3 Is The Magic Number              Sunday 2^nd September 2007

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FRY CLUB COLTS v FISHPONDS OB YOUTH

 

This was the first in a day of three games in a round-robin group.  The other two teams were Frys Juniors & Frys U12’s.  Each game was going to be 20 minutes each way, with five minutes at half-time and 15 minutes at the end to recover before the next game started.  Callum was still out due to his badly bruised foot, but the rest were all here.  Tim took the mic for the first game, but went and Andy had to do it, hence the paucity of the later material!

 

The line up was:

 

Joby

 

Mark     Sam B     Spike     Joel

 

Josh     Chilly     Sam K     Max

 

Joe     Dan

 

Substitutes: Jack & Tom

 

Fishponds attacked from the start and had us on the backfoot but then good play by Ethan led to a shot, but into the wind and died, then Fishponds had a shot which went wide.  Mark then needed to be alert to keep us level.  Soon though their pressure told and a ball into our area wasn’t cleared properly and it was hit low into the right corner 0-1.  Straight from the kick off the ball was played back to Mark.  He found Joe down the line and his turn was followed by a cross inwards to Sam K.  Sam in turn found Max who hit a great shot and we were back on level terms 1-1.  The ball bounced around the Fishponds 18 yard box without being cleared and Sam K latched onto it to hit it low into the bottom right hand corner 2-1.  Ethan, Sam K & Joe linked well for Joe to have a shot, but the ‘keeper made a good save.  Max then latched onto a good through ball, but a defender blocked it and cleared it for a corner.  We were then awarded a free kick on the right side, about 25 yards out which Sam K chipped into the box, but as Dan tried to shoot he was tackled.  Fishponds then broke quickly and got into our box whilst all four defenders waited for the ball to come to them, however luckily the shot was wide.  Joe played a good one-two with Chilly and burst into the box and shot, however the ‘keeper got down quickly to save at his near post. 

 

HALF-TIME : FRYS   2    FISHPONDS   1

 

At half-time Jon threw a drinks bottle to Max but it fell short and the drink went everywhere.  I don’t know if this was linked but Jon was then sacked as linesman in favour of Dave C.  Spike and Dan worked well to get the ball into their box where Max took it on, but he was robbed of the ball and cleared.  Tom hit the ball long to the left where Dan took it up and headed into the box, however he was unable to shoot before he was tackled.  Tom then hit a long ball to the right and again Dan got it.  He headed into the box, got to the bye-line, crossed it in, but the ‘keeper pushed it out for a corner.  Joe took a corner short to Tom and he laid it back.  Joe then hit one right across the six-yard box, but Dan & Max were just unable to get to the ball.  Joe picked the ball up in midfield and played a lovely ball through for Dan who ran into the box and shot across goal, past the ‘keeper, but unfortunately just past the left post as well.  Fishponds broke again into our box, but Mark got a great tackle in, however Mark was adjudged to have fouled and a penalty was given.  The ball was hit hard, low and right giving Joby no chance 2-2.  Tom won the ball in the middle, advanced towards goal and shot, but it was just wide.  Joel then won the ball on the left, got it to Joe who ran into their box and shot, but the ‘keeper saved.  Josh took a throw on the right and it somehow evaded their defence and came to Tom, who turned and shot high 3-2.  Joe took a corner on the left, it came to Tom who turned with it and shot and it took a deflection off of a Fishponds player and ended in the net 4-2.  From well outside the area Tom took a shot.  It went high over their defence, but the ‘keeper was able to save.  Fishponds got into our box, but Sam B got there and made a good saving tackle. 

 

FULL-TIME : FRYS   4    FISHPONDS   2

 

 

FRY CLUB COLTS v FRY CLUB U12’s

 

Game two, and our U12’s.  This was always going to be the toughest game, against a team who had been playing eleven-a-side for over a year already. 

 

The line up was:

 

Joby

 

Mark     Jack     Spike     Joel

 

Dan     Tom     Sam K     Max

 

Joe     Chilly

 

Substitutes: Josh & Sam B

 

We attacked down the line and forced a corner.  Joe took it short to Jack who laid it back to Joe.  He took it left past Jordan and got a cross in to where Tom took a touch before hitting it low into the corner 1-0.  They attacked from kick off and it took two blocks right on the edge of our area to avoid an equaliser, then the shot did come in and was deflected wide for a corner.  They hit a ball over the top to chase at us, but Sam K got his foot in to take the ball from Kyle.  Their Joel then won the ball on the right, but our Joel flew in and won the ball.  The ball ricocheted across to Ben H, but his shot was over.  Some nice passing from Chilly saw Sam K through, but he was held up and so found Dan on the right.  He played it in to Joe, but he was then swamped by defenders and the ball was lost, however the move had been a good one to watch.  Joel won the ball on the left and passed it down the line to Max, who in turn found Joe.  Joe took a shot which Corey parried out to Tom, however just as he was about to shoot, Mickey flew in and got the challenge in.  A lot of good play and passing was happening, but unfortunately Andy was too engrossed with the match and kept forgetting to record it.  Sorry! 

 

HALF-TIME : FRYS   1    U12’S   0

 

Luckily Tim came back and took on the 2^nd half recording.  Great play on the left saw Tom run into the box, lose it, gain it back with his back to goal so play it out to Joe and he lobbed a shot in but it was into the side netting.  A massive drop kick from Joby seemed to deceive the U12’s midfield and ran through to Dan, but his ball through found Josh considered offside!  From a bit of a melee in our half, Sam B was strong and won the ball, then moved it out wide to Joe.  Joe laid it through for Tom to run into the area, but again Mickey got back to make the saving challenge.  Josh then went down injured and that effectively ended his day, so Max returned to the fray.  From a throw the ball is played into the middle where Tom ran onto it and played it wide to Dan.  Dan got his toe to it to control it, however Charlie ran in to clear it for a throw.  The U12’s exerted a bit more pressure and a melee on the edge of our area was eventually cleared thanks to the efforts of Jack & Sam B.  Kyle then attacked down our right, but Spike was equal to it and cleared the danger.  The U12’s kept up their attacks and a ball not cleared on the edge of the area was hit hard and high by Mickey, and despite Joby’s best efforts, it went in over him 1-1.  The U12’s sensed a winner and piled on the pressure.  Joby went diving in at the ball, lost it, but was grateful to see Tom coming in behind him to clear the danger for a corner.  As the ball came in, Sam K rushed in to make another clearance.  They attacked again, this time down the left, but Spike was equal to it.  The U12’s really had the bit between their teeth at this stage with their midfield flying in with ferocious tackles and then launching long balls over the top, however Joby came off his line quickly to smother the danger.  Another ball flew in and this time Mark was there to head the ball clear. 

 

FULL-TIME : FRYS   1    U12’S   1

 

 

FRY CLUB COLTS v FRY CLUB JUNIORS

 

Game three, and the last of the day against the Juniors.  Both teams were tiring, it would be a matter of who were the fittest, as both teams were fairly equal. 

 

The line up was:

 

Joby

 

Sam B     Mark     Jack     Joel

 

Josh     Tom     Sam K     Max

 

Joe     Chilly

 

Substitutes: Dan & Spike

 

The Juniors put the pressure on from the start and very quickly forced a corner.  The first ball was cleared back out to their right and so it was chipped back in again by Jack Dancey.  Joel went for it, jumping with his foot at it, however he misjudged the flight of the ball and it went past him.  Unfortunately he was on the front post and Joby had assumed he had it covered and so was unable to react in time when it went past him and so it was in the net 0-1.  Joe attacked down the right and cut inside to find Sam K.  Sam went forward and found Tom, but his shot was at Jason in goal for the Juniors and so it was saved.  Tom was then through again after a well worked break involving Sam K, Chilly and Max, however when he was just 15 yards from goal, instead of hitting it across the ‘keeper with his right foot, Tom tried to turn back onto his left and was tackled.

 

HALF-TIME : COLTS   0    JUNIORS   1

 

Josh, who had sort of recovered from his earlier injury managed to hobble down the right and cross it in towards Tom on the edge of the area.  He let it run across his body towards the left side of the area, but then hit a reverse shot and that was enough to evade Jason in goal and it nestled in the bottom right corner of the goal 1-1.  They exert some more pressure into our half again and a ball into our area just isn’t cleared as it bobbles around with little touches from our players here and there.  Eventually it came to Ben Watt about 25 yards out and he leathered it, and once hit it was never in doubt as it flew into the top right, giving Joby absolutely no chance 1-2.  We attacked back and Tom was through, however he was brought down on the edge of the area.  It was hit well, but Jason caught it. 

 

FULL-TIME : COLTS   1    JUNIORS   2

 

 

Results Of The Round-Robin

 

 

 

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

Today was an interesting and very useful exercise for me which I would like to repeat before every season.  It is a good, intensive morning of football which allows me to see how the team reacts when different players are missing.  And players were missing!  Callum was injured, and with the exception of Joby, everyone took one half as sub.  To add to that, at least five of our players picked up injuries against the U12’s and we finished against the Juniors with just 10 players because of that!

 

As for the games, I felt we were slow to start against Fishponds and they took full advantage of that.  I felt we battled hardest against the U12’s, and considering they have played a full year of 11-a-side, we were well worth the draw, although to be fair they had more of the ball and more pressure.  I think that we just ran out of steam at the end with the Juniors.  Injuries were starting to take their toll and as I said to Tony Watt afterwards, they were simply fitter and hungrier as a team and so deserved the win!