Under 12 Performance Squad vs Montpelier Villa Galaxy Girls

JPL Warriors U12 Green Division

Our U12 Performance team traveled a long distance on a beautiful afternoon hoping to build on their last strong display. Unfortunately, despite the picturesque setting, the team couldn't find their rhythm, resulting in a disjointed and ultimately disappointing performance against a well-drilled opposition.

For large passages of the game, the girls struggled to maintain possession, leading to constant turnovers and an inability to build any significant attacking pressure. The performance felt uncharacteristic, with too many instances of sloppy or weak passing and panicked clearances—elements the girls typically excel at controlling.

It wasn't until the final quarter that the team truly managed to exert sustained pressure. Impressively, they fought back to take the lead for the first time in the match. However, the biggest letdown followed immediately, as two sloppy goals were conceded in the final ten minutes, instantly undoing their hard work.

If the girls want to compete consistently in the JPL Warriors, they will have to bring their "A game" every single week. The reason the girls practice tight passing drills at training is to implement them in the match, and today there was very little evidence of that. The girls need to step up and put in the hard yards and not rely on teammates.

The positive takeaway is this: credit must go to the opposition for being well-drilled, and if the girls learn from this tough experience and channel their technical ability with maximum effort, this will not be a wasted part of their footballing journey.

Despite the collective struggles, there were some excellent individual moments:

Isla A made a fantastic save in the first quarter, keeping us in the contest.

Niesha’s individual press and drive led to her scoring a well-deserved goal.

Isla S put in a truly relentless shift with her running throughout the game.

Georgina was justly named Player of the Match for putting in a fantastic shift at both ends of the pitch. Her defensive positional play was crucial in helping to snuff out many potential attacks, and her two well-taken goals in the final quarter provided a brief moment of hope for the team.