Women’s 4s 2 - 0 Wimbledon 4s (H)

After a testing preseason friendly the weekend before, Surbiton were keen to kick off their league campaign strongly. Whilst getting ready, a brief catch up in the changing rooms may have resulted in a boyfriend being made up in an unfortunately awkward misunderstanding but luckily this had no adverse effect on the match ahead.  

Captain Emily Hughes delivered a rousing team talk in the huddle, urging her side to come out fighting. The message clearly resonated as Surbiton came out of the blocks at full speed. The first 15 minutes saw both sides displaying strong technical play, with Surbiton’s forward line combining well to create a couple of entries into the attacking D. Though the team also earned a few penalty corners, the score remained 0-0, as both defences stood firm.

Wimbledon began to grow into the game towards the end of the first half, with their attack gathering some momentum. However, Surbiton’s defensive line led by Sunni and Maddie, proved impenetrable. Both half backs Evie and Scarlett did very well to shut down any threat even though Wimbledon had their ‘wheels’ going. The halftime whistle came at a good time for Surbiton, allowing them to reset and fine-tune their press.

The tactical shift after the break paid dividends. Wimbledon struggled to break out from the back, often resorting to a ‘hit and hope’ strategy. With the likes of Lara and Stacey in the midfield, Surbiton capitalised on this, dominating possession and transitioning quickly to launch counterattacks. Their patience and sharp distribution allowed the forward line to stretch Wimbledon’s defence higher up the pitch.

The breakthrough came when Herbie had a shot on goal from near the top of the D. The reverse hit was deflected by the keeper but more upwards than outwards and landed behind her where Carole was in the good position (having got out of the way of Herbie’s shot) to pounce and bury the ball in Wimbledon’s goal. A somewhat modest celebration marked the breaking of the deadlock. 

With the lead in hand, Surbiton grew in confidence. The ball was moved quickly and fluidly, and soon after, Rosie found herself in the perfect position to extend the advantage. Her clinical finish gave Surbiton a well-deserved two goal cushion.

As the sun beat down, both teams began to feel the effects of the unseasonably warm conditions. Wimbledon pushed hard in the dying minutes, managing to get a foothold in Surbiton’s defensive third. Goalkeeper Eve had a few testing short corners to face but did well to keep a clean sheet. Surbiton saw out the remainder of the match, sealing a 2-0 victory.

Goals: Carole, Rosie

POM / DOD: Carole