MELBOURN Panthers under-eights were edged out of the Crow League Tournament on a sunny Saturday at Knebworth in a tight group where no team disgraced themselves, and with no game seeing more than one goal. Panthers failed to capitalise against the Knebwor

MELBOURN Panthers under-eights were edged out of the Crow League Tournament on a sunny Saturday at Knebworth in a tight group where no team disgraced themselves, and with no game seeing more than one goal.

Panthers failed to capitalise against the Knebworth Bobcats in their first game, having more chances, but the last touch was never clinical enough to gain an early advantage in the tournament.

With excellent defending by Saffron Henry, Josh Bates and Ben Greenaway, which was to continue throughout the day, and with Luke Eades and George Storey being denied upfront, the best chance of the game fell to Tom Hollway who tried a 40 yard lob of the keeper - but theBobcats keeper was an even match for it.

Dani Friel in the Panthers goal also had a good game, saving a free-kick on the edge of the area as the game ended goalless.

Panthers second game was against the well organised and mature Letchworth team.

Melbourn ran their hearts out, Tom Hollway and Kieran Geraghty battling in midfield determined to make Letchworth fight for any sort of result.

The whole Panthers squads determination and spirit was fantastic to watch playing against boys with a lot more footballing experience.

Luke Eades made a number of runs with the ball that unnerved the Letchworth defence, but it not going to be Melbourn's day.

Only one unstoppable shot into the top corner, which Friel somehow got her fingertips to but could not stop it hitting the back of the net denied the Panthers a draw.

George Storey was unlucky in the dying seconds not to snatch an equaliser from well outside the area, when putting the ball past the wall and an agonising inch over the bar from a free-kick.

With a must-win third game, Panthers in the dying minutes deservedly for the overall possession they had sealed a 1-0 victory over Hatfield with a determined solo effort from Storey taking on three defenders before burying the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

But luck was not on the Dynamos side, with Letchworth unable to convert any chances against the Bobcats in the final game, a 0-0 draw, saw Dynamos edged out of the tournament.

However, Panthers left the Knebworth Youth Park full of pride on a series of performances that bettered anything that they had achieved all season.