With slight trepidation we arrived for the meet (mostly on time), keen for a better result than the opening game against Newmarket 1s in the previous week. 

Rallied by a home game and such great support from our wonderful coach Paul, it started well with lots of attack, some great play down the right from Lucia and Emily and solid support in the middle from Louisa and Susie.

We struggled with clinical finishes to our passes in the attacking quarter and gave quite a few opportunities away keeping our backs and midfield busy in defence.

I won’t lie I can’t remember the order of the goals (a tad worrying given it was only yesterday) but one came from that lovely sweep of Juliette’s and another which started as a smashing strike from Lucia, rebounded off the stick of a defender towards Juliette - not a wise move on Shefford and Sandy’s part - & the youngster ready posed, flew the ball into the goal’s top right corner.  After a brief debate about which side of the net it entered, the score was 2-0.

Shefford and Sandy then took the score to 2-1 when a short corner whistle blew just as the ball crossed the line and a goal was awarded. Undeterred South fought back and kept the score to 2-1 at half time.

The second half saw a more determined South side with greater focus on accurate passing and working the ball back towards our home zone to keep possession. Our support for each other got better and we began to work much more as a cohesive unit keeping the pressure on the Shefford defence.  There was some great linkage between Tabby and Sally down the left, more great runs from Emily down the right. Lucia continued to demonstrate what a skillful player she is anywhere we played her! Our midfield in Louisa and Susie held their own, our defenders, Lucy, Anne and Hannah swept up continually sending the ball back in the right direction everytime we lost possession and Mia who only started in the goal again against Newmarket last week, kept her cool and her goal empty of the ball.  Efforts were eventually rewarded with goal 3 -  a run from Emily finished with a cross to Juliette who found the back of the net once more.

PoM votes came in for Louisa for great mid field work,  Susie for a massive performance at bottom of the diamond, Sally for some great crosses, Lucia for her skill and drive and Emily for so many lonely runs with Emily just pipping the post as our PoM.  On LoM votes, notable suggestions being Tabby for her Dad having to wash and bring her shirt for her and Susie for losing her water on a hot day. As I am writing this report and given I have spent endless years washing my childrens clothes and frantically trying to get them dry in time, I think it has to go to Tabby. Final say - is a vote of thanks to our umpires, we are all always grateful to you all, even if some of us don’t always make that clear on the pitch :)...