No One Here Gets Out Alive
Sunday 7th October 2007
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Because
of my announced changes after the St Nicks ‘A’ game, Sam B & Mark decided
the time had come to seek a game elsewhere and we wish them the very best of
luck with that. Unfortunately this left
us with just ten players on the day as Chilly was away with school camp, Dan
was away with Cub camp and neither Aaron’s nor Charlie’s transfer had come
through yet. It meant a tough game for
the 10 players and a reshuffle to the formation. I reasoned that we play 4-4-2, so always have
two spare at the back just like the opposition, when really we only needed the
one spare at the back. I was asked if I
was going to play 4-4-1, to play a defensive game not to lose, but explained my
reasoning, and went out with an attacking formation
The
line up was:
Joby
Jack Callum
Joel
Spike Sam
Tom Max
Josh Joe
We
did a great attack, with Joel winning the ball and finding Tom. We shouted to Joe to stay onside so he
checked his run before Tom played him in down the left, however his shot was
low and at the ‘keeper. They attacked in
response and overloaded the attack, but when the high shot came in, we were
fortunate that it was wide. We attacked
down the right and Sam found Spike.
Spike crossed it in and Josh helped it left towards Tom, who beat a player and unleashed a shot from twenty yards. This wasn’t a chip or a loop, this flew
straight and was still rising when it found the top right corner 0-1.
We then took a goal-kick which Tom helped on and Sam got his toe to it
and played a lovely ball through which Josh chased, however as he entered the
box a sliding tackle came in from behind and cleanly took the ball. Our linesman, who was actually the official
ref’s dad, which was nice of him (thank you Yate Utd U12’s manager), felt that
it was a foul, but the ref’ let it go.
Then another great move down the right saw a ball through for Tom, but
he was also tackled as he tried to shoot.
They then attacked at us, but Joel put in a mighty saving tackle. They attacked with more sustained pressure
and were through. Joby could have rushed
off of his line but stayed, however he stood as big as he could and used his
body to make the block, before Jack & Callum combined to clear it. Joel played a ball forward to Joe. He played a one-two with Max before running
down the line, but was forced to concede a goal-kick. The kick was not a strong one however, Tom won it, ran left past two defenders
and from an acute angle hit it hard and high over the ‘keeper, this time into
the top right corner of the net 0-2. They attacked and Jack cleared it wide
right. They thought it was going out but
Spike managed to get his head to it and flick it down the line for Sam to run
onto. He crossed it in and Josh made a
play at the near post. He missed it but
it put their defenders off and Max
then found the far left of the goal 0-3. Joby took a goal-kick towards Joel who turned
his marker and was away. He played Joe
down the line and Joe closed in on goal and shot, but unfortunately it was
always going wide.
We
attack early down the left and Tom played Sam through, however he was brought
down just outside the area. Tom shaped
to kick, but I told Sam to take it as I wanted it to curl inwards. Sam
hit it and the ‘keeper got his fingers to it, however it dropped down and we
shouted goal, however Josh made sure. I
asked Josh if it was already in and he very sportingly said that it was 0-4.
Tom went down the left and was brought down. Jack went forward for the free-kick which Tom
placed perfectly. Jack ducked his head
to hit it, however completely missed it, only to see Spike at the back post to
score. We then saw the linesman’s flag
raised for offside. I questioned him
about it as Spike had clearly been onside, however Jack had been offside and
right in front of goal, putting the ‘keeper off and therefore interfering with
play. They kept pressing to get back
into the game and were through, only to see Joby bravely dive at their feet and
make the clearance. Tom, Joe, Max &
Sam played some lovely football, passing the ball amongst themselves, and then
eventually it came to Sam. He shaped to
shoot, and the defender bought the dummy, before chipping a brilliant ball over
for Max to run onto, however this time the ‘keeper was out really quickly and
just got there ahead of him. A goal-kick
was intercepted by Spike on the right.
He played it inside to Josh, and he carried it onwards to Tom. Tom looked to shoot but then laid it wide for
Joe who chipped it rather than leather it and the ‘keeper made a great diving
save to deny him. Another goal-kick
again came to Spike. He played a one-two
with Josh before being surrounded by three players. He battled well and was eventually brought
down just outside of the area. As it was
on the right, I told Tom to take the
kick 0-5. They didn’t stop trying however and were
through. Callum came in with a great
sliding tackle to get the ball, very similar to theirs in the first half,
however this time the ref’ adjudged it to be from behind and gave the
penalty. They hit it high and Joby got
his hand to it, pushing it up onto the crossbar and down on the line. He tried to recover to make the second save,
however one of their players had followed in quickly and just got there ahead
of him 1-5. They were lifted by this and piled on the
pressure. One period of play saw us fail
to clear it and a player on the edge of the area hit it hard and high, however
it sailed about a foot over the bar.
Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play
and effort – The Whole Team