Girls' U14A v Oundle, L2-0

Date:
Saturday 10th October

Venue:
Away. Depart at 12.50pm for a 3.30pm start

Team: Francesca Beharrell (A), Daisy Collins (M), Amy Davies (M), Cara Evans (A), Clare Gething- Lewis (M), Ellie Jennings-Edwards (M), Lili Kettlewell (M), Jessica Lawrence (A), Charlotte Perkins (G), Phoebe Roberts (M), Jessica Variava (M), Georgina Whitehouse (M),

Lost 2 - 0

The U.14A team lost for the first time this season away to a strong Oundle team and although it is always preferable to win, this will have done the girls no harm whatsoever. After an encouraging, fairly even and goalless first half I’m afraid the Repton team lost their way a little and forgot pretty much everything that we have talked about over the last few weeks. The Oundle girls were, without doubt, physically stronger and had much higher ball speed but we should have been able to cope with their direct style of play and make life more difficult for them than we did. In hindsight, I’m sure the girls will think that running and passing the ball onto open sticks (and not doing their left to right drags) was probably the biggest problem but I would urge them to consider the fact that whenever I am umpiring they must be responsible for getting their own shape when in possession. The lack of height and width from our forwards was a major problem and the fact that our right and left backs were rarely in a position to receive a pass meant that we continually and unsuccessfully tried to force the ball down the middle of a crowded pitch. Nearly all the Repton team have, at some stage of the season, produced better individual performances but I was pleased with defending and distribution of Jess Lawrence and the work rate and running with the ball of Charlie Perkins. It has been an excellent first half of term for these girls and now they have the opportunity to turn their first defeat into a positive learning experience before a busy second half of term.