Under 11 White vs Durrington FC U11 Archers

U11 Division 4

While the result may not reflect it, the girls put in a fantastic performance today, showing significant improvement and executing our game plan with precision. It's a shame we didn't come away with the win, especially given how well we played for the majority of the match.

Right from the start, the team looked to make the pitch bigger when in possession, giving teammates multiple options. This was a key focus for the day, and the girls delivered. The first two quarters were a masterclass in this approach, with some fantastic ball movement connecting the defence and midfield. We saw a lot of lovely, quick passing, and the girls did a great job of moving the ball around with fewer touches.

Defensively, we were just as impressive. The girls remained compact and forced the opposition to play out wide, exactly as we had planned. We were able to easily intercept any balls played through the middle, and for the first three quarters, the opposition barely created any significant chances.

Unfortunately, a single goal seemed to trigger an avalanche. The opposition capitalised on nearly every mistake we made in the final quarter, and the scoreboard began to tell a different story than the one unfolding on the field.

As coaches, our primary focus remains on developing the girls into better players. We want to ensure everyone gets a decent amount of game time, and sometimes, that makes it challenging to see out a game without impacting substitutions. Despite the frustrating result, we were so proud of the quality of football on display. The girls were the better team out there today, and even the opposition recognised the effort it took for them to turn the game around.

A special well done to all the players for a brilliant effort. We are incredibly proud of how you played today.

Player of the Match was Aoife. Aoife was instrumental in making the pitch big when we were on the attack and demonstrated excellent ball control in her one-on-one battles. She consistently beat opposition players to get in behind them and also worked tirelessly to get back and support her teammates in defence.