Sponsored by Inspiron Systems Limited
Liv – Captain and GK, Olivia – DF, Annabelle – CM, Freya – LW, Ruby – RW, Jasmine – CF, Chloe – ST, Louise – Sub
A trip to St Andrews Panthers for the Under 11’s and we got to see lots more of the ground and pitch than our last visit, and playing on grass always represents a different challenge with an interesting playing surface.
The cold wind was affecting the spectators more than the girls and lots of early pressure from the front 4 led to shots from Chloe and Jasmine forcing a series of good saves from the Panthers goalkeeper. Annabelle was keeping the ball moving out to the wide players, leading to some outstanding wing play from Ruby that kept the defenders busy. A series of corners kept turning the pressure on before Freya was able to make the breakthrough from close range.
The first substitution of the match had Chloe being replaced by Louise, and she was rewarded by having a ball hit her in the face for her first touch of the game. Her tenacious style meant she just shrugged it off and proceeded to be terrier-like in attack. A quick counterattack from Panthers and a first shot on goal that just evaded Liv meant the teams were even at half-time.
The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with a succession of corners and pressure but unable to find a way past a resolute goalkeeper having a great game. Some really eye-catching passing moves between Annabelle, Freya and Jasmine kept the midfield working well. It was great to hear Liv organising her defence at set plays and Olivia continued to demonstrate her cool head and composed approach in defence.
As the match headed into the final stages, the physical size of the opposition started to have an impact and their striker was able to use that to get through with a rasping shot that was somewhat against the run of play.
Rather than letting their heads drop, the Rugby girls piled forwards and were determined to make amends. A frantic last few minutes, a series of corners, and there was Louise popping up in the right place at the right time to score her first goal for the U11’s.
Parents Player of the Match – Louise
Coaches Player of the Match – Jasmine