ALL YEAR SEVEN pupils have been enjoying a week in Wales this week, and we look forward to a full update on the website about their adventures—hopefully with plenty of sunny photos of pupils and their teachers atop Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales! In the meantime, we reflect on the terrific success of the Year Seven football team this season, culminating in their victory in the Surrey Cup. Sid (the team captain) takes up the story in his match report below.
The game started very evenly with neither team being able to take the lead. After missing a few good chances as the half progressed, we hoped the chances would keep coming with the composure and quality we were showing in possession, especially in midfield with Rafael performing well. This proved to be the case as the ball got passed out wide and a dangerous cross from Jesse came in. Max adjusted his body well to nestle the ball into the bottom corner with an excellent volley. After that, Aron scored two fabulous goals: one was rifled into the top corner after intercepting a pass from their goalkeeper while the other one was another “goal of the season” contender!
We defended a corner very well and cleared the ball which dropped to Aron on the edge of our own area. He then ran the full length of the pitch with Max and Jesse sprinting up the pitch to support him. However, he didn’t need any help and cooly slotted the ball into the corner with none of the Three Rivers players able to catch him. This concluded the first half with a comfortable and well deserved 3-0 lead.
In the second half, and against the run of play, Three Rivers School got a chance but Pratyush was on hand to make a monster block to keep the clean sheet. Phew! Harry, Pratyush and I (Sid) defended well throughout, and maintained concentration during the whole game to limit the opponents’ chances. Along with an excellent save from Zak, the defensive players did their job to keep a clean sheet. We stayed alert and capitalised further on the chances that came our way during the second half. Both Kian and Aayush were alert on multiple occasions showing good attacking instincts to follow in on teammates shots, which resulted in two goals for Aayush. To seal the deal, Jesse scored to make it 6-0! COME ON THE BUMBLE BEES! Although injured, Olivier provided excellent support during the match and has been an influential player in both our cup wins this season.
Congratulations to all those who have participated in Year 7 football this year, their coaches, parents, and all those older students who have volunteered to make so many fixtures possible this season.
