South Reading Vixens

A cold and frosty morning saw some of the girls reluctant to leave the warmth of the duvet, and a late arrival in Bracknell did not make for the best of starts. The enthusiastic Diamonds were well into their warmup routine as the Vixens arrived, and were raring to go as the game kicked off. Despite still feeling the cold, the girls nevertheless managed to contain Whitegrove for most of the first half, with the hosts only goal coming from a corner. Nicole made a great last ditch tackle to prevent them from extending their lead and Dominique was regularly called on to defend her goal, but as the half drew to a close it was still all to play for.

But the Vixens faced a crisis at the break, with only the inexperienced Kamara prepared to put herself forward for goalkeeping duties. The lack of team spirit continued into the second half, with several players performing below their best. Passing was frequently replaced with aimless half-clearances, the defence was outnumbered several times as the midfield did not retreat quick enough, the Diamonds attack was not closed down and was allowed to shoot at will, and the team continually lost its shape. Christmas came a month early for Whitegrove, and they took full advantage as they ran in seven goals without reply.

It was a hugely disappointing morning for the Vixens, with virtually nothing positive to show. We have lost games where the team has worked hard and given their best, but this was not one of those days. It is now down to the girls to put things right, and they will have an early opportunity to do so at the same ground next week.

Squad: Dominique, Stacey, Zoe, Shannon B, Yasmin, Deanna, Nicole, Kamara, Hannah

The Vixens player of the match was Nicole, whose committed performance was an isolated highlight of the morning.