The Beds had a mixed season, which ended on a successful note as we managed to avoid relegation despite the notable risks, with three teams being relegated (rather than the usual one) from the East Women’s Division 2s League this year.
After a mixed start to the season saw the Beds only achieving their first win on the 14th October (a 4-1 victory at home against Long-Sutton 1) things picked up as Michaelmas term progressed and we gelled as a team, with a 5-1 win against St. Neots 2s, a 2-0 win against Cambridge South 3s and a 1-1 draw against City of Peterborough 3s (away).
The return after the Christmas break signalled a (re)baptism of fire for the Beds, with a doubleheader on the first weekend back after the holidays as our match v Cambridge City 4s was rescheduled from the end of Michaelmas after some icy conditions. Two consecutive losses motivated us to pull our socks up as we entered the term of our Varsity match with a newfound desire to get some wins in the East Leagues. What followed was an unbelievable turnaround: beating Spalding 1s 4-1 (whom we had lost 3-1 to in September), followed by drawing 1-1 with St Neots 1s who were, at that time, top of the league, and to whom we had lost 5-0 to in October.
The 18th February brought out Varsity Match against Oxford, where we were pipped at the post 2-1 by a goal in the last 30 seconds, with a nail-biting finish to an excellent performance. We continued our winning streak in the East Leagues, beating Cambridge South 3s 4-0 despite only having 11 players (two of whom had never played a league match before!). We finished the season 9th out of 12, staving off relegation, which was a good result considering our slow start to the year. I have absolutely loved playing with a team of amazing girls this year- the fun and energy that they brought to training and matches alike will be sorely missed!
Becky Webb – Captain
On Sunday the 18th of February, the Beds faced our annual Varsity Match against Oxford, a match which always promises to be the pinnacle of the season. After weeks of training, running through short corner routines and out-letting drills, the mood on the team was one of anxious anticipation on the day. The endless short corner practice paid off: less than 2 minutes after pushback, the Beds scored the opening goal of the match, with Becky Webb nabbing a deflection off Hannah Lowrie’s well-placed ‘baby’ sweep from the left slip position. The rest of the half passed with the Beds in overwhelming possession; however, multiple opportunities were missed on the post.
After halftime, the Mavericks returned with a renewed sense of urgency and put our defence under far more pressure than in the first half, eventually scoring to equalise the score 1-1. An excellent break from Alicia McDowell up 3/4s of the pitch made it look like the Beds may pull ahead again, but unfortunately, the Oxford goalie held strong and saved her shot in a one-on-one with the goalie. 5 minutes before full-time, the match looked set to go to shuffles, but the Mavericks managed to win a short corner, which, due to a series of early line-breaks and subsequent short corners given away in the circle, turned into upwards of 5 short corner attempts. Eventually, despite some amazing efforts from Alice Beardmore and the rest of the defensive runners, 30 seconds before the full-time whistle, the Mavericks managed to slip a goal past our left post. Whilst disappointing to lose out on the chance of a win so last minute, the team put up an excellent fight which had a nail-biting finish. Hannah Lowrie was deservedly awarded Player of the Match for her strong-hold performance at full-back.
Becky Webb
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