It really was a game of two halves in our local team’s final match in Division 3 of the Hampshire Girls Youth Football League.
After an exceptional first half where our local girls’ under-14s were 3-0 up at half time, the game concluded with a disappointing 3-4 loss to the Stoneham under-14s Panthers.
The Division 3 Wildcats are under the management of Andy Miller who took over the club in 2022 while they were in Division 4.
Andy told us, “The team is about being part of a culture, it’s about finding friends and about building for the future”.
14-year-old centre-back Sophia spoke to Overton Radio after the match saying, “We started really strong and went 3-0 up at half time, but kinda lost it.
“I think the half-time score got to our heads though. And we stopped being really strong.
“They [The Panthers] took advantage of that and they kept going”.
Full interviews with Sophia and Andy will be broadcast on Overton Radio this coming Sunday, as part of our coverage of The Rotten Hill Cup.
Joining the squad clearly has both character and friend-building benefits, Sophia told Overton Radio that she has made friends since joining the Overton Wildcats.
Sophia added that the post-game talk from the manager helped the Overton 11’s collective emotions, saying , “The manager said we did really well. And we should be proud to get to this far, we did better than was expected. So, we did better than anyone hoped”.
Understanding that football truly is ‘a game of two halves’ and with a philosophical maturity, Sophia added, “I don’t think it was how we played, it was just how the game ended-up”.
Further details about Overton Youth FC and opportunities for girls’ football in Overton will be part of Overton Radio’s coverage of the Rotten Hill Cup this Sunday.
This year, the local derby between Overton and Whitchurch will be held at the Overton Recreation Centre on Bridge Street.
Tickets are available from the ORC and The Red Lion pub.
