Sirens 4 - 0 Ashford (Middlesex) 3s (H)
By Victoria Wiesener
The Surbiton Sirens delivered a dominant performance in their home match against Ashford, winning 4-0 in a rain-soaked encounter.
Looking back, the signs were auspicious from the start. Not only did we have a full team and subs, thanks to Jenny we also had a bingo/start chart of Tarek’s top 5 skills (jab, reverse hit, “eyes tell lies”, pivot and the defensive crab) to bring into the game and several of us had bagged prime car parking spaces, despite the midday pushback.
Sirens had a point to prove following a slightly fractious away fixture earlier in the season with interesting bodycheck tactics, highly questionable umpiring and a disappointing 1-0 loss. After winning the toss, Ashford opted not to have the first push-back and instead switched sides which was a punchy call given the torrential rain we were about to experience.
The Sirens however were all set for the encounter - new skills, new(ish) formation, and a focused, zen-like attitude at the ready. We were strong from the start, applying pressure to Ashford with quick, incisive passing and movement. Great communication and supporting play led to a wave of attacks on the Ashford goal that culminated in our breakthrough goal - Victoria T crossing into the D and Jenny B tapping into the goal from post. The floodgates were open - Sirens took advantage of the positive momentum to slot in two more goals in quick succession before half time, the first from Jax and the second from Victoria T.
Anticipating a robust push back in the second half, Sirens maintained discipline and energy, pressing Ashford at every turn and denying them sustained momentum (and picking up some impressive ball-dimpled bruises along the way). With some tricky players Ashford were quick on the counter attack, but our defensive formation held strong, with GK Ava making fantastic saves for those that did make it into the D.
Jax scored a final goal in the second half, capping off a dominant performance from the Sirens. Ashford became increasingly frustrated with their inability to make progress, turning on each other in a display that was a bit embarrassing to watch. By contrast, Sirens remained composed, focused, and disciplined, sticking to our game plan and maintaining our dominance until the final whistle.
Player of the match: Jax
Buzz Award: Jax (again) for trying to wear an away shirt for a home fixture.
Bingo skills result: All 5 skills covered across the team with Claire T, Tracey and Suze each scoring 2/5.
