A Bishop’s Stortford student has helped her under-14 girls’ football team complete an unbeaten season and win their otherwise all-boys league.
Lara Stebbings, 13, and her Concord Rangers Yellows team-mates have finished top of Southend Junior League, Under-13 Division D with 11 wins and a draw from their 12 fixtures.
They completed their undefeated league campaign on Sunday as captain Jasmine Addington got the goal in a 1-0 success at FC Redwing Hawks.
Concord, who are based near Southend, scored 61 goals and conceded only 11 on their way to lifting the trophy after manager Safe Davis thought a switch to a boys’ league would be best for their development.
And they could yet add more silverware as they are in the semi-finals of their cup competition and will be taking part in the Aces National Tournament in June.
Hockerill Anglo-European College pupil Stebbings, who has scored five goals this term, operates down the right flank for Concord. She began her footballing journey at Bishop’s Stortford Community Football Club before moving to the Essex FA Girls’ Regional Talent Club (RTC) in 2022.
The teenager, who is part of the West Ham United academy and also plays for Harlow Tekkers Boys, signed for Concord through her RTC connections, in particular goalkeeper Amelia Christmas, whose sister Lola plays up front for Concord and topped their league’s scoring charts with 35 goals.
Stebbings and her colleagues, who hope to soon be playing at a new, state-of-the-art 4G facility, will revert to a female division next term as they join the Essex Girls’ League.