Wapping 4th XI - 2
Southend and Benfleet 1st XI – 8 (Ashlie Colman 4, Sarah Conway 2, Nicola Bryant 1, Kirsty Edmunds 1)

Southend and Benfleet 1s whooped Wapping 4s this week as the seasiders travelled into the heart of London to emerge with an impressive 8-2 victory. S&B dominated the opening minutes of the game with Nicola Bryant and captain Rachel Jeffery effectively sealing off S&B's half of the pitch. All the pressure was on the Wapping defence, and it wasn’t long before Ashlie Colman knocked in two early goals. Wapping attacked in a frenzy and caught S&B off guard more than once as they drew them into their frantic game style but resident sweeper Nina Dabbs cleared away any danger. S&B kept the pressure back on but even after they were awarded a penalty flick, after the ball was stopped by a Wapping defender’s foot on the line, S&B were unable to find the back of the goal again before half time.

The second half saw S&B calm and collected, playing their own game of composed defending followed swiftly by speedy attacks. Attacks lead by the league’s two top goal scorers, Conway and Colman, soon put Conway on the scoreboard with two easy goals. Wapping came back on a counterattack to give them their first goal of the game. But S&B forward star Kirsty Edmunds ran rings around the Wapping defence to assist Colman in bagging her third and fourth goals of the game taking the score to 6-1 midway through the second half. Despite the score line, the Londoners fought back strong time and again, if it wasn’t for some great saves from S&B goalie Lisa Hawkins, Wapping would have levelled the score but as it stood their persistence only rewarded them with one extra consolation goal before a short corner saw Bryant slotting the ball into the back of the goal to take the score to 7-2. Surefooted defending from Deborah Etheridge on the right kept the Wapping attacks at bay whilst right winger Caitlin Meredith worked hand in hand with Player of the Match Edmunds who, after assisting in so many of the match’s goals, blasted in her own goal to make it 8-2 before the final whistle blew.