Women’s 4s 6 - 1 London Wayfarers 3s (H)

From the very first whistle, Surbiton W4s set the tone with aggressive pressing and high intensity. Chandler and Swindell led the charge, showcasing brilliant anticipation and determination. Chandler’s pressure on the opposition full back paid off early, as she stole the ball and drove into the circle. With composure, she calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to open the scoring.

In a lesser spotted early lead for Surbiton it really allowed us to build a momentum that saw Wayfarers rarely get out of their own half in the first 10 minutes. With that pressure mounting they once again gave the ball away to Scarlett who started a chain of passes that culminated in Herbie picking up the ball for a 1v1 with the keeper who needed to know that eyeballs tell lies and was once again beaten with ease, having been sent the wrong way.

The third goal was a textbook example of short corner execution. Stacey delivered a perfectly weighted slap pass through a crowded defence, finding Chandler at the far post. Timing her run to perfection, Chandler met the ball with a deft deflection, guiding it into the goal and extending the lead in style.

At half time, Mystic Herbie’s words rang out: “There are at least 2 or 3 more goals in this game, and we need to make sure they don’t get an early one.” Perhaps we should have known to trust her foresight. Wayfarers returned with renewed energy and a structural shift, and were soon rewarded when a failed clearance popped to their forward, who executed a sharp backhand into the bottom corner.

But panic wasn’t on the menu. This season we are made of sterner stuff. Within five minutes, Herbie delivered a pinpoint back space pass (shot!?) to Swindell on the right post, who slotted it in to restore the three goal cushion.

The fifth goal was a moment of brilliance from Herbie, finishing a flowing counter attack passing move with the kind of composure that only comes with age.

With a comfortable lead, Captain Emily encouraged Stacey to unleash her drag flick - and she did so with style, dispatching it into the top left corner in what can only be described as a mic drop moment.

Wayfarers were a lovely opposition and the game was played in great spirits. No one got too annoyed when they called Herbie boring - frankly, we’d cheer too if we managed to tackle her. Herbie’s performance earned her a well-deserved Player of the Match award, standing out even among several strong individual displays. But it was the team effort that truly brought smiles after the final whistle.

As for the DOD, somehow I got it - despite Sunny nearly causing a head injury to her own team before the game by squaerialling the ball into a crowd during the shooting drill. It’s a conspiracy. I feel Lisa’s pain, and we’re all glad she’s back next week!