Match Report

Tuesday night, a massive struggle through traffic, but we made it for our first 11-a-side game! No Nets at King Edward VI Community School (KEVICS) Mark and Jim had come down for the day to make the numbers up to 13. Totnes, like us are a third division side in the local league and were currently top, also like us. Jamie was Captain for the night.

The line up was:

Jamie

Mark Jack Jim

Josh James Sam K Josef Max

Jordan Joe

Rolling Subs: Sam B & Tom

For the first few minutes, we pushed forward although were unable to get the shot, then they attacked and went wide. Jamie took the goal kick but they were onto it and pushed us back into the left. Jim tried to clear it, but the wind took it up and over his head, Jamie came for it but got caught in no man’s land as it bounced high, over his head and into the goal 1-0. We pushed and got a throw near their corner. The throw was cleared as far as Jack who hit a screamer, but it went wide. We fought for a corner which Joe curled in, it was cleared as far as Sam K and he hit it high for the far post. Their ‘keeper tried to get it but could only watch as it went off of his fingertips into the net 1-1. Tom won the ball and ran through three players before hitting a shot, which the ‘keeper hit out for a corner. Mark went for a short corner with Joe, returned the ball to him and Joe crossed it in for Josh to try a spectacular overhead kick which unfortunately went just wide. Jamie kicked it to the halfway line and Tom brought it down. He found Jordan who passed it back, taking two players out of the game as he did, Tom went wide right to Joe who turn onto his right, but into the box managed to get back onto his left and chip it high to where most 15 year old ‘keeper’s couldn’t reach 1-2. They came straight back at us with a run down the right, the player cut inside and shot for the far corner past the dive of Jamie 2-2. The ball was worked forward to Max and he in turn found Joe, and his shot forced a corner. They took a goal kick after we had missed the corner and it came to Tom. He found Jordan who hit it high from 18 yards, but their ‘keeper managed to grasp it. Our defence then looked the other way as a ball was played through and Jamie came off of his line quickly to dive at the attacker’s feet and grab the ball.

HALF-TIME : TOTNES 2 FRYS 2

Sam B went on a great run, was tackled, but the loose ball came to James and he played it back out to Sam. Sam found Mark and he played through Josh who had a shot. It went wide, but it was a nice passage of play. From a corner, Mark hit a shot. It was blocked and he hit it again, and Josh tried to get a glancing touch past the ‘keeper, however it was well held. Jim went wide with the ball and shot for the ‘keeper to save. Back down our end and Jamie was off his line quick to clear, however it was hit back in and he made the save. Josef won the ball in the middle and hit it wide to Sam K. He raced down the line, looked up twice before finding his man and crossing it for….. Now I want to take you back to that glorious night in Istanbul, May 2005. 3-0 down at half-time, seemingly out of the game, Riise attacked down the wing and swung in a cross which Steven Gerrard rose for at the near post and used all of his neck muscles to flick it for the far post and in, goal back and the rest is history. Back to Totnes! The ball was swung in just like Riise had and Jim rose at the near post and flicked it with his head for the far post. Now I’m not going to compare our team to Liverpool as obviously ours is better, however that is just as it happened! 2-3. Sam B cleared the ball for Max to bring down. He found Joe saw the run of Josh but so did the ‘keeper who did enough to put Josh off, and a defender cleared it. Sam B took a goal kick wide to Max. He took it forward then switched play to where Josh was storming through on the right, but the ‘keeper pushed his shot wide. Sam B and James worked hard to win the ball and found Max. His pass to Josh in space enabled him to look up and see Joe going through and his high ball left Joe with just the ‘keeper to beat which he did 2-4. We took a goalkick which they won back. We all thought Mark was going to clear it, but he controlled it instead and was tackled, and although Jack raced back and Jamie came out, their attacker calmly played it into the corner of the net 3-4. They had a goal kick which Tom won. He forced his way past two defenders and hit it high. The ‘keeper got his finger tips to it but it was still going in and Josh ran in to make sure. We were going to credit it to Josh, but he sportingly said that it had already gone in so Tom claimed it 3-5. They ran down the wing and cut inside of Jamie as he came out, but Mark had got back to the line to stop and clear it. Sam B played it wide to Jim to cross but the ‘keeper pushed it wide to Joe. He crossed it back and both Josh and Sam K had goes before it finally came out to Tom to shoot, but a defender headed it off of the line! Tom won it from the goal kick and shot for the ‘keeper to parry, Tom hit it again but a defender on the line headed it up, however Sam K was following in and as it came down he headed it in 3-6 and the final whistle blew!

FULL-TIME : TOTNES 3 FRYS 6

Man of the Match – Chosen by Fran for effort – Jordan, chosen by Andy for performance - Sam B

Afterthoughts…………………………………………

When you consider that this was their first competitive match 11-a-side, I am proud of the way that they played. James, and especially Jordan fitted in really well considering they had played so little this season, and the rest of the team took to the changes really well. Near the end you could see more and more players cottoning on to it all, holding positions, passing quickly and importantly, shooting as high as they could. Well played all!