The Blaze U9 and U10 teams arrived at the Ilkley Summer Tournament in blazing sunshine, ready for a full day of football and fun. The journey across north-west Leeds from Headingley to Ilkley was beautiful — winding roads, rolling hills — but the heat was already building, and by early afternoon it was well into the high 20s. With matches running right through to 5pm, it was always going to be a tough test for the teams.

But what a performance.

The girls gave absolutely everything in challenging conditions. With no permanent goalkeeper in the squad, they’ve taken turns going in goal all season — and it’s been so heartening to see how much progress they’ve all made. There were some brilliant diving saves throughout the day, and a growing confidence that they should be really proud of.

One of the highlights came in our penultimate U10s match — a tense, hard-fought draw against Brighouse, the team at the top of the table. Everyone dug deep, and Amelie pulled off some outstanding saves to keep us in it — a real standout performance at the end of a long, hot afternoon.

By the end of the tournament, the U10s had notched up two wins, four draws and three losses — finishing sixth in a competitive group of ten. Not bad at all for a scorching day in Ilkley, fuelled mostly by ice creams and crisps.

Huge well done to all the girls — and thank you to the families who came to cheer them on in the sun!