Southend and Benfleet 1s (Kirsty Edmunds 4, Naomi Barker 2, Sarah Conway 3, Nicola Bryant 1, Caitlin Meredith 1)
Old Southendian – 1 (Fliss Clarke 1)

Local teams would face each other this week as Southend and Benfleet 1s hosted Old Southendian 1s on a bright and breezy March afternoon. Early pressure from S&B would continue throughout the match as a few shots were deflected by the Old Southendian defence but it wouldn’t be long before Kirsty Edmunds would slot one passed into the far corner to get the scoring started. Naomi Barker had a blinder this week and would be rewarded for her efforts with a satisfying strike at goal that was too powerful for the Old Southendian goalie to stop and Sarah Conway would follow up with two goals of her own to take the score to 4-0. Old Southendian caught their hosts off guard for their own Fliss Clarke to take on the S&B goalie, Lisa Hawkins, one-on-one for her to come out on top and take the score to 4-1. The visitors were invigorated by their goal and hold the play in S&B’s half for a time but it wasn’t long before Edmunds would bag herself a second goal. Whilst Lora Sharples would work tirelessly to keep the play firmly in the visitors half and pick up all the stray balls that came her way to keep the pressure on Old Southendian, Captain Nicola Bryant would sneak a ball into the back of the goal from her position on the left post at a short corner to take the score to 6-1 at half time.

The second half started much like the first, with S&B having the majority of the attacks and it wasn’t long before S&B would add to the goal difference with Edmunds bagging her third goal shortly after the restart. Ashlie Colman worked valiantly this week, as she hounded the visiting players and chased after every ball, before she drove full force towards the goal, and despite being denied her own goal she would claim countless assists throughout the game. It wasn’t completely one sided though as the tenacious Old Southendian never gave up and as a result of their resilience, they had a fair amount of attempts at goal, along with a few short corners, unfortunately for them though, Michel Arnold was on hand to place some precision tackles in to halt the visitors would be assaults. S&B would have several attempts skim wide of the posts before Conway would bag her hat-trick and increase their lead to 8-1 as she tapped one in from the left post. Edmunds would slip her fourth goal into the far corner and shortly afterwards with Barker claimed S&B’s tenth goal. Stacy Chandler and Jodie Linge were on form today as they cut out many of the Old Southendian passes and defended brilliantly as a pair to clear away any wayward balls that made it through the first tackle. To finish off the scoring, player of the match, Caitlin Meredith, would capitalise from the umpire playing advantage and launch a flying strike at the startled Old Southendian goalie, who despite getting a touch on it couldn’t stop it from falling passed the goal line. The final whistle blew as S&B attacked again to cap the score line, S&B – 11, Old Southendian 1.