A strong start for the U11 team against Dumpton! The girls were raring to go, and quickly settled into the match. FSM's girls were keen to get struck into tackles and to work the ball up the pitch. Spacing was fair-to-middling, with a few empty spaces at times, when several FSM girls chased down the same ball, thus crowding the area and leaving fewer players available for a pass. Great teamwork and a positive attitude were in evidence throughout, with a goal edged in just before the half-time whistle. Dumpton piled on the pressure in the second part of the game, with some excellent stick work and neat passing, while FSM worked like Trojans to protect our goal, keeping the opposition frustrated.

Highlights: Phoebe's first time as a goalie - maintaining a clean sheet, despite some pressure; Anais working tirelessly on the right wing, with great use of the pitch width; Elora tackling anything that moved on the Dumpton team; Boadi's pace up front, as well as returning to defend our D; Isla's positioning high in the D when we were on the attack; Emilia solid in defence and making great choices in passing the ball; Vhukhudo's solid defence and clearances; Emily's timely tackling, especially when Dumpton were making a run at goal.

It's always good to get the first game out of the way so that we have our learning targets for the season. Target: look up to make a more accurate pass to a team mate - and make sure it gets there.

Well played, girls!