This was a lovely win to finish off the first half of the season, and it was a joy to see the improvement these girls have made. Skills covered in training are now being seen in match play, and it’s great to see how this team has really gelled.

The girls led from the start and maintained their momentum as the match went on. Phoebe’s positioning and shooting accuracy were excellent, and she adapted brilliantly to how her opponent defended her. Olivia’s movement in and out of the circle was fluid, and her shooting in the third quarter was outstanding, especially considering the fatigue factor of playing GA. She also connected really well with Phoebe in the shooting circle. Anaya was outstanding at WA. I believe it was a first to play WA for a full game, and she demonstrated natural awareness and movement. With Amelia in at C, the flow into our shooting circle was a joy to watch. Amelia kept things nice and steady in our attacking end and was a crucial link between both ends.

Defensively, the girls gained so many turnovers. Charlotte’s highlight for me was taking a clean interception off the opponent’s centre pass, after a quick chat about coming off the body and cutting out the line of the ball. Ruby was ‘twinkle toes’ in the defensive circle, showing great footwork, and it was nice to see her come out to the WD position. Freya did some great work to delay her opponent and worked well with Gigi and Charlotte as a unit to hold up play off the opponent’s centre pass. Finally, thanks to Gigi for her versatility in covering both defensive and C positions.

It was a good game, but as ever, there are still some learnings to take into the New Year. Decision-making, especially after turnovers, is something we will continue to work on, along with reducing unforced errors. That said, it was a lovely match to finish off the first half of the season and it was a joy to coach this team. Well done all!

Finally, congratulations to Olivia for POM and to Anaya for CPOM.