Carisbrooke Girls Fight Back in 'Battle of Wellington Road' Thriller

The Carisbrooke U15 girls' football team made the small trip down the road to face CTK in the inaugural 'Battle of Wellington Road.' The build-up was less 'Champions League final' and more 'kit disaster,' as kick-off was delayed by a full 15 minutes because Mr Fleming had to perform emergency shin-pad distribution, find a new kit, and, most bizarrely, conduct hurried, on-the-spot sock tailoring. Eventually, with every player correctly padded and with bespoke ankle-length hosiery, the much-anticipated match got underway.

First Half: The Derby Kicks Off (Eventually)

In typical derby fashion, the first quarter of the game was evenly contested, with tackles flying in that were definitely not for the faint-hearted (or perhaps were only for those who hadn't seen Mr Fleming with a pair of scissors moments earlier).

Unfortunately for Carisbrooke, it was CTK who drew first blood with a tidy finish from their striker. Not long after, CTK doubled their lead to go 2-0 up after 20 minutes, leaving the Carisbrooke bench looking as pale as one of their old kits.

However, the team rallied, and just before half-time, Paighton decided she'd had enough, scoring a superb individual goal that sent Carisbrooke into the break trailing 2-1. This crucial strike brought renewed confidence, even if Mr Fleming's half-time team talk promised to be an intense one - likely involving more motivational shouting than sock-cutting.

Second Half: The VAR, the Hat-Trick, and the Draw

Whatever Mr Fleming said at half-time obviously didn't have the desired effect, as CTK added to their lead shortly after the restart to go 3-1 up. 

This three-goal deficit seemed to spur Carisbrooke on. Evie then burst clear of the defense to slot past the keeper. The suspense was incredible; in a move rarely seen in U15 girls' football, there was a lengthy VAR intervention (we're assuming a parent with a smartphone video). Good news arrived: the goal stood! Score: 3-2.

Carisbrooke then added another through the unstoppable Paighton to bring the score level at 3-3, confirming that she was immune to the pre-match chaos. CTK then re-took the lead against the run of play with another really good strike, making it 4-3, ensuring the drama continued right up to the final whistle.

With only minutes remaining, Paighton completed her hat-trick to secure a dramatic, hard-fought 4-4 draw. The result may not have secured the win, but securing a point after that rollercoaster—and that pre-match circus—was arguably a greater victory.

Final Score: Carisbrooke 4 - 4 CTK. The 'Battle of Wellington Road' certainly lived up to the hype.