Revenge for Radipole in a Closely Fought Contest

Radipole kindly agreed to compete against us once again after school today on the football pitch. This time, it was the girls’ turn to lace up their football boots, don their shin pads, and step over the white line.

The game began with great intensity. Southill applied early pressure, playing some really attractive football. Georgia and Flossie dominated the midfield, while Eleanor and Connie provided width to stretch the opposition. Within the first 10 minutes, Southill created several promising chances. Georgia’s whipped-in corners caused all kinds of problems in the Radipole box, but despite our efforts, the ball just wouldn’t find the back of the net.

Defensively, Harmony, Harper, Skyla, Darcie, and Daisy were solid at the back, standing strong in tackles and clearing their lines with confidence. Unfortunately, despite Southill’s dominance, Radipole broke the deadlock first. A mix-up from a goal kick gave their striker the space and time to pick her spot, and just before the halftime whistle, we found ourselves trailing 0-1—a scoreline that hardly reflected the flow of the game.

Despite the setback, we remained encouraged by our performance. We knew that if we maintained the pressure, a goal would surely come. In the second half, Flossie and Georgia played some fantastic balls over the top for Nancy to chase, and she came close to equalising on more than one occasion. Eleanor and Connie continued pressing Radipole’s defenders relentlessly, making it difficult for them to play out from the back.

Ten minutes into the second half, Radipole were awarded a free kick just inside the halfway line (thanks, Tim!). A powerful delivery into the box deflected off a Radipole player and crept just inside the post—absolutely heartbreaking! Yet, despite the 0-2 deficit, Southill remained upbeat and determined to fight until the final whistle.

With five minutes to go, our perseverance was finally rewarded. A perfectly weighted through ball from Flossie found Nancy in stride. Using her strength, she held off two defenders and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. With only one goal separating the teams, Southill pushed forward relentlessly, camping inside Radipole’s half in the closing moments. We created several late chances, but unfortunately, an equaliser proved elusive.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t be prouder of the team. The girls never gave up, worked cohesively, and carved out numerous opportunities. More importantly, they played some fantastic football!

A huge thank you to Tim for refereeing, Mr. Frampton for capturing the action on camera, Radipole for a great game, and all the parents and grandparents for their enthusiastic support. #TheMightySPS

Well played, Southill! On to the next challenge!