How to be Optimistic

Folkestone Optimists powered past Blackheath Under-14 girls in the Kent League.
It was always going to be a tough ask for the visitors who fielded a side made up almost entirely of Year 8s. The hosts, who were mainly Year 9s, also fielded several county players in their starting XI.
Yet, despite the disparity in experience, it was Blackheath that came out of the blocks fastest. Before a minute had past, a dazzling run by Isla Thomas took her past the Optimists' back line. She then wrong-footed the hosts' goalkeeper before neatly slipping the ball into the net.
Blackheath held the lead for 15 minutes before a powerful short corner routine restored parity, and just five minutes later Folkestone had the lead, catching the visitors asleep on the break.
But it wasn't all one-way traffic, just before the break Blackheath won a succession of short corners. From the last Isla Thomas fed Isla Campbell, but her effort went just wide.
On the right side Poppy Stockton was having a storming game in defence. Jasmine Lewis, on a rare outing for the Year 8 side, was commanding at the back and would go on to win player of the match for Blackheath. In the middle Amelia Couper was holding her own against Folkestone's No 13, the Kent County captain, with several strong tackles.
But a special mention should also go to Analivia Elkins, fresh from her selection for the Kent County squad, and Rebecca Anderson, who both showed flashes of excellent stick play. Evie Oakley also had a good game in midfield.
The half ended 2-1 and the visitors would have rightly had hopes of a revival and even a possible victory. That hope was swiftly snuffed out in the opening 10 minutes of the second period.
Three times Folkestone swept forward and three times they found the net. Ellie Kinch in the Blackheath goal was not at fault for any, and was extremely unlucky for the third of them when her excellent save spun conveniently for the onrushing Folkestone forward to take home.
At 5-1 down the game was as good as over, but to the visitors' credit they managed to rally and for 10 minutes in the middle of the period they were on top. Amelia Lewis, Nancy Pilkington and Nell Williams began to come into the game. Twice Isla Thomas went close. First an excellent run through the centre saw her tear through the defence before shooting narrowly wide. Then moments later a powerful shot from far out hit the outside of the goal.
But Blackheath couldn't keep the pressure going and against their older opponents tired late on, allowing the hosts to score twice more to give the final scoreline a distinctively flattering finish.