Under 11 White vs Durrington FC U11 Archers

U11 Division 4

It was another frustrating morning for the U11 White team today, following a pattern we've seen over the last few weeks. Despite the result, the girls demonstrated commendable focus, something we are keen for them to maintain even when things don't go their way. Their resilience in staying focused was a real positive, especially amidst some difficult decisions going against us—a sign, perhaps, that opposition teams have to fight incredibly hard to secure a result.

The playing conditions were certainly tough, with a difficult pitch making it a challenge for both sides. The result was a few frantic goal-mouth scrambles born out of both the tricky surface and moments of rushed decision-making.

On the positive side, the girls were generally successful with our in-possession targets. The girls worked hard to make the pitch bigger and showed good intent in trying to play passes through the thirds.

However, our out-of-possession work needs sharp improvement. The girls made it far too easy for the opposition to play through the middle, failing to hit our defensive targets and allowing them too much space.

The main area for growth discussed with the girls post-game was decision-making in the final third. We created multiple promising overload situations but often made the wrong choice, typically rushing a shot instead of looking to create a better opportunity. We explained that by choosing to create in those moments, they could have realistically added another four or five goals to their tally. Improving our team play in this critical area is a priority.

The day ended on a great positive note! The opposition chairman was watching the game and sought out the girls afterward. He commented on how much he enjoys watching teams from Atalanta play, singling out our team for their style today. He told the girls that despite the scoreline, they were "by far the better footballing team."

It was a fantastic compliment for the girls to hear this first-hand. This is the quality they need to remember when the inevitable frustrating moments happen on the pitch.

It was a tough choice today, but the Player of the Match award went to Eva B.

Eva was truly "quietly effective" throughout the game, putting in an excellent second-half performance. She defended exceptionally well, making intelligent decisions about when and where to play the ball. Her strong interceptions and crucial tackles demonstrated a fantastic understanding of her role, getting on with the job with great focus. Well done, Eva!