Under 11 Performance vs Montpelier Villa Galaxy Girls

JPL Warriors U12 Green Division

It was a tough lesson for the team today, proving that you can arguably be the better side for an entire match and still come away with a loss. There is very little to fault about the performance as the girls played some fantastic football at times, but a few missed chances and a couple of mistakes saw what could have been a comfortable win turn into a marginal loss.

The girls started strong, controlling the game and dominating possession. The opposition defended well to make goal-scoring opportunities few and far between, and we were unlucky not to go ahead when a great cross was unfortunately turned just wide. At the end of the first quarter, the game remained scoreless. We continued in much the same way during the second quarter, pressing from the front and desperately trying to find an opener. The breakthrough finally came when our forward, who had been a nuisance to the defence all game, managed to shut down the goalkeeper as she received a back pass and turned the ball into the net to make it 1-0 at half-time.

Intensity dropped slightly in the third quarter. The opposition equalised with a great strike from outside the area that gave our goalkeeper no chance, and they then took the lead with a scrappy goal after capitalising on a second-chance rebound. The girls certainly didn’t give up, finding an equaliser soon after with a composed finish, but the opposition struck again to make it 3-2 heading into the final period. With twenty minutes to go, the girls stepped back up, pressing hard and driving forward. Despite creating plenty of opportunities, it was not to be and the game ended in a narrow defeat.

Overall, there were far more positives than negatives today. While the result was a loss, it could have easily been a significant win based on the chances created. The girls should continue to be proud of how they are holding their own while playing a year up this season. With such fine margins, it is clear the team is playing at the right level.

The Player of the Match award was split today between Ivy and Jessica. Ivy had a fantastic game on the wing, working hard to track back while making great runs forward to create brilliant opportunities for her teammates. Jessica was an absolute engine in the middle of the pitch, battling to win the ball and tracking back at high speed to make key interceptions and blocks to support the defenders. Both players showed relentless work rates and were everywhere on the pitch today.