Team Spirit in Action Football & Netball Round-Up

Tuesday 24th February 

Netball v Moor Park

The U9/U8 A team played a very close and competitive match against Moor Park, narrowly losing 2–3 after a determined team performance. The girls worked hard throughout and showed great teamwork and effort in all areas of the court. Tiegan was outstanding in defence, making several excellent interceptions that helped turn possession over and keep us in the game.

 

There are a few areas for us to improve. We need to think more about our positioning and avoid calling for the ball unless we are moving into a clear space. Players should come towards the ball more and shooters should take a little extra time to steady themselves before shooting.

 

Despite the result, this was a very encouraging performance in a tight match. Tiegan was named Player of the Match for her all-round effort and positive play. Well done everyone! 

Netball v Moor Park

Our U8/9 team put in a fantastic performance against Moor Park this week, showing great enthusiasm, teamwork and determination throughout the match. In defence, Lakshmi S was outstanding, tracking her player brilliantly across the court, applying tight marking and making important interceptions that helped turn over possession and create attacking opportunities. At the other end, Luna H delivered an excellent attacking display, working hard to create space, offering strong leads and showing great confidence with her shooting efforts under pressure. Across the court, the team supported one another well with positive communication, improving passing and growing positional awareness, making it a super all-round team effort that we are very proud of.

Football v Winterfold 

On Tuesday afternoon, the U9/8 boys faced a strong Winterfold side. We once again played in thirds, which allowed the coaches valuable opportunities to support and guide the boys between periods of play. 

The team started very slowly and unfortunately conceded a number of quick-fire goals early on. Winterfold had a particularly strong player who caused us problems. Too often we dived in to try and win the ball instead of jockeying, staying patient, and waiting for the right opportunity to make a challenge. This is something we will continue to work on in training. 

At the first break, the boys were encouraged to forget the opening third. We simply weren’t at the races and needed to show more determination, composure, and fight. To their credit, the response over the next two thirds was much improved. The effort levels rose, we competed far better, and there was a noticeable difference in attitude and application. 

Charlie produced some excellent saves in goal and distributed the ball confidently out of his hands, helping us transition from defence into attack. Finley battled tirelessly in both midfield and defence, showing great determination and setting a strong example with his work rate. 

The moment of the game came right near the end. Wilf threaded a perfectly weighted ball through to Archie M, who took it beautifully in his stride. As the goalkeeper rushed out, Archie showed great composure, taking the ball around the keeper with a superb touch before striking it powerfully from a tight angle. His effort crashed against the post; it would have been a thoroughly deserved goal and a brilliant way to cap the team’s improved performance in the final two thirds. 

Although the result didn’t reflect it early on, there were plenty of positives to take from the latter stages of the match. The boys showed resilience, responded well to feedback, and demonstrated the progress they are capable of when they apply themselves fully. 

Football v Winterfold 

The U8/9 team played a great game against Winterfold, finishing 1–1 in a very close match. We started really well and scored early on. James played a brilliant through ball, and Mikaeel ran onto it and finished calmly to put us 1–0 up. It was a fantastic team goal. Geoffrey was excellent in midfield. He worked hard, won the ball back, and helped us keep the game under control for long periods. Winterfold kept going and managed to score in the last few minutes to make it 1–1. It was unlucky to concede so late, but the team kept working hard until the final whistle. Overall, it was a strong performance from everyone and a well-earned draw. Well done, boys! 

Football v Winterfold 

On Tuesday afternoon, six enthusiastic Year 3 and 4 boys from King’s St Alban’s took to the pitch at the Cinderella Ground for a friendly football fixture against a strong side from Winterfold. The St Alban’s team of; Archie, Akshay, Ben, Edward, Rory and Xander, combined brilliantly and showed great spirit throughout the match. 

In a lovely gesture of sportsmanship, one of the Winterfold players volunteered to play in goal for St Alban’s, allowing all six KSA boys to gain valuable experience across a range of outfield positions. The match began with determined defensive play from St Alban’s, who worked tirelessly to close down their opponents and successfully kept Winterfold from scoring during the opening stages. The boys were equally impressive going forward, pushing the ball up the pitch and creating some promising attacking opportunities. With a little more luck, they might easily have scored a couple of goals in the first half. Despite their valiant efforts, Winterfold eventually managed to break through and score several goals before the interval. 

After a positive half-time team talk focusing on spreading out and being more assertive in tackles and dribbling, the boys returned to the pitch with renewed energy. Their teamwork, enthusiasm and willingness to learn were evident throughout the second half. 

In the final five minutes, St Alban’s were awarded a penalty. Stepping up with confidence, Edward calmly buried the ball into the back of the net, giving the team a well-deserved goal and a late surge of momentum. Unfortunately, time ran out before they could mount a full comeback, leaving Winterfold the winners on this occasion. 

It’s worth noting that the match would almost certainly have been closer had Winterfold’s standout player — who scored nearly all their goals — been placed in their B team. Even so, the St Alban’s boys showed tremendous determination, perseverance and sportsmanship from start to finish. 

Well done to Archie, Akshay, Ben, Edward, Rory and Xander for representing St Alban’s so well. A big thank you also goes to all the parents who came along to cheer from the sidelines. 

 

Wednesday 25th February 

Rugby 7s at Warwick 

On Wednesday, five King’s St. Alban’s Year 6 boys – Adam, Ben, Hugo, Max and Zack – joined forces with five boys from King’s Hawford to represent KSW at the annual Rugby Sevens tournament hosted by Warwick School. 

For many of the boys, this marked their very first experience of Sevens rugby. Unlike the 9-a-side format they are used to, Sevens features just seven players per team, two seven-minute halves, and a fast, free-flowing emphasis on keeping the ball moving and avoiding unnecessary contact. With Sevens rugby being so popular in the senior school, and with KSW’s strong reputation in the sport, this tournament offered an exciting introduction to the distinctive style and demands of Sevens rugby. 

The day began with adversity as the team lost Zack in the warm-up due to a knee injury, followed shortly by the departure of Sam from Hawford after a tackle-related leg injury. As further knocks accumulated, the boys were required to dig even deeper, working tirelessly for one another despite reduced opportunities for rest and rotation. The standard of rugby across the tournament was extremely high, and early on the boys found it challenging to adapt to the preferred flowing style encouraged by Mr Cooke; moving the ball wide, keeping it alive, avoiding contact and swinging play from wing to wing. 

However, the team rose to the challenge admirably, delivering four valiant performances in the morning group matches. Their determination continued into the afternoon, where they rallied again after lunch and secured a well-earned victory against Warwick School’s B team. Despite visible fatigue, the boys showed exceptional determination and resilience right up to the final match. Though results did not fully reflect their effort, each player gained a far stronger understanding of Sevens rugby, invaluable experience of competing in a high-level rugby environment, and — without even realising it — further developed vital skills in perseverance and teamwork. 

A special mention must go to Adam, Hugo and Max, who played almost every minute of the tournament. Thanks also to Zack for supporting the team despite his injury, and to Ben, who returned to play in the afternoon after receiving a painful knock to his shin earlier in the day. 

Our thanks extend to all parents who came to cheer from the touchline – your support made a real difference on what proved to be a demanding but useful day for the squad. The team now turns its attention to the next Sevens challenge at Hymers College on Tuesday 10th March, where they will be eager to put their newly learned skills into action. 

Netball Small School IAPS Tournament

The U11 Small Schools IAPS Netball Tournament proved to be a challenging and rewarding day for the team, with the girls demonstrating resilience, teamwork and determination throughout.

We played three group matches, beginning with a closely contested game against Framlingham College Prep. The girls settled quickly and showed great composure in a tight encounter, securing a narrow but well‑deserved 3–2 victory. Our second match was against Ashfield, which was another competitive fixture. Both teams worked hard in attack and defence, resulting in a 2–2 draw. The final group game saw us face strong opposition in Russell House. Despite the girls’ continued effort and positive attitude, we found this game more difficult and were defeated 13–3.

These results placed us second in our group, which was an excellent achievement and saw us progress through to the quarter‑finals. We faced St George’s in what turned out to be an incredibly dramatic match. After a tough battle, we were trailing 2–0 with just two minutes remaining. Showing outstanding determination and belief, the girls fought back to level the score at 2–2 by full time. The match then went into extra time and eventually golden goal. Although we created some excellent chances, we were unlucky to concede, losing 3–2.

There were understandably some very disappointed girls at the final whistle, but they should be immensely proud of their performance. Their final game was the best netball we have ever seen them play, displaying excellent teamwork, movement and resilience.

Overall, the girls had a super day and gained valuable tournament experience. They will go again next week at Millfield, where they have a second chance to reach the finals.