Our Under 11’s were back in League action this morning at Butlin Road and it was like they had never been away – they produced an emphatic team display which was a joy to watch and the girls should all be incredibly proud of their performances. We welcomed an experienced Oadby & Wigston team with both managers delighted to see the girls back playing again after so much time off.
After a nervy first few minutes it became clear that Oadby had a talented striker so the Rugby defence would have to be on their toes from the outset; they proved to up to the task and the home team quickly relaxed into the game with the end result inevitable within the first ten minutes.
Layla was assured in the Rugby goal, confidently commanding her area and showing great handling whilst distributing the ball well and putting Rugby on the front foot with some fantastic goal kicks. At the opposite end Sofia was in fine form up front, demonstrating intelligent movement off the ball and hounding the Oadby defence at every opportunity to create chances for the home team; her finishing was clinical.
Izzy was dependable, confident and brave in the Rugby defence as always; first to react to any danger and snuffing out the Oadby attack before it could gain momentum. Aurora put in a huge shift on the wing, covering the whole pitch; confidently striding forward whilst still finding the stamina to protect the Rugby defence – a real leader’s performance today.
Ria was calm and confident throughout in the Rugby back line, always playing it safe and relentlessly determined, she made some fabulous clearances to both save the danger and give Rugby great chances going forward. Poppy showed her creativity out wide, waltzing past the Oadby defence with some fantastic footwork as her close ball skills excelled; she did a great job to put her teammates in scoring positions!
It was pleasing to see some new set pieces in operation that we’ve been working on in training, with Rugby proving to be a threat from corners and opposing goal kicks now there is no retreat rule. Lexie put some great balls in, and her energy was second to none in central midfield – there’s a lot asked of her and she always delivers with insightful passing and vision beyond her years.
Captain Isobel was resolute in defence and demonstrated attacking prowess when asked to contribute in a different role; her confidence on the ball progresses every week and she’s shown that she can be a danger with long range efforts from outside the box. Well done to all the Rugby Town Girls involved, it was a comprehensive performance with a comfortable margin despite not really needing to get out of second gear; this team is hugely talented and shows enormous potential for the season ahead.
Player of the Match: Izzy was assured and confident in the Rugby defence, showing great communication and leadership skills, before putting in a shift on the Rugby wing where she was unlucky not to end up on the scoresheet