Another late start for the L5s, this time in torrential rain and under a winter sky that couldn’t have been darker—but the squad arrived buzzing and full of energy (maybe even a touch too chatty!) for our showdown with Slough. With the earlier match overrunning and the weather throwing everything at us, our warm-up was cut short, and we were straight into action as soon as the pitch freed up.

We were caught cold conceded an early goal in the first minute—a long ball from halfway found an unmarked player in the D, giving Rachel no chance. With four core players called up to higher teams at the last minute, we had to quickly adapt our formation. Despite the odds, our defence held strong, and we created several promising attacks. Brontë worked tirelessly tracking back, fighting hard to win back lost possession. Lauren made an excellent drive and struck cleanly, only to miss by inches. A few more chances drifted agonisingly across an open goal—inserting sad-emoji vibes here.

Slough proved a strong side, consistently leaving a player high in our D, often creating 5-on-3 overloads. Our defence was outstanding. Claire Woods delivered intelligent and dynamic defending shutting down their danger players, switching from marking tightly to seamlessly disrupt their scoring chances and supporting the central defence. while Rachel—who barely touched the ball in the previous two games—put in a huge performance with a string of crucial saves.

A special shoutout to Nikki for stepping in last minute—her quality was a massive boost. Thanks to the whole team’s resilience, we held Slough to a tight L 1–0.

And of course - Coach Wendy! She is such an essential part of this team. Her leadership on the pitch and behind-the-scenes effort she gives during the week are what make our game days truly special.

And as always big thanks to our umpires, Andrea and Ben.

Squad: Wendy(coach), Rachel(GK), Mei(c), Claire W, Louisa, Aimee, Corinna, Ruby, Yvonne,Rosie, Lauren, Brontë, Elizabeth,Juliet, Nikki