Match Report NMJFC U12 Girls vs Hough End Griffins Juniors U12s – Away 19/09/2026
Today brought a brand-new challenge for our girls, and one that tested not only their footballing ability, but their determination, resilience and teamwork.
With Evie unable to play, we arrived at the pitch with just eight players available. That meant there would be no substitutions, no opportunity for a breather on the sidelines, and every single player would have to give everything for the full game. To make things even tougher, our opponents were no pushovers.
Sitting second in the league, they came into the match as a strong and confident side.
But football has a funny way of throwing challenges at you, and sometimes those challenges bring out the very best in a team.
We were incredibly grateful to Hough End, who kindly lent us a player so that the game could go ahead. With the teams sorted and the girls knowing exactly what was expected of them, they knuckled down and got on with the job. What followed was quite simply one of our strongest performances yet.
Starting in goal was Stevie, taking on what is probably the position our girls dread the most! As part of our ongoing rotation, every player is being given the opportunity to experience life between the posts, and today it was Stevie's turn.
She didn't just step up – she absolutely rose to the occasion. Stevie was remarkable throughout the game, making a number of crucial saves when her team needed her most. She remained calm under pressure, stood solid between the posts and, importantly, distributed the ball effectively to her teammates. There were moments when our opponents looked certain to score, only for Stevie to be there to deny them. A brilliant performance in a position she may not have been particularly keen to play!
In front of her, Martha was outstanding in defence. Strong, determined and completely unwilling to let anything pass her, she threw herself into every challenge and defended brilliantly. Whenever danger appeared, Martha was there to deal with it, helping to give the team the platform they needed to attack. Along the wings, Annabella and Ava worked tirelessly. The pair ran up and down the pitch all game, putting in some excellent tackles, winning the ball back and then immediately looking to turn defence into attack. Their energy was vital, particularly with no substitutes available, and both girls showed just how much work rate can influence a game.
Further forward, Poppy took up her position on the right, with Florence on the left. Both attacked with purpose, keeping the pressure on our opponents and constantly looking for opportunities to move the ball forward. Their movement helped create space for the two players leading the line – Millie and Paige. And what a shift those two put in. Paige attacked well, constantly looking for the ball, chasing down defenders and doing everything she could to create an opening. Her determination was clear for all to see, and she never stopped working for the team.
Alongside her, Millie was hungry to add to her goal tally for the season. She kept the pressure on throughout the match, producing a number of excellent efforts on target and constantly asking questions of the opposition goalkeeper.
Eventually, that pressure paid off. The opening goal came from a free kick, with Millie stepping up and showing remarkable composure. She struck the ball beautifully, sending a looping effort over the goalkeeper and into the net. It was a clever finish and exactly the sort of moment you want from a striker when the game is finely balanced.
And then a second goal came after Annabella determination to win the ball, drive forward and delivered a beautiful pass into the box, finding Millie perfectly, Millie kept her cool and calmly finished the move, giving the girls another important goal.
Soon followed by another team effort, with the girls working the ball forward, combining their efforts and creating the opening finding Millie, who made no mistake, finishing wonderfully to complete her first hat-trick of the season.
Every single girl played like a warrior today. On paper, we had plenty of reasons to consider ourselves the underdogs: just eight players available, no substitutions, a borrowed player needed to make up the numbers, and a strong opponent sitting second in the league. But the girls had other ideas. Instead of allowing those challenges to define them, they turned them on their head. They showed incredible teamwork, skill, determination and precision. They worked for one another, covered for one another and kept going even when tired legs must have been screaming for a rest. It was the sort of performance that shows just how far this team has come. It wasn't simply about the goals or the result – it was about every tackle, every save, every run, every pass and every moment when one player stepped up for another.
Millie was deservedly awarded Player of the Game after her fantastic hat-trick, but today was a performance built around the entire team.
Well done, Millie, and well done to every single one of our girls. You faced the odds, embraced the challenge and showed exactly what this team is capable of.
⚽️🖤💛⚽️
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