Southdown U10s come from behind to clinch title

In front of the largest crowd of the season, Crawley started the strongest shooting narrowly wide before taking the lead in the 7th minute. However, Southdown began to impose their authority on the game with several close efforts from Ella Matthews and Anna Humphrey. Crawley nearly extended their lead with a powerful shot but Hannah Drage between the sticks bravely blocked the effort to keep Southdown within one goal of their opponents.

Southdown’s midfield trio of Natasha Rothwell, Gemma Hebditch and Matthews were taking control but could not find the equalizer and when Crawley did get past the midfield they faced the defensive wall that is Molly Lacey and Captain, Mia Davies. Halfway through the first half Matthews broke away and laid the ball on to Humphrey whose pile driver skimmed past the post. On 20 minutes, Alisha Mainwaring, Mia Pordage and Leonie Sargent replaced Humphreys, Matthews and Rothwell.

The change brought the breakthrough as within minutes of coming on, Pordage broke through the defence and slotted past the isolated Crawley stopper. The pendulum was well and truly swinging Southdown’s way and they pressed home their superiority.

A long range effort from Pordage flew millimetres over the bar but within a minute Southdown took the lead their play deserved when a long throw from Matthews found Mainwaring whose run took her round the keeper and left her to slot easily into the unprotected goal.

Southdown then extended their lead when Matthews received the ball on the edge of the area with her back to goal. She swivelled and her sweetly struck a powerful, unstoppable shot through the keepers legs to make it 3-1 at half time.

Southdown started the second half much more convincingly than they had in the first and a fantastic run from Rothwell set up Matthews who blasted the ball into the top corner to make it 4-1. Another run by Rothwell set up Humphrey who again narrowly missed from distance.

Moments later, Player of the Day Matthews completed her first, and well deserved, hatrick with a long range effort into the bottom corner. Sargent again came on upfront for Humphrey who was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

A break by Sargent set up Rothwell whose effort missed to the left of the Crawley goal. Hebditch had been an anchor in midfield finding teammates with accurate passing and helping to negate any Crawley threat. With minutes remaining, Mainwaring and Pordage returned to the fray in place of Hebditch and Matthews. A fast break from Sargent set up Mainwaring whose shot was narrowly wide. A Mainwaring cross found Pordage whose shot was blocked and then Sargent’s follow up was well saved.

Another Pordage effort was saved and the rebound from Sargent yet again kept out by the keeper.

As the game draw to a close, a pinpoint cross from Mainwaring was aimed to the far post where Pordage was lurking but she just narrowly failed to get a touch to the ball.

In the last minute of the game, Mainwaring rounded off the scoring with a long range effort into the far corner.

Southdown had been the team to beat all season, having only lost one of their competitive games, scoring 54 goals and conceding only 15. Following the presentations, Mia Davies picked up the Players Player of the Year award together with the Award for Most Improved Player. Hannah Drage was voted Parents Player of the Year and Alisha Mainwaring picked up the Managers Player of the Year.

The league season now over, Southdown can now turn their attention to the prestigious National Futsal Finals in Birmingham at the end of June where they will be representing the South East.’