Over the past 10 days, both the U18 and U16 girls performed outstandingly in the South East finals of the schools indoors, both becoming runners-up and narrowly missing qualification to the National finals of 8 teams.
The U16s came through the Surrey finals and started the regional finals with a great game against the ever strong Sevenoaks who were just more clinical in the D to score two goals and take the win. However a 2-0 victory over Hurst got us into the semi-final against a very strong St Lawrence side. A ding-dong contest yielded a 1-1 draw and so to penalty flicks. We had our first very well saved, and they scored. We then scored and Grace saved theirs. We scored again and Grace saved again to give us a fantastic win. Unfortunately St George’s who had beaten Sevenoaks in the other semi were too strong for us in the final.
A week later the U18s, who had had to come through both Surrey Prelims and Surrey finals at which they recorded a great 2-2 draw with Caterham and a stunning 4-2 win over St George’s to knock them out, also started against Sevenoaks who had no less than 4 England players. We played really well and hung on in; with the last play of the game we scored a short corner to get a great 2-2 draw. Another goal just 14 seconds from the end of our next pool match against Ardingly earned us another 2-2 draw and a place in the semis, as Sevenoaks had beaten Ardingly. We played Reeds in the semi and produced our best game of the campaign running out 3-0 winners and it could have been more. So, to a rematch with Sevenoaks in the final. Once again our girls performed excellently and although we went 0-2 down we fought back to 3-4 with a goal a minute before the end. Pushing for the equaliser they got a breakaway to seal the game 3-5.
Over the past 10 years, Repton have been the dominant force in the girls indoors nationally, but the winners from the South East have regularly been their main competitors and occasional conquerors so it’s not unreasonable to recognise that those schools that are runners-up from the South East are actually often in the top 5 indoor school teams in the country and we are really proud of the girls’ performances this season.
U16 squad: Evie A, Izzy B, Luisa C, Grace J, Evie L, Eliza L, Sophie L, Daisy M, Martha R, Lucy S, Ella S
U18 squad: Freya A, Charlotte B, Camilla B, Molly B, Grace H, Tallulah H, Roxy L, Sophia L, Emma M, Kitty S, Abbie S, Effie S
