7th November 2021
Squad: Phoebe, Esme, Emilia, Sienna M, Sienna W, Emy-Mae, Ellie
Sponsor: Lightning Tools
We had our full squad for a midday match against Sileby at Sileby Memorial Park. The weather conditions were dry, overcast, with a chilly wind, yet much improved over the previous week. At the oppositions’ request, we played 4, 10 minute quarters. The host venue was lovely, with nice grass pitches and a kitchen serving hot drinks and bacon butties.
The team performance continues to improve, with more movement, passing, and decisive tackling. Emy-Mae and Sienna M. took turns as forwards, with Ellie, Esme, and Sienna W. rotating in midfield, Emilia in defense and Phoebe in goal. Rugby’s attacking was strong, yet Sileby challenged each attack with precision. Rugby first saw some positive play via a strong attack by Emy-Mae, with midfield right along with her for support. Our midfielders, working hard running up the wings, managed to break through Sileby’s defences on multiple occasions, with Esme finding success on a run up the left wing towards the near post.
Emilia played higher than usual at times, which helped put more pressure on the opposition when Rugby was attacking, yet she confidently managed to make tackles and clearances before they became too dangerous. Phoebe had another great performance in goal, stopping any break in the Rugby outfield defenses. Sienna M. subbed in for Emy-Mae, and Ellie for Esme in the left-wing, giving us some fresh legs. Ellie demonstrated impressive manoeuvring with the ball, as well as some great passes, while Sienna M. continued her strong play by constantly going for the ball and passing when under pressure herself.
Playing in right midfield, Sienna W. showed us again that she has good spatial awareness and can anticipate plays, putting herself in key positions to await a cross from teammates. When on the ball, Sienna W. was making speedy runs up the right wing, some with positive results for Rugby Town. The last quarter saw Emy-Mae take a turn in defense, and Esme in goal, both showing that they are able to confidently play in multiple positions. While there were still many times when we clumped together when we needed to spread out, or perhaps didn’t look for the pass when it was available, these are areas we are working to improve. Overall, it was another impressive performance by our U8s.
Player of the Match: It was extremely difficult to select a standout in this match, as they all stood out impressively as individuals. Therefore, it was decided to give this award to each player. Well done to Ellie, Esme, Phoebe, Sienna M., Emilia, Emy-Mae, and Sienna W.