S J B Juniors U16 Girls Narrowly Lose 3-2 At Coundon Court

S J B Juniors U16 Girls travelled to Coundon Court School on 11 October 2025 for an 11-a-side league away fixture, kicking off at 11:30am. The match ended in a narrow 3-2 defeat for S J B Juniors after a fiercely contested 80 minutes plus added time.

Deploying a classic 4-4-2 formation, S J B Juniors set up with Grace in goal, protected by a back four comprising Milly at right back, Tianna and Sophia as central defenders, and Kelsey on the left. The midfield line featured Eva on the right wing, Freya and Beth centrally, and Liv on the left flank. Up front, the strike partnership consisted of Lacie on the right and Zara on the left. This formation was designed to provide defensive solidity with four at the back, midfield control through the central pairing, and width supplied by the wide midfielders, while the two forwards were expected to lead the line and create scoring opportunities. The substitutes available were Jaden, Isha, Belle, Ella, and Sophie.

The game began with Coundon Court taking an early lead in the 7th minute, putting S J B Juniors on the back foot. However, the visitors responded well, and Liv restored parity in the 18th minute with a composed finish, signalling their intent to fight back.

Shortly after, a flurry of substitutions began. At the 25th minute mark, Jaden replaced Freya, and Isha came on for Kelsey, indicating a tactical shift or response to the early exchanges. A minute later, Belle entered the fray, taking over from Beth in midfield. The defensive reshuffle continued at the 35th minute when Ella replaced Sophia in central defence. Just before half-time, Beth returned to the pitch, substituting Liv on the left midfield, perhaps to inject fresh legs or adjust the attacking approach.

The first half concluded at the 40-minute mark with the score level at 1-1, setting up an intriguing second period.

Immediately after the break, further changes were made. Sophie came on for Isha, and Freya replaced Jaden, restoring some of the original midfield balance. These substitutions paid dividends almost instantly as Beth scored a crucial goal in the 41st minute, assisted by Ella, putting S J B Juniors ahead for the first time in the match. Belle was also withdrawn at this point, with Sophia returning to central defence, signalling a return to a more familiar defensive setup.

The second half saw more tactical adjustments with Kelsey returning to left back in place of Milly at the 51st minute. However, the lead was short-lived as Coundon Court struck twice in quick succession, scoring in the 52nd and 53rd minutes to regain control and establish a 3-2 advantage.

S J B Juniors continued to make changes in an attempt to claw back the deficit. Beth replaced Eva on the right midfield at 54 minutes, Liv returned to the left midfield at 57 minutes, and Jaden came on for Freya at 61 minutes, maintaining the intensity and effort to find an equaliser.

Despite their best efforts and notable performances from Milly and Liv, who were named players of the match, S J B Juniors were unable to break down the resilient Coundon Court defence again. The visitors showed commendable spirit and tactical flexibility throughout but ultimately fell just short in a closely fought encounter.