Another Win For Darts Girls Academy!

Darts Girls Academy 4 – 1 QPR College

Top of the league and another win. The Girls Academy team are firing on all cylinders.

The Girls started the game slowly and, for the first time in a while, didn’t quite hit the standards the management and team had set in recent performances.

With a few individuals starting in unfamiliar roles, it forced the team to adapt and play slightly differently out of possession.

It became clear it needed a big moment to wake the side up and that moment came from the ever-in-form Izzy Edgar. From the moment she began to engage her opposite number, she was consistently getting the better of her. That confidence led to a moment of real quality, as Izzy chased down a perfectly weighted pass before striking from 20 yards out, watching the ball fly into the far top corner.

The second goal was particularly pleasing, as it came straight off the training ground. Ella Newman delivered a perfectly weighted cross into the path of Hannah McLaughlin, who guided the ball calmly into the far corner for a 2–0 lead.

After shifting the momentum firmly in the team’s favour, a lapse in concentration at the back gifted QPR a goal – their only shot and attacking moment of the half.

At half-time, the message was simple: control possession, look to pass through QPR, and be aggressive when attacking.

In the second half, the team had expected QPR to come out and chase the game, but instead they sat off and allowed them time on the ball. A quick tactical adjustment and the introduction of Chloe Hall Price off the bench had an immediate impact. Her positive intent forced the play forward, releasing Bella Taffs, who squared the ball across goal for Ellie Ford. Ellie brought that extra spark back to the side and finished with a simple tap-in.

As the game went on, Darts found themselves in complete control, with QPR allowing the side to dominate possession in their half. The team’s aggressive approach paid off again with a quick throw-in worked to Bella Taffs. Once more, she squared it across the box for Ellie Ford, who added her second goal of the game.

A strong second half performance saw the team finish the game without facing a single shot, an extremely pleasing statistic for the management to take away.

George Kingdon said: “Changing some of the positions and the way we played at the beginning of the match was an early eye-opener for me and Dan and something we can take away and implement into future training sessions.

“It was a game of two halves from us, and I’m pleased with how the girls secured the three points. It reinforces the cliché that good teams find ways to win, even when they’re not at their best.

“We learn a lot from these types of games, and that’s why we’re having the success we are. We recognise issues quickly, the girls take accountability, and they find solutions. It’s also really pleasing to walk away knowing we have five girls in the league’s top ten goalscorers, showing that we share the goals across the squad rather than relying on one or two individuals. Another game ticked off, and now our focus turns to the next game at home.”