The last Minis tournament of the season. All of the north Essex teams converged in one place for the big finale.
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Brentwood boys under 10s had an early start for the first matches. A mixture of ages and limited experience meant the boys had a tough set of fixtures. They narrowly lost their group matches but were given a chance to lift their spirits with a play off game for the 7th/8th place. The boys stepped up their game and produced their best performance to win the match. Good effort boys (never give up!).
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The girls U10s impressed their supporters winning their first three games. In their last group game the match looked to be ending in defeat until the girls snatched an equaliser just seconds before the final whistle!. That result meant they were through to the final.

The girls U10s final was a tense affair against "Witham Mixed". Everyone worked really hard but the mixed team were well organised and quite strong in every position including a goal keeper. The game ended in a 2 - 0 loss but the girls had surpassed themselves by reaching the final. Well done girls.
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The U12 girls are an experienced team and have performed well in previous tournaments.

Eva recruited her friend Tia to play in goal which was a bonus. This added confidence in the defence. Ava C joined the team for the first time and proved to be the team's goal scorer.

Three pool games vs Maldon, Chelmsford and Saffron Walden ended with three wins for the Brentwood girls. The next game "The Final".

The final was played against Bishop's Stortford. This was the girls' toughest game. End to end action. Both teams creating chances. Tia pulled off two great saves and the Brentwood girls began to take advantage of their chances to attack on the break.

The deadlock was broken with five minutes remaining. Eva dribbled through and found the goal which would win the match!

Champions - North Essex Minis League Tournament 2022

Team: Tia (GK), Freya A, Freya W, Esme W, Emily L, Ava C, Ruby C, Eva S

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And so the pressure was now on the Boys U12s. Could they replicate the success of the girls?

Report by Manager Rob S:

"A great effort from the squad all season but none more so than on finals day where every player contributed to the team result.

The group stage started with 1 - 0 win over Braintree, a hard fought result that showed results were going to be earned through effort! The second game was a 2 - 0 reverse against a very good Saffron Walden team, this showed us that if we wanted to progress, a bit more discipline in playing our positions would be needed. The last group game against Chelmsford 1 needed to provide a win to have a chance of making the final and the squad didn’t disappoint with all 10 players making positive contributions in a 6 - 0 win. And so only by goal difference did Brentwood made the final where Chelmsford 2 awaited.

The final was Brentwood’s best game of the day and probably the season! The team played positively and in a more structured way culminating in a strong 2 - 0 win. Jake scoring both goals with impressive reverse stick shots.

A big result for a group of players it has been a privilege to manage this season - goals on the day: Max B (1), Zachary (1) Jake S (7)."

Champions - North Essex Minis League Tournament 2022

See team photo:
Back row (L-R): Jake S, Doug M, Scott P, Max B, Liam R, Thomas W.
Front Row (L-R): Aidan P, William M, Charlie S, Zachary