SOCCER:This season Wanganui Soccer has a new force in women's football, one that is taking the Manawatu competition by surprise.
The development squad, which flies under the Wanganui Athletic banner, is comprised of upcoming local footballers with ages ranging from just 13 years of age through to the squad's 21-year-old captain,
Crystal White.
This squad plays the semi-final of Manawatu's Tingey Cup tomorrow at 11.30am at Wembley Park, against unbeaten first division team Red Sox.
The Development squad remains unbeaten in all nine of its league matches, leaving it firmly atop of the Manawatu Women's second division. With the squad requiring only a further six points from its remaining five matches, league victory would seem inevitable.
The squad is the current holder of the Manawatu second division Challenge Trophy, which the girls won with their first match with a 2-0 victory over last seasons league winners, Levin AFC.
Last weekend the squad's 4-0 victory over Palmerston North End moved the girls into the semi-final of the Manawatu Tingey Cup.
The first half saw Hannah McCormick connect with a cross from Carla Myers, to coolly slot home the team's first with the game barely five minutes old.
The second came 10 minutes from halftime from a long-range effort from Jess McCormick, to bring the team's top scorer to a total of 11 goals for the season.
The second half was particularly physical but the backline held strong, and North End rarely entered into Athletic's half. A beautiful long-range effort from Myers sailed in under the cross bar for the third. Then 10 minutes from time McCormick bagged her second to seal the victory and the team's 11th successive victory. Tomorrow the squad face its toughest match of the season against the unbeaten Red Sox Manawatu from the Manawatu 1st division.
Coach Richard Dalby believes that although this will be his side's toughest game of the season, victory certainly isn't beyond the capability of this talented young side.
