Brent Schools’ FA 1-1 St John’s Wood
The Brent Schools’ FA fielded its youngest ever team on Saturday 18th December in the Regents Park Youth League, and the squad put in a spirited team performance against St John’s Wood.
This newly-formed Under-10 team showed real character and togetherness in what turned out to be a dramatic game, with a wealth of potential on display.
Brent produced a commanding performance, and whilst short of experience, they showed fantastic positional understanding and played with a passing style of football that was enjoyed by the cheering spectators on the sidelines.
One player to watch out for is Syrie Dunham who showed a great work rate and determination to win the ball in midfield and is clearly a natural talent with the ball at her feet. She was unlucky not to score after an impressive first half effort was well saved by St John’s Wood’s goalie.
Brent’s high press continued throughout the first half which led to a pinpoint cross from the swift Ottilie Williams on the right wing, cutting two defenders out with a pass that showed vision. Brent continued to force the action with St John’s showing character and determination in defence. Brent’s Sienna Varsani was excellent in central midfield delivering two powerful corners into the danger area, finding Sylvie Purdon who superbly hit the target only to see the St John’s Wood goalkeeper make an excellent save.
The breakthrough for Brent came towards the end of the first half as St John’s Wood found themselves camped in their own half, and after forcing the turnover of possession, Eva Carnevale grabbed her debut goal with a cracking left footed drive from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. It’s great to see a such a talented left footed player, another one to keep an eye on for the future! Carnevale was unlucky not to score more after a very dominant first half for Brent who deserved to be 3 or 4 goals ahead.
St John’s Wood came out for the second half refreshed and with a clear game plan to tackle more and try to push Brent back into their final third, showing commitment to their coach’s new approach. However, this was met with determined defending by Shreeya Gustave-Patel at right back who successfully stopped countless attacks, demonstrating real composure on the ball and an excellent reading of the game. Her partnership with the solid and confident Ruby Cooper limited attacks to a minimum, working together as a reliable duo in defence.
The introduction of Grace Billingsley in the midfield added some well needed composure and positional awareness, breaking down some key moments as St Johns Wood attempted to push forward. Isobel Balch was also introduced in midfield for Brent adding high energy and enthusiasm that clearly had its effect on the rest of the hard-working team.
St John’s Wood showed character and refused to give up, scoring a well taken equaliser late in the second half. Daisy Staniford was brought on in defence for Brent and immediately secured the defence and limited the attack, with some superb tackles late in the game. She showed great vision, quickly releasing the ball to Isla Fraser who delivered an impressive amount of speed and energy on the left wing as Brent pushed for a winner.
The game ended in a draw, and ultimately football was the winner on the day.
Brent coach Doug Cooper said after the match: “The girls showed great hunger to learn and have really stuck together, been there for one another and worked as a team, so it’s easy to coach them. Coach AC has been encouraging them to build each other up, and her approach is working, showing some fantastic results as the spirit of the team is always an encouraging and supportive one. In training we have been working a lot on passing and it’s great to see the hard work start to pay off, what a thrilling match, this group has a lot of potential.”
Brent next play the United Dragons on 8th January 2022.