Dragons under-11s boys had a welcome return to form in their rip-roaring game against 30FC Whites.

Coach Hilary said: "The boys had been on a bad run recently and got a bit disheartened, but they played their hearts out and we are hopeful that will give them the confidence they need. It was the best performance for months and we are beyond proud of them.

"We passed the ball and moved into space, which led to our two goals. In defence Patrick and Tommy were asked to do jobs at full backs and they did it - clearing the ball out of the danger zone and passing it into midfield.

"Seb was an absolute machine at the back, getting stuck in as usual and taking no messing. Jack was outstanding and made some brilliant saves, even with parts of his body that he would probably rather didn't come into contact with the ball...

"Owen, looking like a blond Ryan Giggs, was brilliant on the ball, making some cracking runs and tricky turns, resulting in him scoring two beautiful goals. Danyal took no messing and got stuck in, making tackles and running the ball down the wing.

"Leon took a ball to the face and shrugged it off and cracked on. Frankie stayed on his feet, kept calm, and was strong with a great work rate. They all did so well we didn't select an individual player of the game - they all deserved it."

Panthers boys under-nines made hard work of it against Uppermill.

Coach Ste said: "We started well and scored three goals in the first half, but all the action was in the second half. Panthers continued to push forward but Uppermill kept attacking fast on the break and found their scoring boots.

"But despite the opponents scoring again, Panthers didn't drop their heads and dug deep. It was a great game of football for the neutral to watch and we are once again proud of the lads. Goals were scored by James (2), Ethan (2), Oliver (2) and an own goal."

It ended up a Bridge too far for Phoenix under-10s girls, as they traversed tough conditions at St Mary's Park.

Despite the driving rain and slippy surface, the girls played some cracking football against an impressive Bridge FC side.

Non-Stop Noe was player of the game, as she drove the blues forward from various positions in midfield, including some nifty step-overs she may have learned from dad in their front garden.

Phoenix's first goal came from Lois, who bravely battled an everlasting cough to get in good positions, capping a lively display with a trademark Ronaldinho-esque toe bopper into the corner.

Aoife, always game, always smiling, scored her third of the season from close range following one of many excellent balls into the box from Summer.

For her part, Summer continued to run at the Bridge back line in her new wider role, as she played some fantastic crosses, including corners Beckham would have been proud of.

Orlaith patrolled the centre of the field, cutting out Bridge's attempts to exploit gaps and she linked play excellently. Isabella drew gasps from the crowd as she miraculously tipped a Bridge effort around the post midway through the first half. Once again our elite shot stopper kept the girls in the game at times.

Grace, fleet of foot and quick of thought, made some typical tackles, but also got her head up and used the space well to set up forward progressions for her teammates.

Another ever-improving stalwart is Mia. Her passing and control have come on leaps and bounds and it was a joy to watch her play lovely passes forward between the lines.

Last, but definitely not least, the lion on the wing, aka Iris, was her usual effervescent self, dancing through challenges and flying into tackles without fear.

Overall, there was plenty for Phoenix to take away from the sodden field and be proud of, as they gradually bridge the gap on the better teams in the division.

Jaguars under-nines boys were unfortunate in their game against Sapere Aude.

Coach Tim said: "The boys started brilliantly but couldn't quite open the scoring. When the opposition scored it seemed to knock our concentration. Despite the disappointments we hope the experiences do the boys good in the long run. Our goals were scored by Ned and Connell, with a brace."

Cheetahs under-12s girls went down 3-4 to Winton Wanderers at a soaked St Mary's Park.

Coach Chris said: "It was a bad start for the girls today and conceding two early goals didn’t help the matter. After that we were always chasing the game, but fair play to the team as they kept plugging away and never stopped trying.

"We were definitely the better team for the last two thirds of the game but were unfortunate to get caught on the break. A lot of pluses though - with Cece scoring on her debut for the team and Dimitra on her second appearance putting in a very solid performance in defence winning one of our player of the game awards.

"Also Aoife played a blinder on the right side and was very unlucky not to get on the score sheet herself and was our other player of the match. We are looking forward to the lighter nights so we can get back to realistic training."

Vikings under-11s boys put in an 'outstanding performance' in their game against Cheetham Hill Greens.

Coach Tom said: "Each and every one of them was at it from the off. We put in a dominant first half display and looked well balanced all over the pitch. Rocco scored with an unbelievable top corner strike and then Seb finished calmly into the bottom corner.

"We played 10-aside on an 11-aside pitch and playing on a bigger pitch, inevitably meant we couldn't keep the high intensity up for the full hour, but we limited them to very little opportunities on goal.

"A special mention for player of the match Fionn, who played in a different position, but you would have thought he'd been playing there for years. And also Harry, we have now nicknamed him the lawnmower (flymo) for short. Hardly anything gets past him. He wins every tackle. He was complimented by their coach at the end of the game with him saying their players just couldn't get past him."

Phantoms boys under-15s had a bad day in their 1-2 defeat against Radcliffe Rovers.

Coach Marc said: "It was a disappointing performance from the lads. It wasn't helped by us not having subs, but we are hoping to be back to full strength next week. Isaac scored our goal and Finn was player of the match."

Phantoms are looking for players to add to the squad - see details.