A week after Evie’s goal and a lot of backs to the wall defending had secured a 1-0 Tier 3 Plate victory v Richmond, BromBecks U16s were back at Lee Valley for the Tier 2 London League finals.

Our girls had booked their place by topping League C and we were joined by the other group winners Harrow and Sunbury and best 2nd place side, Surbiton Calypsos who we’d already played three times this year (and lost twice…). Matches were 25mins each way.

Harrow in the semi-final on the main astro.

Harrow had secured their finals appearance via a last game win to top their group on goal difference and it quickly became clear that they had some talented players who were comfortable on the ball and under pressure.

A cagey opening period saw the ball flash pass Harrow’s back post with Heidi nearly on the end of a couple of early chances.

In broad terms, the first half saw Harrow defending resolutely but struggle to escape the BromBecks press, while we gifted them a few too many stick tackles in their D.

In time though, we were rewarded for our efforts, going 1 up in the 8th minute thanks to captain Flo H taking a quick free hit in the 25 and racing into the D before finishing well on her reverse.

More pressure but not much to show for it, although Zaynub and Georgie both raised the tempo with driving runs but not until 20 mins well gone did we have another chance with Flo K denied by the keeper who was quick off her line.

2 mins later Flo H saw a high reverse shot tipped over the bar.

Our first PC didn’t arrive until the end of time in the first half. Accurate injection from Elena, clean stop from Freya and before an open stick goal bound strike from Flo H was deflected into the net. Nothing fancy, just good execution and 2-0 was probably a fair half time cushion with Jorja yet to be called into action in our goal.

2nd half v Harrow

Harrow came out hard at the start of the 2nd half but, largely, the cagey game play persisted.

10 minutes into the second half Jorja saved twice either side of a PC award as Harrow showed that 2 goals might not be enough.

It took a while, but eventually we managed to get Tessa on the ball, in space, on the right and her drive and Flo’s subsequent block tackle set up a PS when Tessa’s goal bound shot hit a Harrow foot. Flo completed her hat trick with a flick low to the keepers’ left.

3 mins later, Flo had her 4th after our PC routine was half blocked by Harrow, only to see the ball deflected high over the keeper dropping just under the cross bar.

10mins to go and with our 5th, BromBecks were in complete control. Flo E kept the ball alive on the baseline and despite a defensive shout of “leave it”, the ball stubbornly failed to go off the baseline, instead rolling across the face of goal for a surprised Flo K to tap in, while everyone wondered what had happened.

Freya made the score 6-0 after taking a free hit quickly inside on the 25 and slotting past the keeper from a tight angle. The quick take and run by our midfielders being successful all day.

Harrow kept going and no one watching begrudged them their final whistle PC goal.

6-1 (Flo H x 4, Flo K and Freya)

A cup final awaited…. and , of course, it was written in the stars that it would be Surbiton Calypsos for a 4th time this season….

Playing for glory

Our girls were up for it… they knew they could win, but also knew it would take hard work to pull off a victory, after all, the record going into the final was 2-1 in Surbiton’s favour.

Calypsos had been deserved 4-3 winners in our first league match, then somewhat fortunate to squeeze past us and into the Tier 2 National Quarter finals with a 3-2 victory in match 2, before their badly understrength half term side had lost 5-1 in the 2nd league match to our not quite so understrength team.

Difficult to tell what the form book suggested, but it was a 4th and final time to do battle.

The neutrals in the crowd were, as you might imagine, very much in favour of BromBecks, but could we pull off the result?

Our squad depth and quality was on display from the start with London South players Naomi and Cerys, and Flo K (12 goals this season) all on the bench ready to rotate and keep the tempo high.

Poppy, Heidi and Zaynub pressured patiently from the front, avoiding giving away the soft free hits that hampered the early stages of our semi-final, making Surbiton work hard to get out of defence.

This patience paid off when Surbiton gave the ball to Tessa who charged into the 25, ghosted past a defender and slid a reverse shot past the goalie’s left foot, an early and joyous 1 nil lead in the 5th minute.

Surbiton came back hard, Myla and Elena were composed at full back but there were several heart in mouth moments as Surbiton’s press was equally as effective as ours!

Both teams received deserved green cards before Flo H’s half way line shave tackle and then a quick free hit and drive lead her into the top of the D. With the crowd urging her to smash it, Flo H unleased a pile driving uncut that went high and wide of the keeper.

17 minutes gone, 2 nil to BromBecks.

The 2 goal cushion lasted barely 3 minutes before Cerys was called into action on the left post, blocking a Surbiton PC on the line. A 2nd follow up corner was neatly finished with a well worked deflection. 2-1 BromBecks.

More drama to come in the last minute of the half after Myla had blunted an attack down our right, it was another moment of brilliance and lightening pace from Tessa, stepping aggressively to win turnover ball at right midfield, just inside our half, before racing pass 2 Surbiton players to score past the keeper’s left foot again with an exquisite reverse, landing on her knees, arms aloft.

3-1 at half time.

A massive step in the right direction and a big half ahead of us.

We ran hard and we rotated. The front line of Flo E, Flo K, Zaynub and Heidi ran their socks off, making Surbiton work for every transfer.

The midfield powerhouse of Naomi, Freya, Flo H and Tessa were everywhere. Poppy was up front AND in midfield. Freya had a stint at centre forward.

In defence, Bella was resolute, Myla and Elena still (mostly) composed, working the transfers, while Cerys and Georgie were always looking to make things happen and Jorja was there at the back, waiting and watching and making important blocks and clearances.

We put a PC narrowly wide…

Surbiton knocked the ball away and were very lucky not to get their 2nd green card of the match, meanwhile, we did get our second green card.

Tessa broke into the D slipped the ball to Flo E, who swept it agonisingly just pass the far post. We couldn’t quite take the chances to pull away.

With 8 mins left, Jorja blocked twice on a PC, but Surbiton smuggled the ball home to make it 3-2.

Lots of time left, for both sides.

Immediately, Freya nearly restored the 2 goal cushion driving play, getting fouled and quickly driving again, before being well saved from the top of the D.

Tension rising, a tough watch for the BromBecks fans and supporters.

Naomi charged down two of their PCs. We blocked, we gave it back to them, we tackled again. Georgie and Bella both blocked shots in D. Elena got the ball wide to relieve pressure.

With 4 minutes to go. Surbiton subbed their keeper off. 11 outfield players pushing for the equaliser, all Surbiton at this stage. Flo E, left winger defending at left half, won the ball, got her head up and smashed it diagonally off the field on the half way line, precious seconds as the ball is retrieved from the far end of Lee Valley.

Into dying moments, under pressure we turnover in left midfield, the ball bounces across the D, but Surbiton can’t trap… the whistle goes, we hold on just….

A hard fought 3-2 victory (Tessa x2, Flo H x1), to end a very good season.

Commiserations to Calypsos who battled to the very end and on another day could have pulled off the comeback and beaten us again – overall though, honours even – 2 wins each and with 3 matches separated by only one goal. A reflection of just how well balanced these teams were all season and how much they pushed each other to perform at their very best.

Massive thanks to Carys and Harrison for their coaching, Helen for taking a team when she could and Nadia for the behind the scenes admin that is so important for making sure matches happen.

And thanks to Jon for the video footage from finals day, without which the events and timings would have been hard to remember!

Well done to all the girls who contributed to such a strong season!

London Tier 2 League Champions
London Tier 3 Plate Winners