Match Report NMJFC U11 Girls vs FC Blue Star U11s Zodiacs 13/12/25

The last game before Christmas had a special feel to it, and from the first whistle the team played like they wanted to send themselves into the holidays on a high. Paige started in goal, a little nervous at first, but she settled almost immediately. She pulled off some cracking saves early on, so much so that even the opposition manager commented on how impressive she was. Her distribution was just as good, with an excellent drop kick that put us straight on the front foot and set the tone for the game.

At the back, Ava was outstanding on the left. Faced with a daunting opponent, she never backed off, stopping attack after attack and reading the game brilliantly. She played the ball confidently down the line and always knew exactly when to drop back. On the right, Poppy D pushed up and played a higher line, showing how much control we had of the match. She made some great runs forward, but just as importantly, she tracked back every time, mopping up anything that came her way. Blue Star barely had a chance, and any hint of danger was quickly shut down.

In midfield, Stevie kept things ticking over, moving the ball well and finding teammates in space while pushing up to support the attack. Millie was electric on the right, running brilliantly and getting all the way down to the byline, even managing to get a couple of shots away. On the left, Florence showed fantastic footwork, darting past players and making several strong runs into the centre, creating some really good chances.

Up front, Jessica was everywhere. She ran her socks off, constantly on the move, linking up neatly with Millie, Florence and Stevie, and always looking to create something. The breakthrough came when Jessica picked up the ball and slipped it to Millie, who unleashed a brilliant shot into the top corner. It was a fantastic goal and fully deserved.

Martha came on for Stevie and made an immediate impact, giving the defenders no rest at all. She linked up well with her teammates, and the goals kept coming. The next one came with Jessica on the left, cutting the ball back across the goal for Martha to finish. Soon after, Florence collected the ball on the left, drove forward and fired a shot into the bottom corner.

The second half saw Paige remain in goal, now playing the role of a confident sweeper keeper, and pulling off a superb one-handed save. Poppy D and Ava continued to be rock solid in defence, even making positive runs into midfield. Stevie had one or two efforts at goal, while Florence kept tormenting the opposition with her darting runs and clever use of both feet. Jessica went close again, unlucky to see her effort crash against the post.

The fourth goal was a moment of real quality. Jessica was fouled on the edge of the area, and Martha stepped up to take the free kick. She struck it beautifully into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. The rest of the game was full of confident passing, neat one-twos and players always looking to find feet and support each other.

Player of the week went to Jessica, and it was thoroughly deserved. She worked tirelessly for the team, set up a number of goals in today's match, and showed just how much she has grown this season. This campaign has been a real turning point for her, with improvements week on week, and it was the perfect way to head into Christmas. A perfect start to the season.

⚽️🖤💛⚽️

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