Camden New Journal - by STEVE BARNETT Published: 27 December 2007
Fields of dreams as girls reach last eight
YOUNGSTERS from Highbury Fields Secondary School have been gripped by football fever after booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Inner London County Schools FA Girls Cup.
The triumphant under-13s side continued their fantastic debut season with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Sacred Heart in the third round of the prestigious competition.
The Islington school, which is based in Highbury Hill, took the lead when Ria James unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the area.
A stunning strike from Jessica Collins doubled the advantage as Highbury threatened to run riot.
But Camberwell-based opponents Sacred Heart set up a nail-biting finale when they battled back to level the scores.
With the match hanging in the balance, the Highbury heroines, who were recently presented with a brand-new kit from the Football Foundation, secured their place in the last eight of the tournament thanks to a clinical finish from Samira Hassan.
Highbury Fields will now take on Southfields Community College for a place in the semi-finals at Whittington Park on January 9.
The Highbury Fields squad are pictured, front row, from left: Kocher Cheyanne Arnold, Ife James, Sarah Uwaoma, Jade Walcott, Sophie McClean. Middle row: Ria James, Jessica Collins, Emily Berg, Phoncia Tshiadua, Georgia Hughes. Back row: Dejan Brown, Samira Hassan, Christina Oyeneye, Chanice Hall, Charis James, Nicole Stokes.