Thursday evening saw our Ladies’ team suffer their first defeat in four outings as they faced a resilient Albert Village Blues side in the Summer League 6v6 format.
In recent weeks, we’ve been fortunate to welcome several exceptional talents into the squad, bolstering our strength in depth. However, with this growth comes a tactical challenge: managing increased rotations on match day. Thursday was a clear example — fielding double the number of outfield players available meant constant substitutions, which unfortunately disrupted our rhythm and contributed to the eventual 3–2 loss.
Despite the result, the ladies began brightly, dominating early possession — something that’s become a hallmark of our play. We created a flurry of chances and maintained pressure in the final third, but a combination of heroic goalkeeping and the woodwork denied us time and again. After holding strong for the first 10–12 minutes, we were undone when Albert Village capitalised on a rare break, taking the lead against the run of play.
Our response was instant and spirited. Leila found space and fired from distance, her strike crashing into the net to bring the scores level. Moments later, our press won the ball back swiftly and, through a brilliant passing sequence, Brooke teed up Leila to convert again — a tidy finish into the bottom corner to put us 2–1 up.
Unfortunately, the frequent rotations made it difficult to maintain cohesion. With the defensive line shuffled and attacking shape altered, Albert Village pressed forward and equalised after breaking through the middle. As the game wore on, a well-worked corner routine in the dying minutes caught us off guard, with a clever backheel finish restoring the Blues’ lead at 3–2.
In the final moments, frustration turned to concern. As Leila shaped to shoot near the edge of the box, an opposing player committed a reckless sliding challenge — a clear violation of 6-a-side rules where sliding is strictly prohibited. Leila was forced off the pitch and taken to A&E for assessment.
The incident sparked understandable anger within the squad, not only for the timing and aggression of the challenge, but for the avoidable risk it posed. While we’re relieved there’s no lasting injury, such dangerous play simply has no place in the game.
Despite the setback, we’re immensely proud of the squad’s work ethic, togetherness, and the football they tried to play under difficult circumstances. Juggling multiple rotations — including three defensive pairings and four attacking trios — was far from ideal, but the players gave everything.
We’ll regroup, refocus, and carry forward the positives. We go again — stronger and more united than ever.
