A tough run out for the girls today, but an effort they should be proud of. Depleted numbers meant we had no subs, and with the sun bursting out through the clouds sporadically it was very hot at times. The girls put a very good shift in, but just didn't quite have enough firepower to capitalise on the chances we had.

We went down early in the game after defending really well to start with. Unfortunately the girls showed everyone that at their hearts they are nice people. Izzy made a great challenge to stop an attack through the middle, but the opposing player let out a whimper and a little cry (as is standard for most players that get the Izzy treatment). Our team basically stopped playing after that. I don't know why. Expecting a foul to be given? Thinking the ref would stop to check on her?

But no. Unfortunately the phrase "play to the whistle" is a lesson that these girls will now remember going forward, because Thatcham's midfielder got the resultant bounce, and had all the time in the world to set herself for a shot. Maggie was somewhat confused because everyone else had stopped, so she didn't react as she normally would, and low and behold the ball took a skip and a bounce past her into the back of the net.

Other than that one moment, I think the girls all did well. Maggie commanded her box well as she has learned to do throughout the season. And even though she didn't have too much activity to deal with, she did snap into action when needed with some reactionary legs.

Across the back Megan set her defence out to be disciplined, and Eloise and Purdi stuck to the script. Megan led the way with strong tackles, good clearances, and looking for purposeful distribution. Purdi showed much improved tackling, choosing when to commit and when not to, and cleared her lines when under pressure. And Eloise earned my manager's player of the match announcement for a fantastic effort. She has started to appreciate that she can use her strength and not shy away from it, and today she was committed to every tackle. Not only that, she actually tried to take the opposition on and go flying down the pitch like a wing back! At one point in the second half she did an overlapping move with Izzy and whipped a cross in that left me standing there smiling. Quality performance!

In the first half the middle of the park was marshalled by Izzy and Isabella, both of who showed the levels of consistency that have been so important to the squad this season. Isabella's tireless work and relentless tackling was accompanied today with a desire to drive forward in the first half, and she was unlucky to have a shot blocked in the first half that would have been great to see. Another sterling performance from one of the unsung heroes of the year.

In the second half, Izzy got a chance to go out to her favourite position at right wing, which she has had to leave to others for most of the season and she really took the game by the scruff of the neck. She played like a girl possessed in the second half in one of the best performances from anyone all year, and deservedly earned the oppositions choice as player of the match. Up and down the pitch, created tonnes of chances, both for herself and got the ball into the danger zone over and over again. Unlucky that nobody was there to get on the end of these deliveries, but it was just one of those days.

Soraya, Rose, and Chloe rotated around the remaining positions of wings and centre forward throughout and put in a tremendous shift between them. Rose showed a desire to get involved in the physical battle that demonstrated tremendous personal growth from the early part of the season. Tackle after tackle when tracking back, and a willingness to push the limits of the pitch into the corner flags going forward, her efforts caught the attention of the parents who recognised this with supporters player of the match. Soraya was a dedicated force of nature down the wing in the first half, creating chances and tracking back to get stuck into everyone she could. Had a bit of a break up front for a few minutes, but begged me to let her get further back into midfield to make more tackles. I love that attitude, so let her at it, and she carried on through to the final whistle. And Chloe showed tremendous heart throughout, battling through a knee injury. I kept telling her to rest and stop running so much, but needless to say she ignored that and when she was needed she burst into action as if nothing was wrong! Fantastic fighting spirit that definitely deserves an afternoon on the sofa! Also created a great chance in the first half by storming down the wing and knocking the ball through to Rose who just got pipped by their goalkeeper.

All in all the result was probably a little harsh. A draw would have been fairer, but that is football. As we have seen through the season the teams in the middle section of the league from 4th to 8th have very little to separate them, and unfortunately the difference between wins and losses often comes down to missing a few key players.

As I said to the girls at the end, they have all showed remarkable improvements throughout the year. With the weirdly spaced out closing fixtures it does feel like the end of the season is losing a bit of steam, so its probably more beneficial to start thinking about and looking forward to next season. With me leaving, you have a fantastic replacement in Ben who knows football as well as anyone. I'd like to personally thank all of you for your commitment and effort. Girls football is still in its infancy relative to the established boys equivalent. So to have these girls not just playing but improving week on week, being out in the beautiful British weather, socialising outside their normal networks, and choosing sport where so many other young girls don't, has been not just a pleasure but a privilege to see. And long may that continue!