SHC Sloths (WO35s) 3 - 1 Epsom WO35s (H)

Gladiators Arena Match Report

Sloth Gladiators vs Epsom Contenders… And May the Best Warriors Win

Gladiator line up:
Giant – Annie
Legend – Sian
Fire – Courtney
Nitro – Jane
Diamond – Sarah
Fury – Bex
Steel – Clarissa
Comet – Tarryn
Bionic – Cassie
Electro – Ruth
Phantom – Charlotte
Athena – Sunny
Cyclone – Sinead
Tornado – Ceci
Jet – Val
Ulrika Johnson – Helen (umpire)
John Fashanu – Marlijn (team support and motivator)
(Would be Lightning, but MIA - Emily)

The arena gates opened, smoke rose, and the Gladiators marched out - sticks poised, faces fierce, ready (well… most of them). Across the pitch stood the Epsom Contenders, determined to defend their prides. The showdown began.

We welcomed back Ulrika as our umpire, returning to the arena after a brief tyre-related crisis. Luckily, while she officiated the battle, her heroic husband changed the tyre so she could leave the arena safely. Gladiator-level teamwork.

The Contenders arrived in full force this weekend. Well, almost all of them did… and Steel opened the scoring just 14 minutes in with a heroic slide-dive finish that would make any true Gladiators proud.

The team struck early through the dynamic forward line. Giant stood tall at the opposite end, commanding her circle with confidence as her defenders settled in. Phantom, Athena, Cyclone, and Tornado formed an impenetrable wall, reading the play with sharp intuition and reacting with speed.

Momentum swung in the midfield where the engine room came alive. Fire and Nitro set the pace, distributing with precision and bursting through lines. Diamond and Fury controlled possession, switching play and winning crucial turnovers. Bionic added electric energy, linking dynamically with the forwards.

The second half was all about Fury. At 45 minutes she flicked the ball neatly into the right-hand netting, and just twelve minutes later (57’) she doubled up with a deflection from Steel’s delivery.

During the second half, Epsom contenders won a short corner and confusion quickly followed:

“Contenders, you will go on my first whistle, and Gladiators on my second.” A break from the line resulted in not one but two Gladiators being sent to the halfway line. The confusion was real. Surely only one Gladiator can break the line. The contenders shrugged but the umpire had spoken.

Epsom contenders managed to pull one back in the 67th minute, but before that they’d been kept firmly at bay by Giant - and what a performance it was. Dive after dive, save after save, she refused to let them back into the game.

Strong attacking from Steel, Comet and Electro, Jet pressed hard, forcing errors and carving out shooting opportunities. A well-worked passing sequence saw Legend nearly scoring off clinical reverse hit.

The Gladiators advance to the next round, away at Burnt Ash.

Awards

• POM (Gladiator of the Match): Giant for her incredible, game-saving performance.
• DOD: Electro stopping the ball on the pitch while waiting to sub on, instead of letting it run out. A shockingly bold choice.
• John Fashanu made a triumphant return, motivating the subs line with the authority of a man ready to shout “Contenders, you will go on my first whistle!” at any moment