The South Essex College of Further & Higher Education ladies football team has been crowned regional champions of the British Colleges Sport Participation Cup, making them one of the 16 teams to go through to the National Elite Finals, the highest level of inter-college football in the UK.
The team took on Cambridge Regional College in a tense final that saw the game decided on penalties. After 90 minutes the score was 2-2, but it was South Essex College that triumphed to win 4-3 on penalties.
After arriving an hour late to the venue South Essex College Ladies had only 15 minutes to prepare for the game and this was evident in the first five minutes. South Essex College was very slow in starting and the lack of preparation was clear as Cambridge scored with little effort. This was the wakeup call that the side needed as they began to get back into the game and dominate possession. The Southend team began to pile on the pressure creating a chance for Amy Leach, who was brought down by her opponent, subsequently being awarded a penalty to which Leah Cowan stepped up and converted a very confident strike, bringing the game level.
With the confident handling of Hayley Johnson in goal, South Essex College stepped up the standard in attack towards Cambridge and it was only a matter of time before the hard work paid off. A good ball from defence saw Amy Leach attack the Cambridge right back and when it seemed she had pulled too wide she looked up, lobbing the keeper to make it 2-1. With this boost in motivation South Essex College saw out the first half with a one goal advantage.
The second half started with Cambridge dominating and they had numerous opportunities to convert for an equalizer only to be frustrated by both the defence and Hayley Johnson. The game was wide open and both teams looked like scoring, however with 20 minutes to go Cambridge took advantage of their possession and equalized from a well worked attack. In the 90th minute both teams nerves were showing and the football suffering with a scrappy period as the referee blew for full-time.
As the game went into penalties, both Cambridge and South Essex College missed their first attempts. South Essex College’s keeper saved another of Cambridge’s chances and the team went on to score four consecutive penalties coming out victorious with a 4-3 win.
Sports lecturer and ladies team coach, Brad Brooks, said: “I am extremely proud of all the girls who have represented the college team this season. As a college we are always looking to progress our provision and participation levels and the Ladies football team is an excellent example of this.
He continued: “Achievements such as winning the BCS East Region Participation Cup and being in the last 16 of the National Elite Finals will only increase the interest that students have in enrolling on Sports courses. Being part of a successful, competitive team provides the students with fantastic experiences that often form the highlight of their college lives.”
The team will now compete against teams in the prestigious Elite Cup, which is likened to the UEFA Champions league. While six of the elite teams are regional winners, like the South Essex College ladies, ten of the Elite teams have Academy sides linked to professional clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal.
Player of the game and goalkeeper Hayley Johnson, 17, from Canvey, said of the match: “The pressure did start to get to us because the other team was playing so well, but we pulled through which was down to our team work and communication. It was very tense being in goal when we went to penalties, but I just kept focused. It was the first time I’ve received player of the match so I was really pleased, but it was a team effort.”
This is the first for the College as no other female football team has won a final in any competition. The majority of the team is made up of further education students aged 16-19 studying for a National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Sciences at South Essex College of Further & Higher Education.