It is crunch time in the various national cups and competitions across the country at this time of year, and this Wednesday is no different, as Lord Wandsworth’s College’s U15 girls side hosts Surbiton High School in the semi-finals of the Independent Schools’ Football Association’s National Cup.
The match kicks off at the College just south of Hook at 2:15pm this Wednesday, the 4th of March, and you can catch all the action on the NextGenLive YouTube channel or via the embedded video below!
This is a clash between two schools with serious sporting pedigrees. Although the hosts, Lord Wandsworth’s, have produced more rugby players than footballers, since becoming fully co-educational in 1997, women’s sport has become a pillar of the College. Under Georgia Bowers and Scott Sanderson, who plays first team football for Step 5 side Alton FC, their U15 girls side has made remarkable progress into the semi-finals of the Smith Construction ISFA Cup. With 12 wins across their 16 fixtures so far this season, they head into a semi-final on home soil in great form. They started their cup run with a 5-2 win over Bradfield College, before beating Mount Kelly 4-1, both at home. The third round brought their toughest test yet, the visit of sporting powerhouse Millfield, but they too were dispatched 4-2. Their first away trip of the campaign came in the quarter-finals, when they made the relatively short trip to Ardingly College, where they again racked up the scoring in a 3-2 victory. Having already scored 73 goals this season, they will be full of confidence when they welcome Surbiton on Wednesday.
The visitors will also be confident, and indeed travel to Lord Wandsworth College as faverioutes. Surbiton High School are undefeated in 14 games this season, drawing only once, to Alleyn’s School, the other semi-finalists in the Smith Construction Cup, who take on the Forest School. After a bye in the first round, Surbiton put 9 past Brentwood in round 2, 3 past Lingfield in the next round and 3 past Beechwood in the quarter-finals, all without conceding. Surbiton have been present in all of the last 6 of the tournament’s finals, being beaten only once, in 2021. They are the most successful side in the competition’s history, and will be hoping to win their 4th title in a row this season, and reach their 7th successive final. They have only conceded 7 goals total across the campaign. As one of the premium schools for girls sport nation-wide, it is always special when one of their sides makes it onto the live-stream!
So what could come about when the immovable object meets the unstoppable force? The free-scoring hosts, Lord Wandsworth, take on the best defence in the nation, and the defending champions, Surbiton High School.
