My forever

Chapter 37 - Group Stages

A/N The next couple of chapters will be pretty much just surrounding the euros with a few bits about Jayde and Leah here and there

The rest of our honeymoon went really well, we had an amazing time in Italy and Leah and I have never felt stronger. She's getting the help that she needs and I been supporting her along the way. But now its time for the euros, its group stages. we've been in camp for about two weeks now and were coming up to our first game against Austria. Were all so excited for our first game as its our first game on home soil, our home euros this is our year to win it. I'm back feeling better than ever and I will be starting the game. Sarina also informed me that I am the vice captain for the tournament as Leah and I work so well together as a team and she wants to see what we can do with this tournament.

It's game day and the starting line up is:

1 J Williamson

2 L Bronze

6 M Bright

8 L Williamson (C)

3 R Daly

10 G Stanway

4 K Walsh

7 B Mead

14 F Kirby

11 L Hemp

9 E White

We start off well and then in the 16th minute beth smashes a goal home to bring us 1-0 up, the rest of the game we have a few chances which are saved by manu and the same for them they have a couple of shots but I keep them out to give us the win. Leah and I are roomed together because obviously we are married, were happy with this as its giving us time together very much needed time all the girls have enjoyed teasing us about being the old married couple of the team but we don't mind, we've got each other and that's all that matters.

Now it's time for our second game of the group stage, we are against Norway. The starting lineup is:

1 J Williamson

2 L Bronze

6 M Bright

8 L Williamson (C)

3 R Daly

10 G Stanway

4 K Walsh

7 B Mead

14 F Kirby

11 L Hemp

9 E White

We are completely dominant the whole way throughout the game, in the 12th minute we get a pen which G fires back home to bring us 1-0 up, then in the 15th minute Hempo makes it 2-0. Ellen makes it three in the 29th, then beth makes it four and then 5-0 in the 34th and 38th minute. Ellen then makes it 6-0 in the 41st minute taking us into half time comfortably. We go into the changing rooms and the girls are already celebrating, I stop them all and say 'hey listen in, yes we do have a comfortable lead, but this game is not over until that final whistle is blown. We do not get complacent, we do not make silly mistakes and we keep pushing for more and more goals. No one has a hat trick yet, if no one gets a hat trick in the game, I will personally arrange with Sarina for everyone to do suicide sprints tomorrow, same goes for if we concede. That okay with you Sarina?' She just nods. 'We go back out there and show them what it is like to play the lionesses on home soil.' The girls all cheer and Leah kisses me on the cheek. 'Got anything to add captain.' Leah shakes her head, 'my vice captain just said everything that was needed to be said, first to every ball and we don't stop fighting until that final whistle.'

We head back out for the second half and Sabrina makes some subs, super sub Alessia makes it 7-0 in the 66th minute. Norway have a couple shots on et but I save all of them, and then beth saves the team from suicide sprints in the 81st minute by completing her hat trick. The game finished England 8 Norway 0.

Our final game of the group stage is against Northern Ireland, if we win this won we would've comfortably won three out of three games and we would've secured our place in the knock out stages. The lineup for the game is:

1 J Williamson

2 L Bronze

6 M Bright

5 L Williamson (C)

3 Carter

8 G Stanway

4 K Walsh

10 E Toone

7 B Mead

9 E White

11 L Hemp

Again its another comfortable game for us the first half is pretty much uneventful with hempo giving us a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. Leah does the team talk at half time basically telling the girls we've gotta go out there and fight and get the goals.  The second half starts and tooney gives us a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute, followed my hempo with her second of the game to make it 3-0 in the 60th minute. G then scores twice in the 70th and 79th minute to make it 5-0, we finish the game comfortably with the 5-0 win, not having conceded once in the group stages and through to the knockouts securely.