Match reports

Under 18 boys Inter-Region Tournament

Northampton School 12th & 13th October 2024

As a result of a disappointing tournament for the under 16 age group which was played in the summer of 2022 at Millfield School, the finishing position at that event meant that the South East region was part of division two for the under 18 event this year.

This was a very young squad with only two boys at the top of the age group and as a result 10 members of the team will be eligible to play again next year.

The competition was split into two groups of three with the South East scheduled to play the North East and the East with these results would decide who we would play in the place games on Sunday. The other group was made up of Scotland, Wales, and the West Midlands.

Our first match on Saturday was against the North East and it proved to be a very competitive game that we eventually were slightly unlucky to lose 9-12. Although we never led, we levelled the score at 4-4 and we were always in the match until a couple of late goals made the game safe for the opposition.

This was definitely a case of what might have been, but we missed some key opportunities in attack and a number of unforced errors defensively led to several goals that really should have been avoided.

We were back in the pool after a relatively short break to play against the East region who had beaten the North East relatively easily.

The boys put together a better performance in this match against what was stronger opposition and from being 6-10 behind the team played some really good water polo to reduce the deficit to 9-10 early in the 4^th quarter.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain this and the defensive frailties returned and we missed some relatively simple chances late on before the match finished 11-15. It was disappointing to suffer a second defeat but this was a better performance against the team that went on to play in the final against Scotland on Sunday morning.

As a result of the two relatively narrow defeats we were back in the pool at 8.45 on Sunday morning playing against the West Midlands in the match that would decide 5^th & 6^th place.

After a strong start we were always in control of the match and our high press resulted in a regular turnover of possession which often led to goals on the counter attack. At half time we led 11-4 but a loss of concentration resulted in the West Midlands scoring a number of goals that should have been avoided. A dominant final quarter made the game safe and the final 18-10 score was a reasonable reflection of the difference between the two teams.

Obviously, we had hoped for a better final finishing position but our two group matches on Saturday were an indication that small margins can make a key difference in this type of competition.

That said, the squad worked hard throughout all the matches and they were extremely good to work with as we tried to develop the tactics that would hopefully prove to be beneficial.

The team were well supported by the parents who made the trip to Northampton and I hope that everyone enjoyed the opportunity of watching some good quality water polo.

The Squad:

William Makepeace, Aiden McArragher, Sammy Smith, Aston Bennett, Dom Bullen, Oliver Phillipps, Tom Greenyer, Sam Tredwell, Tumay Evcimen, Jamie Miles, Leon Wudarczyk, Cass Humphrey

Sammy Smith was awarded the most valuable player award which was voted for by the coaches of the opposition teams.

Coach; – Alastair Roberts, Assistant Coach; – Steve Bond, Team Manager; – Helen Smith

Under 16yrs Girls take Inter-Regional title

Swim England South East Region (SER) girls U16 squad travelled to Liverpool in July for the annual Inter-Regional Championships hoping to repeat last year’s success.

The first match was against a tricky North West team. A very tetchy game resulted, with SER pulling ahead, only for NW to pull a goal back. At the end of the third quarter it was 6 goals piece, with the SER goal keeper, Amelia Cook, making several crucial saves. SER dug deep in the final quarter, scoring 4 goals to NWs 2, ultimately winning the game 10-8.

The second match was against the Irish National side. The girls knew they had to play a more physical game and their unrelenting style paid off, entering the second quarter 5-0 up. Ireland stepped up in the second quarter, pulling a couple of goals back, and SE

could only break the resolute Irish defence on one occasion. The third quarter saw a resurgence from the SE girls, scoring four goals to Irelands two. The physicality of the game took its toll in the final quarter, with both sides cancelling each other out with a goal each. A dominant 5-11 win under the belt for SER meant that they topped the table after the first day.

On Sunday the girls faced their nearest rivals, London. They had drawn at a practice match a fortnight earlier, but knew that they had the ability to win. It was another nerve wracking match, with South East never seemingly able to gain the rub of the green. Parents were hiding behind their eyes, barely daring to watch, as the girls’ valiant efforts were going unrewarded. SER were one nil down in the last minute until they scored a last gasp goal to draw. It was a real team effort and the score line did not reflect the hard work, great play, and tenacity that the girl’s demonstrated.

The previous results meant that the final game against South West was essentially the ‘gold medal’ match. A talented South West side had won all of their previous matches, so SER had to win to retain their title. Coaches Lauren and Katy gave the girls a pre-match tactical briefing. The girls’ nerves soon disappeared in the first quarter and they opened up the score line. The coaches tactical masterclass was expertly executed by the SER girls allowing them to dominate and gain a 6 goal advantage, with no reply by SW, by the end of the third quarter. Elsie, who was SERs top scorer during the tournament, had to play out of position to spend the game marking out the SWs strongest player. The strength and depth of the SER team meant that goals came from all over the pool. All of the girls got the opportunity to participate in the final, which ended with a thoroughly well deserved 8-3 victory.

This group of girls has largely been playing together since 2019 when they took on, and beat, London in an under-12s match at the K2 in Crawley during the Covid-hit British Championships. It is the first time that a South East region girls team has retained an inter-regional title.

The squad:

Amelia Cook, Calista Almeida, Anjelea Gallagher-Padayachy, Jessica Fleming, Skye Priede, Airlia Philippidis, Maya Middleton, Elsie Graves, Meg Ross, Molly Putt, Aimee Fleming, Florrie Cooper, Alice Ross.

Head Coach: Lauren Hand, Assistant Coach: Katy Ross, Team Manager: Becci Henderson.

To top off an already brilliant weekend, Amelia Cook was awarded Goal Keeper of the tournament, while Elsie Graves picked up SERs Most Valuable Player as well as Most Valuable Player of the tournament.