BackSun 15 Feb 2026
Panthers CubsU11 Newbury
24
7
Cubs v Newbury
Louise Hancock23 Feb - 09:30
Strength Across the Court!
It was lovely to watch the girls play such a well-contested match against Newbury. Newbury were a well-drilled team, and it was a fantastic collective effort to restrict them to seven goals, with numerous tips and forced errors created through strong pressure in both the centre and defensive thirds. At the other end, we demonstrated a significantly higher shot conversion rate, which ultimately proved decisive. There were some excellent passages of play into our shooting circle, finished with confident and impressive shooting. This was truly a full team performance, with every player giving 110% on court.
Some highlights for me…
• It was great to see Chiamaka stepping out of the GK position and into more space to showcase her athleticism!
• The flexibility within our WD/WA combinations — Flo, Edith and Darcy — was excellent to watch. All three showed lovely movement to get free, and delivered good feeds into the circle.
• Our connections between shooters Lotte, Evie and Verity were particularly strong on the day, with great timing and some lovely lay-offs.
• Finally Ebangha held the fort superbly at Centre. Her range and agility created turnover ball, she contained her opponent well, and she was always available as a reliable option when needed.
Congratulations to OPOMs Lotte and Chiamaka, who both played critical roles in their respective ends of the court. Lotte’s movement and shooting accuracy were outstanding — particularly in the final sixth, where she achieved a 100% conversion rate (7 from 7). Chiamaka was a constant nuisance in the defensive circle, picking up tips, forcing unforced errors, and securing important rebounds.
Congratulations also to CPOM recipients Stephanie and Edith. Both were instrumental in transitioning the ball out of defence after regaining possession. Stephanie worked brilliantly alongside Chiamaka in the defensive circle, reading the game intelligently and using excellent footwork to disrupt Newbury’s shooters. Edith played a very astute attacking WD role, crucial in linking our two ends, and in the final sixth played a great WA with smart play and feeds into our shooters.
Overall, this was an excellent team performance and a well-deserved 24–7 victory, well done all!
Some highlights for me…
• It was great to see Chiamaka stepping out of the GK position and into more space to showcase her athleticism!
• The flexibility within our WD/WA combinations — Flo, Edith and Darcy — was excellent to watch. All three showed lovely movement to get free, and delivered good feeds into the circle.
• Our connections between shooters Lotte, Evie and Verity were particularly strong on the day, with great timing and some lovely lay-offs.
• Finally Ebangha held the fort superbly at Centre. Her range and agility created turnover ball, she contained her opponent well, and she was always available as a reliable option when needed.
Congratulations to OPOMs Lotte and Chiamaka, who both played critical roles in their respective ends of the court. Lotte’s movement and shooting accuracy were outstanding — particularly in the final sixth, where she achieved a 100% conversion rate (7 from 7). Chiamaka was a constant nuisance in the defensive circle, picking up tips, forcing unforced errors, and securing important rebounds.
Congratulations also to CPOM recipients Stephanie and Edith. Both were instrumental in transitioning the ball out of defence after regaining possession. Stephanie worked brilliantly alongside Chiamaka in the defensive circle, reading the game intelligently and using excellent footwork to disrupt Newbury’s shooters. Edith played a very astute attacking WD role, crucial in linking our two ends, and in the final sixth played a great WA with smart play and feeds into our shooters.
Overall, this was an excellent team performance and a well-deserved 24–7 victory, well done all!
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