Girls U16 Rovers 3 - 4 Old Cranleighans (A)
By J Woods
Necessity is the mother of invention, and on this Mothering Sunday, it was paramount that the Rovers emerged from the shadows onto centre stage. Recent away defeats, with one particular chastening experience at Wimbledon, had left the Rovers reeling.
The game commenced, and in next to no time, the Rovers were reeling again.
Tayla, making her under-16 debut, rued her over-exuberance in chasing down a ball that was going out. She trapped and turned, but instead of expecting to see cover, she saw three OC players facing her. They gratefully accepted her attempted clearance, and Rovers were one nil down.
Tayla and Rovers reset their composure and eventually got back into the game. Lauren, the heroine of Tulse Hill, dug one out, and Rovers got to half-time on a level footing.
HT OCs 1 - 1 Rovers.
The second half began brightly. Rovers were seemingly getting a hold of the game. But out of nowhere, the OCs were two more goals to the good.
This time, doubts were surely creeping into the Rovers players' minds. It turned out to be the opposite.
Molly H saw the back of the net for the first time in a while, and then Imogen W equalised. Suddenly, it was game on. The Rovers, desperate for a win, came close. Time was running out, and the game looked like it was heading for a draw. Another OC goal made it 4-3, and that was that.
This derby turned out to be a mother of a game. The Rovers may have lost, but finally, they can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
FT Old Cranleighan's 4 - 3 Surbiton Rovers