, tipping a point-blank shot onto the crossbar.
Rosie was positive in possession as always, turning her player nicely, and another Nevaeh long throw saw Corrin earn a corner. Corrin’s delivery caused chaos in the box, leading to a goalmouth scramble that almost brought Charnock the opener.
Eva, Lottie and Lola combined to keep pressure on the Thorncliffe defence, and Nevaeh then threw in to Lottie who fired just wide. The best chance of the half fell to Maisie, who found herself unmarked in the six-yard box, but just couldn’t quite direct her effort on target.
James brought on Rose, Raegan, Amelia and Grace, who all made an impact.
Raegan got stuck in with a promising attack, Corrin then tried one from range, and at the other end, Summer had to stay sharp with another smart save. Thorncliffe were caught offside, which saw Evie step up to take the free kick. And when Eva was fouled moments later, Evie again delivered brilliantly to Corrin.
Raegan did well to pass to Rose in the Thorncliffe area; she was lining up a shot but a last-ditch tackle denied her.
Grace had a golden opportunity to shoot, but unselfishly chose to pass. Summer then pulled off one more big save, keeping it to 0-0 before the half-time whistle.
The second half didn’t quite follow the same script. Thorncliffe came out flying and quickly took the lead with a close-range effort, leaving Summer with no chance with the sun dazzling her eyes. 2-0 to Thorncliffe, and that second goal knocked Charnock’s confidence a bit.

James responded by pushing Rose out wide and bringing Lola back into the action. That gave the girls a boost, and Rose, Amelia and Grace linked up nicely in a good attacking move. But then, in the midst of defending, Rosie was judged to have fouled in the box - penalty to Thorncliffe! Summer dived the right way, but she didn’t need to - the shot flew wide!
Lola sparked into life again, winning a corner and driving forward. Rose chased down her marker on the wing and was harshly pulled up for a foul, while Eva and Evie battled gamely to try and get us back into the game. Rosie then swung in a great cross, and Lottie turned her player only to be fouled - Evie stepped up again with another quality free kick.
Thorncliffe sent in a corner of their own, but Rose got there first and set off down the wing, pulling her back in the process. Rosie lofted a high ball forward and Maisie soon got on the end of a Corrin cross to fire in a shot, saved by the keeper. Lola, ever lively, looked determined to find the net, but with Charnock pushing, Thorncliffe hit us at the other end with a scuffed shot that pinballed through the area, wrong-
footed everyone, and landed perfectly for a tap-in. 2-0.
Still, the Charnock girls kept going. Corrin sent in a free kick to find Lottie, who struck a shot on target, only to be denied by the keeper again. It just wasn’t our day.
At full-time it finished 2-0 to Thorncliffe, but that didn’t tell the full story. James summed it up best - the first half was superb: organised, confident and brave.
Summer’s saves, a strong back three, and some decent passing all stood out. But after going behind, heads dropped a little and some old habits crept in. Still, as Coach Russ said, this has been a long and frustrating season at times, but the girls have worked so hard. It’s been a learning curve for everyone and, with 11-a-side coming next season, this fantastic group of girls will be up to the challenge.
Today’s awards went to Corrin - Girl of the Game - for an all-round brilliant performance that stood out, and to Grace for Effort of the Week, showing great improvement in her new role.
Well, that’s another season in the bag - thanks to all the girls, the coaches, the sponsors, and the parents. Up the Charnock, roll on the tournaments and friendlies - we go again in September!