Dunstable Town Lionesses U13

14/05/2025

***MATCH REPORT - MATCH DAY 22***
Saturday 10th May 2025

Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 1
V
Shenley FC U13 Panthers - 4

We’ve had a big gap between our previous game and this one. Over a month. Training has continued throughout and a great game last weekend against the U12 Lionesses helped keep the momentum going but there is no real substitute for a competitive match.

Shenley are unbeaten all season for a reason. They are strong in all areas of the pitch and made-up of players from the older end of the spectrum. This makes a difference in size and speed. But we have proven on every encounter with them throughout the season, that we can compete with the best.

The result today was irrelevant. We could have had a couple of more goals. So could they but for some superb saves from Lana and fantastic defending from all. On a hot day, we should resilience and passion despite falling behind. Well done to all who played and fought to the very end.

Congratulations to Alex Samm for another brilliant Player of the Match performance.

We finish the season with our heads held high. Big thanks to Lee and Rich for their superb coaching. The improvement across the whole team is huge. We are all very proud of the team we have become.

Now to take that passion into the summer tournaments and into next season.

Thanks as always to our team sponsor:
Efes BBQ & Meze

14/05/2025

MATCH DAY 22 Result:

Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 1
Shenley FC U13 Panthers - 4

***MATCH REPORT TO FOLLOW***

14/05/2025

“Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)”

Paul Weller
The Style Council, 1984

A belated update on our last fixture of the season…

Shenley have topped the table since Christmas and are a big test for us on our final game of the season! Regardless of the result, what a fantastic season we’ve had. All of the players have come so far and improved so much!

13/05/2025

We are excited to announce that Dunstable Town Girls Under 14 Lionesses Football team will be holding open trials for new players on Monday 19th May at Creasey Park.

This is a great opportunity for talented girls to showcase their skills and potentially join our team.

The trials are open to all girls starting years 8 or 9 in September.

09/05/2025

11/04/2025

***MATCH REPORT - MATCH DAY 21***
Saturday 5th April 2025

Shenley FC U13 Panthers - 1
V
Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 0

It is always a tough game when we play Shenley. There are clearly the strongest team in our division, unbeaten all season with great ability all over the pitch. However, we matched them in every department today. Shenley pushed hard from the kick-off, using the strong wind to their advantage. We are strong in defence and composed on the ball. Every attack was shut out and corner cleared, with little trouble for Lana the whole half. The wind was strong, so we were at our best going forward when we got the ball down and got our passing going.

And so the first half played out - a lot of pressure from Shenley but every time they got in and around our penalty area, the door was firmly closed. It was looking like we had weathered the storm until a minute before half time Shenley launched a hopeful ball forward. A combination of the wind and hard pitch caused the ball to bounce freakishly, sending it looping over a stranded Lana and put them one nil up.

The second half was all us. The wind in our sails this half and pressure all over the park. We had them on the ropes the entire half. They never looked like adding to their lucky one from the first half but try as we might, we couldn’t find the equalising goal. Another fantastic performance from all involved. Sienna came off the bench and put her body on the line in defence, taking a kick to her foot but soldiering on to the end. Some great long kicking from Lana keeping the pressure upfront and Savanna bossing things in midfield again. Special mention to new signing Anita Klejps on her debut for the Lionesses. Battled all game, great on the ball, a threat going forward and always willing to help out at the back. A fantastic performance that earned her Player of the Match!

First Team Coach Rich Samm commented after the game:

“I hope the girls aren't disappointed by the result today. They worked very hard and played some very good football at times. Really pleased by the performance. Also great to see Anita grab her first POM (I'm sure there will be more to come from her!).
Enjoy the rest of your weekend team. See you Monday night!”

That has been the spirit that has brought us so far this season. A proud performance, never disappointed for too long and we go again every Monday. One last league game to come - against “champions-elect” Shenley at Creasey Park. Would be lovely to sign-off with a victory!

Thanks as always to our team sponsor:
Efes BBQ & Meze

07/04/2025

MATCH DAY 21 Result:

Shenley FC U13 Panthers - 1
Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 0

***MATCH REPORT TO FOLLOW***

04/04/2025

“Lookin' for the answers I can't find
I have my reasons and life has its lessons and
I tried to be grateful and count all my blessings
But heavy is the head that wears the crown”

Michael Omari, James Napier and Matthew James Firth Colman
Stormzy, 2019

As we fast approach the end of the season, it’s another chance to see how far we’ve come as we take on the team to beat. Shenley have sat atop the table since Christmas but heavy is the head that wears the crown!

02/04/2025

***MATCH REPORT - MATCH DAY 20***
Saturday 29th March 2025

Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 1
V
Buckingham FC Youth Merlins - 0

After a tough game against title challenging Flitwick Eagles last week, this weekend brought another big game. The Buckingham Merlins are a strong team with speed, size and skill on their side, who have beaten us on our last two meetings. Merlins were short of players at the start, which you would think would work to our advantage but this seemed to energise them and leave us hamstrung.

Merlins made most of the running from kick-off. Attack being their best form of defence. We seemed shaken and unable to settle on the ball. our trump card has always been the ability to defend well, regardless of how well we are playing. The Merlins pressure was high and intense but we managed to weather the storm. After twenty minutes and a reminder from the coaches to focus on the basics we showed more of what we can do. Taking a touch to control and looking for the easy pass. Making Merlins do a bit more of the chasing and showing some patience.

Eventually our patience paid off. Having made a few good chances and forcing a series of corners, the deadlock was finally broken by a fantastic strike from our centre back Jess. Receiving the ball halfway into the oppositions half, Jess fired an unstoppable effort over their keeper and high into the back of the net. A superb strike from our best player on the day. With that strike and a solid unbeaten performance at the back, Jess contributed to a hard-fought victory for us and earned herself the Player of the Match award.

We had some notable strong performers off the bench this week - with Sienna and Savannah in particular coming on to see us over the line.

Despite not playing our best, we still managed to come away with a victory which shows that winning mentality. As we approach our last couple of games of the season, we’ll need to up our game as we take on top of the table Shenley next!

Good win and happy faces at the final whistle - lovely to see you all enjoying it so much - we go again next week - Monday, Thursday and Saturday!

Thanks as always to our team sponsor:
Efes BBQ & Meze

31/03/2025

MATCH DAY 20 Result:

Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 1
Buckingham FC Youth Merlins - 0

***MATCH REPORT TO FOLLOW***

28/03/2025

“We're one of a kind
No category
Too many years
Lost in history
We're free to take
Our crowning glory
For five more minutes
We're SIX!”

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss
Six - The Musical, 2017

A real SIX pointer as third plays fourth this weekend! Our Lionesses will be hoping to show the Buckingham Merlins some magic and flip the result from when they last met!

27/03/2025

***MATCH REPORT - MATCH DAY 19***
Saturday 22nd March 2025

Dunstable Town U13 Lionesses - 2
V
Flitwick Eagles U13 Whites - 3

Flitwick Eagles have been dancing a merry dance with Shenley Panthers in the top two places of our division for the entire season. The only other team to have run either of them close has been our very own Lionesses. Narrowly losing when we met them away early in the season and earning a tough fought draw last time out, today felt like our turn to take the spoils.

It was a super match, with the Lionesses taking the lead through the superb Alex Samm - stepping up from midfield with another important goal. The Eagles were sparked into life and managed to equalise a couple of minutes later. Both teams are now so evenly matched, which is a testament in itself to the work Lee and Rich have been putting in on the training field and the match flowed back and forth, with chances falling to both sides. The Eagles scored next to take the lead in 34 minute, only for Alex to step-up again and pull us back to two each.

And so the stalemate continued, with both sides creating opportunities only to be snubbed out by the resilience of the other defence. It was looking like another draw was on the cards, when a chaotic rumpus in our penalty area late on saw the Eagles steal a late winner.

A disappointing result for our girls but a fantastic performance nonetheless against superb opposition.

Player Of The Match was deservedly awarded to Alex Samm, for another tireless performance and two goals from midfield. Great contributions from all the girls and lovely to see Anita and Charlotte getting some valuable minutes on the pitch too.

After the game, our manager Lee Horsford had this to say about their winner and our performance in general:

“Yeah, it was one of them really. A bit of a melee in the box and I doubt the ref could see much to be honest. His vision was obscured and there were a lot of legs being flung about. One things for sure is that they know they’ve been in a match when they play us.”

Well down girls - another performance to be proud of. And we go again next week - Monday, Thursday and Saturday!

Thanks as always to our team sponsor:
Efes BBQ & Meze