Squad: Nora, Betsy, Izzy, Lillie, Sienna W., Arielle, Emy, Sienna M., Chloe, Erin, Esme, Emilia, Anaiya, Neve
Building on last week’s strong away performance, the Pumas welcomed Sileby Juniors for their first home game of the season — a repeat fixture from last year and always a tough, competitive test.
What followed was a superb display. From the first whistle the girls were focused, hardworking, and playing as one unit, producing arguably the fastest start to a game in the team’s history — 15-20 minutes of relentless, fast-paced attacking football.
Sienna W. opened the scoring with a long, high shot that beat the Sileby keeper, sending the Pumas in 1-0 up at half-time. Between halves, the coaches rotated all five substitutes seamlessly, keeping the squad fresh and ensuring equal game time.
The second half was just as electric. Lillie made it 2-0 before Sileby pulled one back against the run of play, with Nora once again in commanding form between the posts. Lillie, who ran herself into the ground all afternoon, added her second with another high finish the keeper couldn’t reach — 3-1. Barely a minute later, Anaiya capped a brilliantly crafted midfield spell with composed team play to make it 4-1. Sileby kept the Pumas honest with a fourth reply, before Chloe rounded off the scoring with a follow-up to the Sileby keeper’s save and subsequent rebound to make it 5-2. Credit also goes to the defensive unit of Arielle, Esme, Betsy, Izzy, and Emy, who all had solid performances throughout the game.
A genuinely brilliant, highly entertaining performance from start to finish. Strength in depth, energy, and pace allowed the team to dominate large parts of the game against a well-organised and hardworking Sileby side. Special mention to Erin, Sienna M., Neve, and Emilia, whose tireless work up front made for a hugely effective attack, with Emilia showing more confidence in the attack and real potential.
Over half the squad played in two or more positions across the match — a great show of versatility and mental strength that won’t always be possible, but proved a valuable experiment. The team also debuted a new 3-3-2 formation, which the girls adapted to impressively well under the coaches’ instruction, working the ball quickly through triangles to unpick their opponents.
The challenge now is to carry this momentum and team spirit through the rest of the season.
Rugby Town U13 Pumas 5-2 Sileby
Coaches’ Player: Emilia
Parents’ Player: Anaiya