Lewes Women FC’s Ellie Mason describes her ‘emotional’ debut after injury struggles

As Ellie Mason rifled home her first goal in a Lewes shirt, the mood inside the Dripping Pan was decidedly heart-warming. 

Mason had run the length of the pitch from full-back to put the Rooks 2-0 up against Sunderland in an FA Women’s Championship clash. 

But while the goal itself was a fine individual effort, nothing could’ve prepared Mason for the reaction that ensued. Teammates swarmed her, coaches praised her and the crowd were audibly ecstatic. 

Because, Mason’s goal was not just her first for the club, in her very first game –– it also came after a gruelling 11 months out with injury. 

Speaking to GiveMeSport Women, Mason revealed the mental struggle of dealing with such a setback, the ways in which Lewes provided support and how she has now gone on to make her international debut. 

Mason’s injury occurred while playing for fellow Championship side London City Lionesses last year. It did not stem from a rough challenge, but rather from a fairly innocuous moment, where she simply kicked the ball. 

“It wasn’t a tackle or anything, I literally just toe punted the ball away,” she stressed. “There was no contact. It was a really tough time and once I found out I needed surgery, it was obviously gutting and my heart sunk.” 

The results of Mason’s MRI scan showed that she’d face a long spell on the sidelines. There was a hole in the bone of her knee, and the surgery required is typically reserved for people far older than the defender, who is still just 26 years of age. 

“It was a very, very tough time. I’ve never been through anything like that and it would’ve been tough for my friends and family as well because I had to rely on them for everything. 

“It wasn’t like an ACL [anterior-cruciate-ligament] or ligament tear