By Mr Bennett, Director of Sport

On Monday, 13 May, the U13 football team competed in the regional qualification round of the Independent Schools Football Association competition, aiming for a place in the National Finals. This is the first time NHEHS has entered this event, and the team delivered outstanding performances throughout the day.

In their opening match, the girls drew 2-2 against a strong Crosfields team, with two fantastic strikes from Romilly Claxton. They followed this with a solid 3-0 victory over City of London Freemen’s and then dominated the game against Frensham to secure a remarkable 9-0 win.

Entering the final group game, the team knew a win would place them at the top of the group and guarantee a spot in the semi-finals. They faced the reigning National Champions, Surbiton. After initially going down 1-0, Lana G scored a well-taken goal to level the match at 1-1. In the dying minutes, as the team pushed for a winner, Surbiton broke away and scored, making the final result a 2-1 defeat.

The girls finished the group as runners-up, narrowly missing out on a spot in the semi-finals. Despite the close finish, the team’s performance was impressive, and they look forward to returning next year.