After the successes of the previous season, the ladies 1s were looking to gain a secure mid-table spot by the end of the season. With Captain Vicky expecting and some other player movement, the squad had some new faces in. Pricey returned to the team and Emma, Rosie & Jennings have all made great contributions – both on and off the pitch!

The start of the season saw a devastating 7-0 loss to newly promoted Beeston and then much closer matches with some of the top teams. A number of games were lost by small margins and it took until playing Olton to get the first points on the board, with a convincing 6-1 victory.

Losses to four of the mid-table teams by 1 goal meant that the team remained in 9th spot throughout the season. Just before Christmas, the team managed to avenge their opening day result against Beeston with a brilliant team performance leading to a fantastic victory and a clean sheet.

After the break, every match and point was vital. The team battled hard and put in some strong performances, but was unable to defeat any of its key opponents.

This meant facing the play-offs! After a great start, drawing with international-filled Holcombe and beating Brooklands, all the team needed was a draw against Buckingham to retain their premier league status. Unfortunately, after a fiercely contested match, Sutton were just not strong enough to hold their opponents and will be travelling the north of the country again next year. The team are especially excited about getting to stay in their favourite hotel in Durham again!!

The Indoor campaign saw the team play in some exciting matches, but remained safe in the top league rather than fighting for the top 4 spots this year.

In the cup, the team made it through to the quarter-finals, only to be knocked out by the team who eventually took their place in the Premier League.

Becky Batsford

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