Lent term saw a triumphant return to girls’ football after a long break due to the pandemic and the senior girls have made giant strides in their performance. Captain, Libby Cringle, reports...

"For many of the team, this term was their first induction to football; very few had shinpads, and even fewer had studs. Despite this, play got better with every coming week. We focused on our positioning and movement, increasing our on-pitch confidence each week. Subsequently, we all began to enjoy playing matches together more and the games sessions quickly became a much-loved relief to counter our busy lives full of GCSEs and A-Levels.  With the help of Arthur Turner and Jasper Bird, by half-term the team was ready for match play and were eager to face Gresham’s.  

Our first match, captained by Libby Cringle, saw a 4-3 win to the opposition, but, nevertheless, Norwich School put up a good fight. The match saw an extremely strong midfield from Lila Eden and Eliza Prior, the pair worked together seamlessly – with Lila scoring 2 of our goals (Libby the other). Mia Norris and Mitzie Lewis dominated the right wing – conducting an extremely strong defence that Gresham’s rarely broke. Due to some questionable play from the opposition, the whole team became more determined to win in the second half – scoring 2 goals; one more than Gresham’s in the second half. Particularly strong defence from Isabella Kirby and Jess Sargent contributed to the decrease in opposition goals, the two worked well with Colette Maxwell-Preston, positioning the ball in our attacking half. By the end of the match, the girls had fought hard but missed out on victory. Still, the team was very proud of each other – especially of player of the match Lila – and we were enthused to face Gresham’s again.  

After an 'aggression bootcamp' led by Mr Haywood, and one particularly cold training session in the snow, the girls made their way to Gresham’s for a rematch. This time, Eliza and Libby made up the centre midfield and Lila dominated the defence. The girls played brilliantly throughout the match. Amy Griffiths proved excellent in keeping possession of the ball; the attack – Yara Kherbeck and Jemima Curtis – always managed to sprint up the pitch in order to receive the ball and attack. Additionally, Imogen James demonstrated her brilliant goalkeeping skills; blocking all but one goal from the opposition. By half time, the score remained 0-0. In the second half, Mia switched to the attack receiving excellent passes from Mitzie – once again, the pair proved to be a force to be reckoned with. On the left Bibi Boyce and Mary Bowles worked together superbly, resulting in a number of corners and throw-ins in Norwich School’s favour. Isabella’s defending stood out entirely – she performed exceptionally in diminishing the threat of the opponent. By the end of the match, it was 1-0 to Gresham’s. The girls left feeling robbed but still extremely proud of the hard work they had exhibited throughout the match. Another special mention to Lila who worked as the backbone of the defence – despite discovering the next day that she had fractured her ankle in the process - and to Imogen for rightfully winning player of the match.  

The girls feel exceptionally proud of themselves for all the hard work and effort they have put into football this season. All of them have developed a pure enjoyment for – in most cases – a new sport. All of the team have become confident and fine football players. It is a shame that the U6 will not be able to return to play football next season, but the 2023 season has put us in a great position for next year. Huge thanks to Mr Cole for his excellent and enthusiastic coaching!"

With thanks to Finn Pond, from Close Up Photography Club, for some fantastic photos.