Sheffield Wednesday Ladies Under-13s produced an outstanding display to continue their excellent pre-season preparations, overcoming Doncaster Belles JPL with an impressive 3-1 victory.

There were understandable nerves in the opening stages, with both sides making a lively start to the contest. However, Wednesday quickly settled into their rhythm and began to play the attractive, confident football that has become a hallmark of their pre-season work.

The first half was an entertaining affair, with chances at both ends. Goalkeeper Macie was called into action to preserve parity, producing an excellent fingertip save to push a powerful effort over the crossbar and keep the scores level heading into the interval.

The second half picked up exactly where the first had left off, with both teams continuing to attack. It was the Owls who made the breakthrough after a superb passage of team play, with Evie applying the finishing touch to give Wednesday a deserved lead.

The goal injected even more belief into the side, and the advantage was soon doubled. Captain Holly collected possession in central midfield before confidently driving forward and finding the bottom corner with a superb long-range strike.

Wednesday weren’t finished there. Zara showed great determination to beat her defender to a bouncing ball before producing a composed looping header over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 3-0.

Macie was again called upon late in the game, making another outstanding save to palm an effort away before the defence reacted brilliantly to clear the danger. Doncaster Belles pulled a goal back from an indirect free-kick following a moment of confusion inside the area, but it proved nothing more than a consolation as Wednesday remained composed to see out an excellent victory.

It was a fantastic all-round team performance, with every player playing their part. The quality of football, relentless work rate and outstanding teamwork reflected the hard work the squad has put in throughout pre-season, and it was thoroughly rewarded with an impressive display against strong opposition.

Player of the Match was an incredibly difficult decision, with every player making a strong case. The award ultimately went to Eryn, who excelled in an unfamiliar position, delivering a composed, disciplined performance and hardly putting a foot wrong throughout the match. A thoroughly deserved recognition after an outstanding display.