As part of the FA Girls Football week AFC Wimbledon Foundation held a Girls 5-a-side College and Universities Tournament at Goals in Tolworth.
After our success in the recent Barcelona trip with the Post 16 Girls Academy we were very enthusiastic to enter this tournament and celebrate Girls Football week. Having such a strong and talented Girls Academy it was impossible to choose just five girls to take part so we opted for entering two teams.
The tournament was run as a round robin then progressing to semi-finals and finals. The girls came across other Colleges and University teams such as; Merrist Wood College (Chelsea Foundation), University of Chichester and the University of Greenwich. The games were 10 minutes long and as you could play off the walls there was very little rest time for the teams so good fitness levels definitely prevailed throughout the day.
After a great display of football from both teams throughout the day we finished 1st and 3rd in the table, meaning both teams progressed to the semi-finals to play Merrist Wood and the University of Chichester. The girls recorded a comfortable victory over the team from Chichester but were not so fortunate against Merrist Wood who secured the win to see them through to the final.
The final was a very physical encounter but our girls controlled the game and dominated the opposition, keeping a clean sheet and scoring some fantastic goals to win the tournament.
Community Trust, Academy Coach, Ian Cox said: “The squad have a strong team bond and really want to do well for each other, which is evident when they play. They work extremely hard and play with a real passion for the game, always looking to improve and develop individually and as a group. They are proud to wear the Gillingham badge and we are delighted with their progression.”
AFC Wimbledon Foundation Football Development Officer, Emma O’Connor commented “Well done, very impressed with your team, solid performance from your guys!”
Congratulations and well done to the squad on a fantastic tournament and thank you to AFC Wimbledon Foundation for a great day.
To find out more about our Girls Academy and how you can become part of the team please contact Female Football Development Officer, Georgia Bowie, gbowie@priestfield.conm or 01634 350125.