Barking Abbey Celebrate National Cup Win
Barking Abbey School’s Under 18s Girls Team are national champions after a fantastic 4-0 English Schools FA Hudl Trophy Final victory over Durham Sixt
The side made history on a wet afternoon when they overcame their Bishop Auckland-based opponents. Kaydee King netted twice and further goals arrived from Anais Reynolds and Anele Komani and Head of the Girls’ Academy Programme, Sharon Brownlie, claimed Durham were tougher opponents than the comfortable scoreline suggested.
She reacted: “Reaching today’s final is a first for our school and it will be a day that will we will never forget. The scoreline, in a way, doesn’t reflect how close the game was at times. Credit goes to Durham, who contributed towards a fantastic final. Our players were a real credit to our football programme and to our school, as were our incredible supporters.”
Out of the two teams it was Durham who had the best chance early on when Abbey Captain Aysha Bentick was called upon to make a goal line clearance following a Durham attack. On 18 minutes a similar move by Durham saw Abbey’s goalkeeper, Ellie Bowman, recover the ball and play out quickly before Lucy Barnes sent a forward ball into the path of forward Reynolds, who converted a fine finish to make it 1-0.
Durham continued to be a threat and Bowman was involved again on 30 minutes when she was called to make a low stop following a goalbound effort. Durham continued with the pressure which saw Bowman have to tip over her crossbar on 37 minutes following a free kick. Two minutes later, Barking Abbey were back on the attack when a neat through ball by Imogen Bennett saw Reynolds denied by the Durham ‘keeper.
Two minutes after the break Abbey extended their lead. Klesha Darroux drove inside before playing a ball out wide to Maisie Ryan, who set up King to finish from eight yards out to make it 2-0. Two minutes later, a Durham corner resulted in a goalbound effort, only for Darroux to make a crucial block.
Barking continued to apply pressure and they could have been 3-0 up had the crossbar not prevented Bennett’s long-range effort following a Darroux centre. Shortly afterwards a Durham counter-attack forced Bowman into the save of the game, denying a Durham forward in a one-on-one with a low save she tipped onto the post.
With 79 minutes played, Abbey got their third. Reynolds directed King’s corner down to the feet of Komani, who finished from close range. Ten minutes later the game was sealed when Player of the Match Darroux’s centre found King just inside the box who finished with a low, driving effort to make it 4-0 with her second of the game.
She reacted: “Reaching today’s final is a first for our school and it will be a day that will we will never forget. The scoreline, in a way, doesn’t reflect how close the game was at times. Credit goes to Durham, who contributed towards a fantastic final. Our players were a real credit to our football programme and to our school, as were our incredible supporters.”
Out of the two teams it was Durham who had the best chance early on when Abbey Captain Aysha Bentick was called upon to make a goal line clearance following a Durham attack. On 18 minutes a similar move by Durham saw Abbey’s goalkeeper, Ellie Bowman, recover the ball and play out quickly before Lucy Barnes sent a forward ball into the path of forward Reynolds, who converted a fine finish to make it 1-0.
Durham continued to be a threat and Bowman was involved again on 30 minutes when she was called to make a low stop following a goalbound effort. Durham continued with the pressure which saw Bowman have to tip over her crossbar on 37 minutes following a free kick. Two minutes later, Barking Abbey were back on the attack when a neat through ball by Imogen Bennett saw Reynolds denied by the Durham ‘keeper.
Two minutes after the break Abbey extended their lead. Klesha Darroux drove inside before playing a ball out wide to Maisie Ryan, who set up King to finish from eight yards out to make it 2-0. Two minutes later, a Durham corner resulted in a goalbound effort, only for Darroux to make a crucial block.
Barking continued to apply pressure and they could have been 3-0 up had the crossbar not prevented Bennett’s long-range effort following a Darroux centre. Shortly afterwards a Durham counter-attack forced Bowman into the save of the game, denying a Durham forward in a one-on-one with a low save she tipped onto the post.
With 79 minutes played, Abbey got their third. Reynolds directed King’s corner down to the feet of Komani, who finished from close range. Ten minutes later the game was sealed when Player of the Match Darroux’s centre found King just inside the box who finished with a low, driving effort to make it 4-0 with her second of the game.
