3rd Place at South Minis Championships for U13 Girls

Reading’s U13 girls completed a highly successful season by beating local rivals Wallingford 3-2 at Surbiton on Saturday to secure 3rd place in the 2009 South Minis Championships. An all round team performance saw Reading storm to a 3-0 lead with Wallingford replying with two consolation goals as the girls relaxed with victory in sight.

Earlier Reading had come unstuck in the semi-final going down 3-0 to a highly talented Kingston Grammar School who went on to win their fifth title in six years against St George’s Weybridge. Fine defence by captain Livy Paige and full backs Helen Kirton and Alice Lowe aided by superb goal-keeping by Jess Biggs kept KGS to a single goal in the first half. Everything was possible after the break however with limited attacking opportunities Reading buckled under a tidal wave of pressure from the Surrey champions.

The tournament started with a nervous 2-1 victory over Hampshire champions Ventor. Falling 1-0 behind after a couple of minutes, Reading tightened their defence, upped the pace and moved the ball around fluently to run out as comfortable 2-1 winners.

Nerves settled, the team dominated Teddington B in the second pool match in an assured 2-0 win. Forwards Charlotte Rampton, Harriette Wilcock and Harriet Foster locked Teddington in their 25 and rapier-like runs down the left by Francesca Poskett and hard hit crosses by Helen Kirton created a hatful of chances.

Top of the pool was secured with a 0-0 draw against Wallingford. Reading dominated the game but found the Oxfordshire champions’ strong defence difficult to penetrate. Wallingford offered little in attack and with both teams already through to the knock-out stages the girls conserved their energies for the quarter finals.

Reading raced to a 2-0 half time lead against James Allen Girls School from London with Paige and Poskett dominating the midfield and Foster’s pace and skill stretching the opposition down the right wing. A determined fight back by JAGS in the second half was repelled by stalwart defence led by Olivia Shepherd and Saskia Hamilton-Bowker.

And so to the semi-final against KGS…the girls will have learnt much from the outstanding individual core skills, speed of thought and deed, movement off the ball and overall teamwork displayed by their opponents. Their ability to create space, mature composure on the ball and skill in weaving quick accurate passes through a determined Reading defence were too much for the Berkshire side to handle.

Goal scoring was shared around the forwards and midfield. Harriette Wilcock, Francesca Poskett, Livy Paige and Harriet Foster each netted a brace with Olivia Shepherd adding a goal of her own.

Overall the team achieved a great result, played to the best of their ability and should be proud of their performance. Great character and friendship saw the girls pick themselves up from the semi-final disappointment to win the accolade of top U13 club in the South.