Under 11 Black vs Winchester City Flyers Kingfish

U11 Cup

Today's scoreline ultimately flattered our opposition. They benefited from a couple of almost unstoppable goals struck perfectly from the edge of the box and an unfortunate own goal, which proved difficult to recover from. Despite the final result, the team showed tremendous character and resilience throughout the match. We created several excellent goal-scoring opportunities, particularly in the opening 10 minutes and the final 15 minutes of the game, demonstrating our attacking potential, but unfortunately, the team just couldn't find the clinical finish needed on the day.

It was pleasing to see the defenders actively putting their training into practice by trying to play out from the back on goal kicks. This strategy worked really well in moments and showed real promise. However, there were times when the team struggled, largely because the wingers were positioned too high, limiting wide passing options and occasionally leading to the team being pinned deep in their own quarter.

The half-time discussion focused on working better in pairs when out of possession to apply pressure. In the first half, the team sometimes stood off the opposition, which gave them too much time and space, leading to a couple of their goals. The second-half response to this challenge was fantastic. The girls worked tirelessly to press together, restricting the opposition's time on the ball and forcing crucial turnovers, which helped the team create more chances higher up the pitch.

We are immensely proud of the girls' reaction and their ability to take on and implement feedback immediately. They showed great character, determination, and resilience, and most importantly, they never gave up. These are the qualities that will define the team's season.

Our Manager's Player was Eva B. She was solid at the back all Saturday, covering her teammates brilliantly and making some crucial, well-timed challenges. Eva consistently showed for the ball when playing out from the back and truly embodied our match-day targets.