East Goscote FC U9s vs. Rugby Town U9s
1st September 2024
It was a day of firsts for Rugby Town’s U9s. The 1st of September saw the 1st game of the new season and the 1st official 7-a-side match on a bigger pitch size. The girls were away at East Goscote FC with Phoebe, Sophie, Charlotte, Primrose, Ada, Paige, Maisie F and Imogen in the squad.
It didn’t take long to notice the 14 yellow shirts of the home side, who had turned up with rather a large squad, meaning the girls knew they were going to have to dig deep and keep working hard for the whole match. This was a team Rugby have fared well against in the past, so the girls were up for the challenge.
Rugby kicked off and from the start were really trying to utilise their training, putting in some good passes and trying and use the space afforded by the bigger pitch. Maisie F got stuck in straight away with some strong determined tackles, a feature of her game that was displayed throughout the match.
There was some early ‘bunching up’ of the game caused by the opposition, where 2 or 3 players were all going in for the tackles at the same time. This was throwing the girls off a bit after their efforts at opening up the game, but Sophie managed a beautiful drag-back and skilful dribble between 3 opponents to press towards their goal.
East Goscote were putting on the pressure too, but with a solid defence by Charlotte and a couple of brave, diving saves by Paige in the box, Rugby were keeping the attacks at bay. Phoebe was thoughtful with her positioning and passing with a great moment of “dribble-stop-look-pass” through to Sophie. Imogen was doing some great coverage of the oncoming attacks with her tackling, and Charlotte and Primrose were working together holding the fort in defence, always careful to remain at the back should the direction of the game suddenly change.
As Ada came back on from a short recovery, East Goscote had the luxury of swapping out their entire outfield team giving them an obvious injection of energy from fresh legs. This caught Rugby on the back foot, but some good blocks by Ada, strong tackles by Maisie and a good work by Paige, once again Rugby showed they could adapt and meet the moment.
At the end of the first period, it was shaping up to be a very even match, despite the imbalance in the squad numbers.
Into period 2 and Charlotte took a turn in goal, allowing Phoebe to be subbed and Paige to take her place in midfield. Again, from the whistle Rugby were putting in so much effort. Primrose was running her usual marathon in defence, and Paige put in an epic chase when Rugby were caught by a lovely square-ball from the opposition.
Rugby were turning the tides with an extended period of pressure, ensuring that East Goscote’s very capable keeper was put to work. Phoebe and Sophie linked up to make a great run together, and Primrose was a constant presence on the ball whenever the opposition were in possession, right up to the half time whistle.
Into the third quarter, and once again Rugby were faced with a full-team swap from East Goscote. This time the effort put in so far and the fresh energy from the opposition was starting to take its toll. It was clear the girls were digging deep for every ounce of energy they could fine. Maisie showed such determination to get the ball at all times, and Imogen pulled off a fantastic run and approach at goal.
Primrose was defending well at the back, supporting Paige who was back in goal for this period. Phoebe also ran so far, covering every interception she could get to. This period was by far the toughest for the girls, with the sun coming out just in time to warm them up even more! Despite the tough challenge, Rugby were still able to press forward. Sophie showing her dribbling skills and Ada making some fantastic tackles and runs of her own.
Having won a corner, Primrose delivered a lovely arcing ball into the box (there’s a noticeable increase in the distance between the corner flag and the goal face on this pitch size!), and hearts were in mouths as both teams battled for the ball, with East Goscote desperate the clear the ball out from danger.
Another “all change please” by the opposition into the final period where Charlotte took another turn in goal. She performed so well, making a number of brave close-downs of incoming attacks. Phoebe, Ada and Imogen were running hard and digging deep throughout, whilst Maisie and Sophie worked perfectly together up-front. A stunning cross from Maisie to Sophie was stymied by the opposition defence at the last moment.
It was a fantastic effort by all the players, right up to the final whistle. The girls should be thoroughly proud of their determination and work ethic during a tough game. A wonderful preview into what looks to be a great season ahead.
Players of the match:
Coaches – Primrose
Parents – Maisie F
Players – Charlotte & Sophie
