Arsenal Women U21s put on a spirited performance in the PGA U21 play-off final but ultimately fell to a 3-1 loss against Manchester United.
Off the back of our side's tremendous season in the PGA Southern League, which saw us crowned champions two weeks ago, we faced a tough match-up with the Red Devils on Wednesday afternoon.
We showed drive and determination from the first kick of the game, dominating possession in the midfield and causing havoc with our attacks down the wing.
With their pace and skill, Vivienne Lia and Ruby Seaby looked exceptionally dangerous in the opening stages, making several floaty runs into the box.
Seaby had our first shot on target after 15 minutes, after bursting into space and testing the United keeper with a well-struck effort.
Completely against the run of play, United took the lead in the 18th minute. Down but not out, our team remained focused and resolute with plenty of time left on the clock.
Our forward line continued to show flashes of creativity in pursuit of the equaliser, forcing a series of corners in quick succession.
Later in the half, Omotara Junaid made a superb solo run and her eventual strike from outside the box just grazed the crossbar.
A wicked cross into the box from Seaby came incredibly close to finding the heads of Isabella Fisher and Lia, but United just about managed to clear their lines.
As the second 45 minutes got underway, the team found a new level, forcing the visitors into clearance after clearance.
Amelia Bloom’s effort outside the box went just wide as we continued to pile on the pressure and down the other end, heroic stops at the back from Maddison Stanbury and Niamh Peacock kept us in the fight.
It was midfielder Maddy Earl who provided the all-important equaliser in the 65th minute, shrugging off her marker and releasing a strike too powerful for the United keeper to deny.
Our players ran straight to the substitute bench to celebrate with the entire squad as our focus turned to finding a winner.
The momentum continued to swing in our direction, as a goalmouth scramble nearly saw Earl bag a second from close range.
However, there was more heartbreak yet to come. Just as they had done in the first half, United struck gold on the counter, regaining the lead with 10 minutes left to play.
They quickly extended their lead from a well-taken free kick but with almost 15 minutes of added time, there was still a lifeline.
Our young Gunners ran for every last ball and pushed for a way back into the game until the final moment, but in the end, we were unable to find the goals our performance so richly deserved.
Reflecting on the valiant performance and our season as a whole, goalscorer Maddy Earl had this to say: "This team's been great. Every moment, every game, everyone showed up. And it's a credit to everyone because nothing happens without the team.
"So all of us together, we've had a great season. It's a great bunch of girls. It is sad to have this as the final game but we gave everything out there. Today just wasn't our day."
After the final whistle, U21s head coach Elliot Allum was similarly proud of the spirit shown by our young Gunners.
"It was a great game of football. Our players gave everything. They gave a part of their being to try and win that game today. It was superb for player development and lots of learning there to take away from it. We worked extremely hard and obviously, we fell short."
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