Brent 2-3 Croydon
London Girls’ Inter-District League, 10th March 2018
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Brent’s Under-11 girls’ team produced their best performance of the season when staging a dramatic fight back against top-of-the-table Croydon.
Brent got into the game from the kick-off. Apollonia Margetson gained possession in midfield and passed to skipper Guissepina Carnevale who dribbled past two defenders and hit a fierce shot which was well saved.
Croydon then went on the attack and the solid Brent defense of Sophie Kew and Keely Dibley–Dias combined well to break up several attacks. Keeper Milly-May Blue made a superb reflex save but Croydon took the lead, nudging the ball home in the goalmouth scramble that followed. The big and powerful Croydon team started to get the upper hand and extended their lead after 20 minutes with a well worked goal, giving ‘keeper Blue no chance.
Brent brought on Maya Rosenberg and she made an instant impact, tenaciously tackling and winning the ball from a much bigger opponent in midfield and releasing Carnevale whose perfect pass found Scout Waddington who smashed the ball into the top right hand corner to make it 2-1 on the stroke of half time.
Buoyed by the goal, Brent started the second half strongly and having scored Waddington turned provider when straight from the kick off she won the ball, drove forward and laid the ball to Laibha Mir whose long range shot sailed into the roof of the net. That made it 2-2 and very much ‘game on’.
Croydon had only conceded one goal all season prior to this match and were visibly rattled by the relentless pressing and tackling of Brent. It was end to end stuff as both teams fought for the winner and with a few minutes remaining Croydon found the net after a melee in the box. 3-2. Brent continued to fight, pushing the unbeaten Croydon all the way to the final whistle but the match ended 3-2. It was a superb and spirited performance from the Brent team. Coach Chris Ampofo: “The team are improving individually and as a team in every game. They were absolutely immense today. They can take confidence from today as they showed they can compete against anyone”.
Brent: Guissepina Carnevale (capt), Keely Dibley – Dias, Sophie Kew, Apollonia Margetson, Maya Rosenberg, Maya Rosenberg, Laibha Mir, Tammy Nathanial, Simone Silva, Milly-May Blue.