A football match had to be abandoned after a teenage goalkeeper was knocked unconscious and suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Helena Brodie was injured as she came for a cross during AFC Sudbury Ladies’ match against Ipswich Wanderers Ladies on Sunday.

The 19-year-old collided with the opposition striker and came off worst, being knocked unconscious in her efforts to defend her goal.

The former West Ham and Colchester goalkeeper had to be taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, with the match abandoned after 15 minutes.

Manager Clive Golding was one of many to rush to Miss Brodie’s aid.

He said: “Helena was unconscious for about 30 seconds. All the players went to her aid. She was in a lot of pain when she came round.

“She is a very good keeper, you can’t dispute that, and she’s always been very brave. They always say you have to be a bit mad to be a goalkeeper.”

Miss Brodie, from Colchester, is also a regular for the Suffolk FA ladies team.

Examinations at the hospital revealed that she had dislocated her shoulder, but not broken any bones.

She could be out of action for up to six weeks, although Mr Golding, who began managing a girls team at the club 15 years ago, hopes she will return sooner.

AFC Sudbury Ladies are top of the Eastern Region Women’s Football League Division One North, ahead of the likes of Norwich City Ladies Reserves.

They are also due to face Ipswich Town Women in a Suffolk Women’s Cup semifinal in March.

Mr Golding said: “It is hard and very competitive in the eastern region. The key thing with most teams now is everyone has a good goalkeeper.”

A spokeswoman from the East of England Ambulance Trust said: “We were called at 2.24pm to an address in Alexandra Road, Sudbury to a patient with a shoulder injury. She was taken to West Suffolk Hospital by land ambulance.”