Sports Round Up & Stars of the Week

Despite the wind and rain, the teams bundled together for yet another great display of sports, with wins across the board for the home teams.

A round-up of the boys’ games:

• The 2nds gave Belmont an epic battle before sealing the win, with Felix leading the back line in a calm and collected defensive performance.
• Colts As and Bs had scrappy starts but settled into their respective games with dominant displays from both sides; Ollie again leading from the back and catching the opposition on the counterattack, whilst Stanley gave a great performance all over the field, reaping the rewards from a handball in the box and scoring his first goal with an absolute rocket of a penalty!
• Colts C faced a strong side who had them defending heavily but effectively thanks to Faheem’s courage and tenacity, before coming through with a last kick winner to steal the game in the dying seconds. Away from home, the conditions didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the players, with Johnny and Bertie in particular giving their respective games all they had, showing non-stop energy and passion.
• The U8/9s at home had plenty of energy on the fields, with both teams playing end-to-end football and creating plenty of chances. Sam provided brilliant assistance in midfield with his unselfish play, which led to the winning goal hit home by Luka. Away, Pennthorpe gave great team performances at Belmont with goals a plenty and Oscar working incredibly hard to win back the ball and help out his team.

And the girls’ games:

• Over on the hockey pitches, Colts B and the 2^nds battled against strong Farlington teams, adapting to their style of play and digging deep in the pouring rain; Holly limiting the damage the opposition aimed to cause with some excellent defending, whilst Lily showed creative and unselfish gameplay to provide the team with goal scoring opportunities.
• Both the 1sts and Colts As had tournaments this week; however the treacherous conditions meant that the 1sts instead had a fixture against a strong Barrows Hills team. They kept their heads and worked hard to keep the deficit to a respectable two goals, with Bella pulling off some fantastic saves and keeping the team motivated.
• The Hurst tournament for Colts A went ahead as planned, and after an undefeated group stage consisting of 9 goals and 0 conceded, the stage was set for a final against Handcross Park. Both teams fought to break the deadlock, but with all level at the final whistle, it went to extra time. A well-worked short corner routine straight from the training field gave Pennthorpe the advantage needed to secure the win and take home the trophy! A fantastic team effort and all should be proud of their achievements.
• Thursday offered a slight scare when 2:30 came around and the heavens opened, but thankfully, it didn’t last for too long. Claudia and Samantha worked incredibly hard for their teams, showing great passing skills and determination which led to a successful afternoon of hockey fixtures.

We also had Swimming Gala heats at Cranleigh on Thursday, where Years 5-8 took to the pool with the aim of securing a spot at the upcoming finals – huge well done to everyone who put themselves forward and tried their absolute hardest, you’re all superstars! The staff at the school were incredibly impressed with the swimming on show and everything ran very smoothly.

All in all, another fantastic week of sports, with only more to come! Years 5 and 6 have their cross-country this afternoon, whilst 7 and 8 have time to sneak in a little bit more training before their event next week…. Good luck to all involved!