The Girls’ Prep recently entered the Kingston Borough Primary Schools’ Football Competition.
Although it was a frosty morning, the combined Year 5 and 6 team definitely brought the heat, playing their first group game against a very strong Latchmere School in what proved to be an epic clash. Both teams jostled for possession in the middle of the pitch with neither team allowing the other any time or space to manoeuvre the ball; a testament to the resolute defending and teamwork. Martha and Mabel particularly shone as they kept the number of shots on goal to a very minimum through expert reading of the game and courageous tackles. Sadly, it was Latchmere who broke the deadlock with a moment of individual brilliance from a player who would go on to be one of the standout players in a team that went on to win the tournament.
Nevertheless, in a testament to the girls’ resolve, they kept their heads held high and began the next game with that same fire which the opposition could not extinguish with Niamh scoring a hat-trick of goals worthy of any highlight reel. The pick of the bunch being her corner kick that she expertly curled inside the near post that, inconceivably, was very nearly topped after cutting inside and shooting from the halfway line just to be denied by the crossbar.
Surbiton High School continued to build upon that momentum in what was a great showing from the Year 5s, who, not wanting to be shown up by their Year 6 counterparts, decided to contribute two hat-tricks of their own in an 8-0 win via the dynamic duo of Darcey and Daisy. Their weaving pass and move tactics sliced through the opposition defence like a seasoned surgeon’s scalpel. Moreover, our other Year 5 representative, Amber, expertly marshalled the defence in a stalwart performance, not letting a single shot occur on goal and barely letting the opposition enter our half.
These results meant we finished the group in second place and would go through to the quarter finals to face the winner of group 4, Corpus Christi. Now, there have been many great heavyweight bouts remembered throughout history – David vs Goliath, Ali vs Frazier, Mario vs Bowser, and this would prove to be no different. Both teams faced off in a very physical confrontation with each ball hard fought for and no team willing to back down. Both teams shared good chances and it was the goalkeepers who kept things in balance. Lila, with wrists as strong as granite, made several great, reactive saves, seemingly being able to cover every corner of the goal in a flash. With the teams so evenly matched, it took a moment of inspiration to break the stalemate… Corpus Christi seized on an attacking opportunity by taking a quick throw-in to their striker who had snuck in behind the defence. They were immediately met by Lila who managed to deflect the shot but, due to the momentum and spin of the ball, it crept into the bottom corner of the goal. And with that wicked blow ended the Girls’ Prep School’s tournament run. In the true spirit of the game, however, the girls were all very gracious in defeat and volunteered to stay to watch the finals to cheer on the rest of the remaining teams. All in all, it was a great day out that the girls enjoyed and showcased a superb team effort in front of the parents who so kindly came to watch.
Categories: Girls' Prep School
