After a few weeks away from league action the Halifax Friendly FC Belles returned with a bang with a comfortable win against league strugglers Rothwell Juniors Women White, the lack of league action didn't seem to faze the Belles and their fine form in their first game continued with a big of a goal-fest on their behalf. Sunday saw their highest scoring league game this season with them putting 5 past Rothwell with a nice mix of goalscorers getting in on the action. 

The game was a chance for the coaches to experiment a little with their formation opting for a 3-1-3-1 formation, something new but something that the team adapted to with ease and those players in a change of role adapted really well and settled in nicely to their new responsibilities and in some cases had their best game of the season so far, I know I definitely felt like I had my best game in my new role and feel like I could settle into it nicely as I actually preferred it to being on the wing and it showed some strengths in my game that I never knew I had. The new formation gave the defence the help they needed and often lacked in previous games but everyone put a shift in, held their shape and all that hard work in training is really paying off and we are seeing just what we are capable of after a few technical session that have taught us how to move the ball around better and how to hold our shape to make it harder for the opposition to breakthrough on goal. Granted Rothwell had a few chances but nothing too threatening and nowhere near as many as they would have had in previous weeks.

We saw just what we could do in the new formation by the fact we were moving the ball round much better rather than previously as when we were on the ball we knew where the options were for us to pass to and we were using the space on the pitch really well, something we are trying to get used to and have worked on in training a few times, but it all just seemed to come together in Sunday's game as there were less of just hitting the ball and panicking and more sitting with the ball and calmly considering our next move which really helped us break down their midfield and defence and at times really frustrated them. 

Granted we did start the game a little slower than we would all have liked but again we were settling in to the new positions and getting a feel for the smaller pitch again after playing on bigger ones our past few games. Once we did settle down though it all just fell into place and every time we had the ball we looked a threat and took a chance on goal. We are definitely seeing our confidence in front of goal grow too which again was highlighted in Sunday's game, shots were taken from a variety of distances and were taken properly rather than hit and hope like they used to be, this ended with 5 brilliantly struck goals and it could very easily have been a higher scoreline if it wasn't for a few post hits and very close calls which unfortunately fell the wrong side of the goal.

It is safe to say that Sunday's game was one of the best I have seen from us this season so far with everything starting to come together that we have been working on over the past few weeks in training and you can't fault any players performance on the day with everyone having a solid game and showing the improvement they have made since the start of the season, to say this is our first season together with some of the results we have been getting it is going to be interesting to see what the remainder of this season and next season is going to hold for us... as all these things start to fall into place we are just getting stronger and stronger so we could see games getting better and better week in week out.

With the end of the season fast approaching it really is all to play for, the Belles are currently sat in 4th in the league just 4 points off 3rd place with 3 games in hand on them. With how games have gone recently though a strong run of results and we could very easily finish in 3rd place, if not higher which would be a huge achievement for our first season. I guess only time will tell for that though and all I can say is I am excited to see what the remainder of the season holds. 

Now is it game day again yet?

Going into the game we knew it would be a tough one but with the team that just seems to fire us up even more, yes it might be tough but we know what we are capable of even in our first few games together we were getting results against tough opposition so why should we feel any different in this game? The weather is definitely changing now so we are having to adapt to a much slipperier surface but we are still putting some great balls through to each other and not letting it catch us out with the bounce etc...

On Sunday's game we came out strong, we started well and set the precedence of how we wanted the half to go. We found our rhythm much quicker than in previous games where we have often looked shaky in the first 5 minutes or so letting our opposition settle nicely. This time though we settled nicely and it just set us off on the right foot, a few of the opposition looked shaky and like they knew they were going to have a tough game on their hands, something which I don't think they fully anticipated until we got going. As the first half progressed we did well, it was possibly our best 1st half to date and were getting into some good positions however, we just couldn't find the opening goa, one of those chances was for myself too, I know I should have gone with my right foot but for some reason I just didn't trust it and opted to switch it to my left and by then the chance was gone. To say I was annoyed with myself is an understatement. We were doing well though and the game was flowing well for us. 

In the second half we came out strong once more and were really pushing for the opener however, it was the opposition that ended up taking the lead with a shot taking a lucky bounce off the post and into the back of the net, with how it went off the post there really was no stopping it and we found ourselves behind. Coming back from behind is something have had to do a few times now so we knew not to write ourselves off just yet we kept pushing but again it was the opposition who ended up getting the next goal to double their lead with a tap in inside the box. Now with around 10 minutes of the game left most teams would have their heads held low giving up hope but that is never the case for our team, we all know what we are capable of and we keep going until that final whistle to try get something out of the game and that is just what we did. Victoria made a great break through the opposition defence to get her first goal of the season with a great finish, the whole team put 100% in knowing that they could still take something away from the game. There was a bit of a stoppage in play due to an opposition injury that helped us regroup and get a plan in place to push for the equaliser which happened in the last few minutes of the game. A couple of last minute corners lead to a low hard ball into the box which Cassie eventually put into the back of the net not long before the final whistle blew. It really was a tough game and a hard fought draw but at the end of the day 1 point is better than none and we have once again shown the opposition we haven't to be taken lightly no matter how many goals they might be ahead we can always dig deep find what we need and bring the game back. 

As for my personal game I am so annoyed at myself but at the same time I am trying to take away the things I can work on and I will be having a few training sessions on my own working on these areas. I know I need to use my right foot a lot more as that is where all the chances are landing I guess it is just a lack of confidence why I don't take those chances and would prefer to shift it to my left. I will definitely be working on the strength etc. of my right foot and work on getting those shots away as I know it is something me and Liam will be able to work on in the garden or at a local field which is going to massively improve my game overall. I have also noticed so far this season my fitness is an area that needs a big improvement, granted it is improving as I train more and play more but at the same time there is still a long way for me to go. Again though I am doing everything I can to improve this and have a few solo training drills in mind that might also help.

When you look at the table though after the latest draw we are currently sitting 4th in the table with only 1 loss in the league which is fantastic to say we have only actually played 7 league games together and have players out injured or who can't make all the games due to other commitments. With the season running until April I know that I definitely can't wait to see how it progresses as we get more gametime together and gel together even more than we currently have. We are going into the festive period strong and I am definitely excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us. The best part though is this is an absolutely fantastic team to be a part of they are all brilliant and I would go as far as saying it is the best team I have been on, there is also so much determination from every player they help pick each other up, lift each others spirits and they are just a great group to be around. 

It is another tough game on the 18th December when we face the team currently sat 2nd in the table but we have shown what we are capable and I am sure we are all thinking that we can take points away from the game and finish 2022 in the best position ready for the return after the festive period. 

Let's go Belles...