MY STATISTICIAN INFORMED ME THIS YEARS CURRENT UNDER 16 TEAM HAD SCORED 99 GOALS PRE TODAYS LEAGUE CUP FINAL CLASH WITH WRITTLE MINORS. BOTH TEAMS HAD GREAT MOTIVATION TO WIN, AND IT SHOWED DURING THIS DETERMINED AND ATTACKING GAME OF FOOTBALL. WEST HAM BROKE EARLY TO TEST THE MINORS GOAL KEEPER AND WRITTLE REPLIED WITH RECURRENT LONG BALLS THAT THE HAMMERS DEALT WITH COMFORTABLY. ONE OF THESE HIGH CLEARANCES WAS INTERCEPTED BY MID FIELD ENFORCER CIARA BLAND. ON THE HALF WAY LINE, BLAND BROUGHT THE BALL UNDER CONTROL, DROVE HARD AT THE WRITTLE DEFENCE AND SHRUGGED OFF THEIR CHALLENGES 1,2,3.  THE ONE WOMAN BATTERING RAM BROKE THROUGH JUST LEFT OF GOAL, AND WITH A CLINICAL LEFT FOOT PICKED OUT THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND HIT HOME THE TEAMS 100th FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. WRITTLE BATTLED HARD AND TRIED TO MAKE HEAD WAY WITH THEIR FAST PACED WINGERS.  AGAIN THE WEST HAM TEAM NEUTRALISED WRITTLE AT EVERY TURN, WITH GOALKEEPER GEORGIE HODGES LOOKING COMFORTABLE BETWEEN THE STICKS.  WHILST ATTEMPTING TO INTERCEPT A CROSS, AN OUTSTRETCHED HAND IN THE WRITTLE DEFENCE FORCED THE REFEREE TO POINT TO THE SPOT. UNFORTUNATELY, WEST HAM LIFTED THE BALL JUST OVER THE BAR AND THE HALF ENDED 1-0.

WEST HAM STOOD FAST AS WRITTLE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO BREAK THROUGH THE DEFENSIVE BARRIER.  THE HAMMERS WERE HUNGRY FOR A SECOND GOAL AND AS THE MATCH INTENSITY GREW A RASH TACKLE COSTED THEM A YELLOW CARD.  THE REF SHOWED A SECOND YELLOW TO WEST HAM FOR A DISTANCE INFRINGEMENT WHEN A PLAYER FAILED TO MOVE AWAY QUICKLY ENOUGH FROM A WRITTLE FREE KICK.  WEST HAM DOUBLED THEIR GOAL TALLY WHEN, ON THE HALF WAY LINE, DEFENDER NIAMH COLLINS SMASHED THE BALL WITH REAL VENOM TOWARDS GOAL. THE BALL PROVED DIFFICULT TO JUDGE FOR THE WRITTLE KEEPER WHO, CAUGHT OFF HER LINE AND UNABLE TO RECOVER, WATCHED THE BALL BOUNCE OVER HER HEAD AND INTO THE NET.  WRITTLE WERE FORCED TO DEFEND FOR THE LAST TEN MINUTES AS WEST HAM CONTINUED TO HUNT FOR THE ILLUSIVE THIRD GOAL. FULL TIME SCORE REMAINED 2-0

CAPTAIN HODGES CLOCKED UP HER AMAZING 14th CLEAN SHEET THIS SEASON, LEADING HER TEAM TO THIS FANTASTIC FINALE. THE DEFENSIVE FORTRESS OF COLLINS,  RICHARDS, SILLITOE AND PEVERILL PROTECT THE BACK LINE. THE MULTI POSITIONAL MAESTROS OF BEARD, CHINCHARO AND CROSS WORK CLOSELY WITH THE MIDFIELD IMPRESARIOS OF BLAND, HILL, IBRAHIM AND McLEAN TO FEED STRIKE ASSASSINS OF JEFFREY AND MARTIN. THIS LINE UP LEADS TO A VERY FOMIDABLE TEAM OF PLAYERS.