The Development Team won 9-0 away at Oxford and topped off a good day by rushing back on the M40/M25 to take part in the Kelly Smith celebration game.

The team was Rogers, Patten Peart Ritchie Williams, Filbey Hooper Brunton-Wilde Alexander, Kelly Dean Devlin.  The substitute used was Hinds.

A hat-trick for Kelly, a brace for Dean and Devlin and a goal each for Filbey and Alexander.

Devlin was also sent-off in the 61st minute but it did not seem to create a problem as the team kept its clean sheet.

Then, as seen on the tweet below, the Development Team players were invited to take part in the game, either for Arsenal or Kelly Smith’s All Star XI. It was nice to see the Arsenal starts of the future mixing up with the best players from the present and the past:

https://twitter.com/ArsenalLadies/status/833461050624372738

https://twitter.com/ArsenalLadies/status/833352647159734272

Kelly, Patten, Dean and Devlin played for the first team, as they are part of it or regularly train with them. Peart, Ritchie-Williams, Hooper, Filbey, Alexander and Hinds were fresh legs that were needed to take over from the legends team, who were feeling tired in the second half of the game.

The Development team has now climbed up to fourth place in the table with 15 points in five games. They trail League leaders Brighton by six points but have six games in hand.

Reading are in second place with 17 points from 10 games, while London Bees are third with 16 points from nine games.

The next game for the reserves will see them welcome Chelsea at home at Herts Uni in the League next Sunday.