Southend and Benfleet 1s – 2 (Sarah Conway 1, Ashlie Colman 1)
Wapping 3s – 3

The last game of the season saw Southend and Benfleet host Wapping 3s at home on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon. S&B were ready for action and sought to see the season out on a high note and it looked very likely as play began; Kirsty Edmunds and Ashlie Colman were all over the visitors defence for the opening minutes of play but the Londoners kept their hosts at bay. Wapping would launce fast paced counter attacks and would catch S&B off guard if it wasn’t for the tag team of Nicola Coleman and Stacy Chandler diligently defending S&B’s left flank. After S&B made several attempts at goal, Sarah Conway, the leagues top goal scorer, managed to find a hole in the visitor’s seemingly impenetrable defence, to give S&B the lead early in the game. It wasn’t long however, before Wapping were awarded a short corner and flicked it into the back of the goal to level the score. S&B goalie Lisa Hawkins would make some decisive saves and see every strike off the back line safely with the aid of the ever watchful sweeper Jodie Linge snapping up any Wapping crosses that came her way. Lora Sharples was on form today and would continue the relentless onslaught of the Wapping D but it was to no avail as the score remained 1-1 at the break.

Play resumed and it was still anyone’s game as both teams seemed evenly matched. Wapping would be awarded several successive short corners until they converted it into a goal to take a narrow lead early into the second half. Adele Cole would work tirelessly, performing well timed tackles to win the ball from the visitors whilst forcing the play out wide to the wings to attack from all sides and it wasn’t long before Ashlie Colman would beat the Wapping goalie and slide the ball into the back of the goal to take the score to 2-2. Hayley Middleton would cut out many of Wapping passes and stop their assaults in their tracks whilst captain Rachel Jeffery would push forward and spur the team on to assault the Wapping defensive D countless times in an attempt to snatch S&B that much needed third goal. Unfortunately for S&B though it was Wapping who found the back of S&B’s goal next with yet another short corner strike. Despite some fast counter attacks from Caitlin Meredith up the right wing, S&B only managed to scare the visitors with some narrow misses for the remaining minutes of the game. As the last whistle blew S&B would be awarded a short corner that could have created the draw that the games performance really deserved but it was not to be and the final score finished S&B – 2, Wapping – 3, with player of the match being awarded to Ashlie Colman.

Though S&B didn’t produce a win this week, it was a brilliant game for both teams to finish up the season and S&B’s 3rd place position in their début Premier League performance is secured.