C&K Basildon Ladies have taken a step forward in securing their future after announcing a new youth set-up at the club.

The women’s Premier League Southern Division side have set up new under-12, 14 and 15 sides and are looking to add an under-10 team ahead of the new season.

Island Girls, St Clere’s Girls, run by Stevens Keys, and Rayleigh Girls, managed by Mike Hart, of the Essex County Girls League, will now fall under the C&K Basildon umbrella after a deal was struck with the local clubs managers.

And Island Girls boss Sean Eldridge, 28, said he felt the transition was in everyone’s best interests.

“C&K Basildon play on Canvey and there is where my current Island Girls team is based,” said Eldridge, who has been coaching girls’ football on Canvey for the last nine years. “My team are under-14 and are two years away from adult football and a lot of them have ambitions to play at a higher level.

“I got in touch with C&K and it stemmed from that. Having a conveyor belt of young talent that can feed into the reserves is a good deal for all parties.

“It gives my girls a pathway.”

Eldridge met C&K Basildon chairman Peter King last November to discuss the move, with the youth teams expected to play at the Basildon Sports & Leisure Club.

And King was a big advocate of the partnership.

“We have been thinking about it for a while,” he said. “As we aren’t affiliated to a league club we find it hard to attract players in the first place so if we can’t pull them in we look to breed them ourselves.

“A lot of clubs may not want to rebrand but these clubs volunteered and, having spent some time with these guys, they know how to run things.

“It is an exciting time.”

A trial day will be held in the summer, while Eldridge is also looking for players to make up an under-10 side at C&K Basildon.

Anyone interested is advised to contact Eldridge on ckbasildonyouth@gmail.com.

l Angela Addison’s hat-trick helped C&K Basildon secure a comfortable passage into the semi-finals of the Essex County Cup.

C&K thrashed Hutton Ladies 7-1, with Addison opening the scoring after just four minutes.

Rushen added a second after Amy Nash was brought down in the penalty box, while Nash followed up her own shot to make it 3-0, with an own goal making it 4-0 at half-time.

Addison tapped home her second after the break before completing her treble with a powerful strike.

Sara Sinclair completed the scoring and set up a tie at Writtle.