Women's 4s 2 - 0 Hampstead & Westminster 4s (A)
By Scarlett Gearey
Delay. Disrupt. Destroy.
We began our trek to the deep, dark depths of North North London with the train team arriving on time, and the car team arriving in their own time.
After a rousing team talk from Captain Emily, we warmed up in ankle-high grass with half the squad marinating in Deep Heat and Voltarol. With gale force winds and leaves carpeting the pitch, conditions were sub-optimal.
Thirteen players ready for bed after the long haul suddenly had to wake up and get to work. And we did. From the first whistle, Surbiton dominated: press on point, ball speed high - until five minutes in when Charlotte Bif Gallagher went down, reminding us all that “you can’t just run it off when you’re 42.”
At the back, Eve and Sunny delivered tactical wisdom. Too bad no one could hear them over the hurricane. The umpires, meanwhile, appeared to have misplaced their whistles entirely, leaving Seren to battle through foul after foul with silky skills and no reward. Surbiton’s persistence finally paid off when Rosie weaved through the chaos, setting up Swindell to slot it home. Surbiton settled nicely, and the half-time whistle came with us firmly in charge.
Half time drama: Scar bravely wrestled the goal net, lost, and then dropped all the sweets. Debate continues as to whether the sprinkling of sand improved the flavour.
Second half we stepped up again. Evie and Lara tore up the right, while Scar and Freya stormed the left. Short corners came and went, the clock ticked, and it all became about patience and game management.
With five minutes to go, Hampstead panicked and pulled their keeper. Bold. Foolish. Regrettable. Surbiton earned a PC in the dying moments and Stacey’s quick thinking found T for a slick deflection to seal a well-deserved 2–0 victory. Every mile, leaf, and foot-related ailment suddenly worth it.
While we do love our Herbie, it’s nice to know we can still get the job done without her. The journey was long, the officiating at times questionable, but our motto held true: Delay. Disrupt. Destroy