'Invincible': Dunbar United Girls under 13s win every match played

Sports teams across the Capital have faced a shared disappointment with organised matches being cancelled across the board.

Poised to win the junior league, the Dunbar United Girls under 13s felt the blow particularly hard when all competitive games were cancelled due to restrictions.

Determined to continue playing the sport they love, the team has taken part in 18 friendly matches, managing to finish the season without losing a single game.

Coaches Colin Watters, Craig Rapson and Stuart Craig described the team as “invincible” and have been blown away with their team’s success.

Mr Craig, 46, from Dunbar, said: “For the girls to get a 100 per cent record, with 18 games won, against good opposition has been great. A lot of other teams really fear playing Dunbar now”.

Teammates attribute their success to their good attitude and close friendships, saying it helps them play as a team.

Anna Craig, 13, from Dunbar, joined the football club in primary four. She said: “Our team hasn’t lost a game this year which feels really good knowing we have beaten teams that were meant to be older and better than us.

“The secret to our success, I think, is just having the right attitude, and that we all care about each other even off the pitch.”

Fellow player Kyla Walker, 11, agreed with this, and said: “I feel very proud to be part of the team as they are my friends as well as my teammates. We have a great bond and all enjoy Haribo at half time.”

Kyla, who has recently been put forward for the Scotland performance squad pathway, added that she was upset not to be able to compete in the league.

She said: “I was very upset because our team had trained and played so hard to achieve winning the league and it was taken away from us.”

Unable to play together during the second lockdown, many of the players have been organising their own training days.

Teammate Sophie Rapson, 12, said: “I have been going down to our local grass field with my football and practiced there. I have also been doing other workouts to keep up my physical health.”

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