Girls' 1st XI National U18 Finals

Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd March at Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club, Hatherton Lane, Cannock, Staffs

Monday 1st March

4.50pm Repton 3 - 0 Ipswich School (Leigh (F), Mumby (F) (F))

6.30pm Repton 5 - 1 Pocklington School (Leigh (F) (F) (F), McCallin (PC), Siebert (PC)) 

Tuesday 2nd March

2.20pm Repton 1 - 0 Kingston Grammar School (Leigh (PC))

4.50pm Repton 3 - 2 Cheltenham College (Green (F), Siebert (PC) Leigh (F))

7.10pm  Under 18 National Final, Repton 3 - 1 Worksop (Leigh (PC), McCallin (PC), Siebert (F))

(Matches are all 20 minutes each way)

Squad: Annabelle Church (GK), Hannah Dunford (GK), Abi Krone, Sophie Hawkins, Megan Byas, Lowri McIntosh, Laura Smith, Grace Sanderson, Shona McCallin, Rhiannon Rogers, Ellie Green (Captain), Wiz Mumby, Rebecka Siebert, Jo Leigh, Friedi Juncker, Rosie Johnson, Bex Brown, Esther Gray (18)

A change of venue and format meant that this years' National Finals were to be played over two days at Cannock HC. Two group games per day followed by a late night final on the second day was bound to test the stamina of all ten teams involved.  Ipswich and Repton have never met in an outdoor match and the opening game of the tournament was one of our toughest.  Excellent at indoor hockey, it was unsurprising that Ipswich's one on one defending was so good and the Repton girls struggled to get in to their usual rhythym.  Annabelle Church was called on to make a couple of important saves before half-time leaving Jo Leigh to open the scoring after the break.   Repton improved as the game wore on and Wiz Mumby scored two late goals.  Wiz's first goal was deflected in really well after a reverse-stick cross from Jo Leigh.

Pocklington made life difficult in the second game, closing down with real energy and trying to be direct in possession.   The Pocklington goalkeeper made some superb saves to keep her side in it but once Becky Siebert's short corner strike was adjudged to have crossed the line below the height of the backboard the game was well won.  Meg Byas worked harder than anyone in this game and made some excellent overlapping runs in the first half,  Jo Leigh scored a goal of the tournament contender with a stunning reverse stick strike and Abi Krone was particularly effective with her deceptive distribution.

Day two started with the group decider and the tightest game that Repton 1st XI have played in for a while.   Unlike any other Kingston team that I have seen play they were content to sit at half-court for the whole game and smack it long whenever they won it.  To their credit their tactic worked well as, for all of Repton's possession, the girls could not create a clear-cut chance.  It took a suspension to a Kingston player to change the game and when Repton won the only corner of the game it was perfectly executed.  Becky Siebert delivered the pass and Jo Leigh deflected the ball home. 

Shona McCallin was rested for the final group game and once the girls had gone three goals ahead inside ten minutes it gave us the opportunity to give some other players a break ahead of the final.  Ellie Green scored a good goal and despite Cheltenham scoring twice the result was never in doubt.

Having had the luxury of resting players throughout the group stages, and having played them twice already this season, the girls were confident ahead of the final against Worksop.   Despite an early set-back of conceding a seventh-minute goal Shona McCallin, Sophie Hawkins and Abi Krone soon took control of possession and dictated the majority of the play.  Two well-worked moves with the first two short corners put Repton ahead before Becky Siebert completed the scoring before half-time with a trademark spin.   In the second half Shona McCallin hit the post twice,  Jo Leigh had a deflected effort cleared off the goal-line and the Worksop goalkeeper made several good saves.

This season has been an excellent squad effort led superbly by Ellie Green who won her fifth National title with Repton including the indoor and outdoor double in the last four weeks.  Thank you to all those came to support at Cannock and to everyone who has supported us over the season.

Photo Gallery:

Girls' U18 National Finals, 1st/2nd March 2010