MINEHEAD Girls Under 16s have been crowned Somerset Girls Football League title after beating their Wembdon counterparts 1-0.

The win sealed an unbeaten season for Minhead with 11 wins on the bounce along with the opening draw against Wembdon.

Manager Dan Haran said: “This success is all down to the hard work and dedication from the girls and their families.

“I’m absolutely delighted for them as it’s their last season in youth football.

“Ultimately, this is all about creating memories, and I know they’ll look back on this with fondness and pride.

“We’ve had such an amazing time as a youth team, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for girls/women’s football here in Minehead. We have lots of exciting plans.”

Minehead stated well with early chances falling to Erin, Mabel and Evie up top.

The pressure paid off when they took the lead with a rehearsed pattern of play,

Ruby picked up the ball on the left-hand side, checked back and found Erin in a central area.

Skipper Erin opened her body up, striking with power and, with a slight deflection, the ball found its way into the far corner of the net to give Minehead a 1-0 lead in this crucial game.

Wembdon started to make things tough for Minehead especially with the long ball but Minehead found themselves in better positions as the half wore on with Mabel, Evie and Jaz going close.

The Blues were given a warning though just before half-time when keeper Leah was called into action with a fantastic save to deny the visitors.

The second half started with Minehead edging proceedings with Wembdon always a threat on the counter.

The game was lacking flash moments and the sides were cancelling each other out on the big Minehead pitch, clear-cut chances few and far between.

What was evident was that like the week before, Minehead were determined to keep the opposition at bay.

The backline of Bontia, Izzy, and Lucy again remained compact and strong, the midfield of Alana, Jaz, Emily, Charlotte, and Ruby led by workhorse Lilly were working tirelessly.

As the game entered the final quarter, tension was rising. The opportunity to win the league at home in front of friends and family was getting closer. But Wembdon were making Minehead work for it.

Minehead adopted a new shape, and this resulted in a more relaxed approach, producing fluent football at times as space was opening up with tiring legs.

Mabel was unfortunate to have her shot cleared from the goal-line, and Erin forced the Wembdon goalkeeper into a great save.

The match was petering out, but at 1-0, all was still to play for.

The referee indicated three minutes of stoppage time as game management now became Minehead’s priority.

Keeping the ball in the Wembdon half and into the corners was the motive now, with Erin using her strength to fend off multiple players as the clock ticked by.

As the three minutes were up, the league celebrations were at the discretion of the referee, thankfully not too long after the team of girls from Minehead secured an emphatic league triumph as the whistle sounded.

Minehead Girls Under 16s: Erin, Lilly, Carly, Bonita, Lucy, Charlotte, Emily, Leah, Jaz, Ruby, Evie, Alana, Izzy, Mabel.