Match Report NMJFC U11 Girls vs West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC U11s Nightha 17/01/2026
- R.Oakes
- 17 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Today we saw Florence return to the team for the first time in a while and it was genuinely great to see her back. Sporting our new keeper gloves, kindly provided by the club, she looked confident and composed from the start. She used her hands well throughout the match and pulled off a couple of excellent saves, setting a calm and assured tone for the team from the back.
The defence worked hard and showed real energy. On the left, Poppy J was tireless, covering huge areas of the defensive line and getting properly stuck in. Her communication was strong, and she was always looking to run into space and move the ball forward.
On the right, Millie matched that intensity, making solid clearances, passing well, and consistently pushing the ball up into midfield. Together, they provided a strong and reliable platform.
In midfield, Martha was everywhere on the left side, bursting with energy and driving forward at every opportunity while still tracking back when needed. Her effort was nearly rewarded when she struck the post.
On the right, Poppy D was effective both wide and centrally, cutting inside to support Jessica in the middle before pushing out again when required. She linked up particularly well with Martha and showed real intent going forward. At the heart of midfield, Jessica was outstanding, laying the ball off neatly, driving through the middle of the park, and putting in strong tackles. Her willingness to follow up play time and again made a huge difference.
Up front, Stevie continued to grow in confidence, leaning well on defenders and dropping into midfield to link play. She showed great vision, playing the ball beautifully up the pitch, and came close with a scooped effort that just drifted over the bar. The introductions of Annabella and Ava added even more energy. Annabella made numerous strong runs down the right and combined well with Paige, while Ava showed increasing confidence on the ball, using a lovely sidestep to beat her marker.
Paige led the line with determination, prowling the front and never giving defenders a moment’s peace. She took a heavy tackle but showed real grit to get straight back up, clearly focused on finding the net. The breakthrough finally came when Jessica drove the ball down towards the left byline and played it into Paige, who finished calmly and beautifully. The second goal followed some excellent combination play between Annabella and Ava, with Ava’s through ball eventually falling to Jessica and Poppy D, and Poppy D made no mistake by putting it into the back of the net.
The second half saw Florence continue in goal, distributing the ball well and maintaining her strong performance. Poppy J remained composed and in control at the back. Poppy D spent more time in midfield, getting stuck in, and Martha made another excellent run before feeding Paige, who powered her way to the corner flag and smashed the ball home. Paige continued to battle throughout, while Jessica seemed to have endless energy, covering ground and impressing with her work rate until the final whistle.
Player of the Week was deservedly awarded to Paige. She has been close so many times, and this week she truly stood out. Her improvement week on week has been clear to see, she listens to the coaches, applies herself fully, and consistently gives everything asked of her and more. Well done!
⚽️🖤💛⚽️
Comments