The Under-9 Condors were away to Hythe & Dibden Meercats this weekend for the first league match of the season - a side that gave the Condors a really tough match during their last meeting a year prior.

With the squad down to just one substitute, nobody would have blamed the girls for feeling a little apprehensive going into this one. What followed was a completely different story to last time. The Condors matched their opponents for effort and composure throughout, holding their shape and competing hard in every part of the pitch. It's a real marker of how far this group has come in a year, a team that once got the better of them is now one they can go toe-to-toe against.

There were plenty of technical highlights to be proud of too. Twice, the Condors won the ball back after a shot was saved and had the composure to follow up and try again, exactly the kind of persistence coaches love to see. Even a penalty awarded to the opposition didn't rattle the squad; they regrouped and refocused straight away.

It was a fantastic advert for the progress this team is making together, well done, Condors!