Under 13 Performance Squad vs Aldershot Town Football Club

JPL Warriors Cup U13 Group 5

Following a strong performance and positive result against tougher opposition last week, the U13 Performance Team hosted Aldershot Town with high expectations. Unfortunately, what followed was a hugely disappointing display, as the team struggled to match the desire and energy of a spirited Aldershot side who were hungry for their first points of the season.

The contest quickly became a tale of two teams in terms of attitude. While the girls played by far the better quality of football when the ball was on the floor, they consistently lacked the necessary work rate and fight to turn possession into clear-cut opportunities. The Aldershot defence was relentless, winning almost every 1v1 battle against our forward line and disrupting our rhythm. This lack of urgency saw us go into the break trailing 3-1.

The coaching staff opted for a change of approach in the second half, switching to a more aggressive 3-4-3 formation in an attempt to seize control of the game. However, the fundamental issues persisted: we continued to be second to most loose balls and lost critical individual duels across the pitch.

Despite the collective lack of spark, the match was illuminated by a truly special individual performance from Sophie. Single-handedly dragging the team back into contention, Sophie unleashed a remarkable hat-trick of long-range efforts, finding the back of the net three times to tie the scoreline at 3-3.

With the momentum suddenly shifted, it felt like the girls might clinch an unlikely point, but Aldershot’s tenacity paid off. With only five minutes remaining, we conceded the decisive fourth goal, sealing a painful 4-3 defeat.

This was a major step back for the team. The technical ability is clearly there, but today demonstrated that desire, attitude, and work rate are non-negotiable foundations for success. The girls will need to reflect on this performance individually this week and ensure they bring a far greater intensity to training and especially to next Saturday's game against tougher opposition.

A huge shout-out and congratulations goes to Sophie, who was rightly named Player of the Match. Her sensational hat-trick nearly meant the team took a point from the contest.