Trip to Southampton ‘ticks all the boxes’ for Gauvain
THE Guernsey women’s squad got just what they wanted out of their trip to Southampton at the weekend as they ramped up their preparations for the NatWest International Island Games.
They played three matches in two days, with a double-header against Eastleigh Football Club opposition on Saturday followed by a fixture with Winchester City Flyers on Sunday, and head coach Anna Gauvain took plenty of positives from the experience ahead of their upcoming Guernsey 2023 campaign, despite being well-beaten by two Eastleigh squads.
‘It was a much-needed weekend away with the squad,’ she said.
‘We wanted to push them out of their comfort zones, get them to bond as a team and get minutes under their belt. We ticked all of those boxes.
‘It’s made the girls hungry for more, which is great with a week of football ahead of us next month. We’ve identified some really strong performers this weekend and selections for the upcoming matches will be difficult.
'It’s a nice headache to have and good to know we have depth in the squad.’
The tour began in baking hot conditions at Oasis Mayfield School’s 3G pitch on Saturday lunchtime when an Eastleigh reserve team, including a few first-team players to make up the numbers, were the opposition.
Guernsey struggled to get going at the start and conceded some early goals, but after a water break and some changes in personnel, the islanders created some chances and improved their play.
‘We welcomed having a large squad available and the chance to see players in different positions,’ said Gauvain.
The second half saw Calleigh Hedley, goalscorer in the Muratti last month, put away a well-taken strike on goal and some encouraging performances from others.
Next up Eastleigh brought in some development players, which gave the Guernsey coaches an opportunity to give representative debuts to a number of players.
The highlight for Guernsey saw Joelle Priaulx take a long free-kick from halfway that fell to young Codie Le Flem who slotted home coolly, bringing a spark to their play.
However, the home team came out winners for a second time on the day.
The following day, in a bid to replicate the Island Games playing schedule, the squad faced a new challenge from Winchester City Flyers.
The heat remained on the 3G pitch but players dealt with the conditions much better.
The coaches were looking for improved performances from the squad and a test of fitness and stamina.
Hedley and Le Flem were on the scoresheet again and Guernsey really held their own in a 4-2 defeat. The coaches said the team gave a 'pleasing performance'.
‘Eastleigh and Winchester were fantastic hosts and really helped us achieve our aims, so big thanks to them for turning out on their “off” season,’ Gauvain said.
‘It tops off a great week for Guernsey’s female footballers with the girls’ academy having some competitive games versus Jersey at the KGV last Sunday.’
In those junior fixtures, Guernsey U13s were 2-0 winners and the U15s won 4-3.
