This had been the team that had torn us apart at Home and had led to me losing my temper with the team for the first ever time. I felt confident that we had improved since then and I decided to test a few changes. Two were imposed with Joby on holiday, but the rest were deliberate. Would it work? Spike ill left us with one sub, so no room for injuries!

The line up was:

Joel

Dan Aaron Callum Jack

Chilly

Josh Sam Max

Tom Joe

Sub: Charlie

We kicked off and Sam hit it forward to where Tom & Josh went for it. They got it and cleared it long straight through our defence, but Dan raced across and cleared it back to Joel who controlled and cleared. They broke through again. We all shouted offside but our linesman!!! said play on and Joel had to get to the edge of his area to hit it out. Max raced after it and forced a throw which Joe took. They all missed it and it came to Tom, but his touch took it too close to the ‘keeper and he was able to gather it. They shot which Joel saved and came out to the edge of his area to drop-kick. He miss hit it however and it went straight to their attacker. Joel was very aware however and backed towards goal facing the striker and as he shot, was able to dive and make the save. Sam, Josh & Max worked hard to win the ball and then Chilly laid it wide for Max who found Joe and his ball found Tom, and he hit a first time shot at the ‘keeper. There then followed a five minute delay whilst the ‘keeper had to be treated as a result of making the save. They took a long throw down their left which Dan came to and made a great block. It spun out however and we all seemed to stop and allow their player through and he made it 1-0 with a shot into the bottom corner. Chilly played a ball through which Tom got to. He took a touch past the ‘keeper and then fell to shouts of penalty. The referee ignored it and had a word with Tom. Later on when Darren came around, his view was that Tom had stumbled without being touched and that the decision had been correct. Joe was played through, but the ball took a bad bounce as he was about to shoot, then Dan & Josh set Chilly away, but the ‘keeper was off his line early to get it. Joe then was played into the box and was clipped from behind as he went to shoot. Tom stepped up to take the penalty and duly slotted it home 1-1. We won the ball back from a throw in our left back area. Sam hit a wonderful ball through their defence and Tom was away. He took one touch around the ‘keeper and rolled it towards the net. Their defender slid in to try to clear it, but he was just too late 1-2.

HALF-TIME : HENBURY 1 FRYS 2

From a goal-kick out, they won it and went around Joel who had closed them down, but Aaron had got back on the line and cleared it. Aaron took a goal-kick straight to Chilly and he turned and hit it for Tom who was through. Their ‘keeper was quickly out and Tom nudged it past him towards goal, but their defender had raced back and cleared it just four yards out. Max won the ball and played it to Chilly whose perfectly weighted ball found Tom and this time his ball past the advancing ‘keeper gave the defenders no chance and it nestled in the back of the net 1-3. Chilly again played Tom through, but he slowed as the ‘keeper came out and gave the defence chance to get back and make the tackle. We won a throw on the left which Sam got to and his ball into the box was met by Charlie, a defender and their ‘keeper, and from the clash it looped up and over the despairing ‘keeper, into the net 1-4. They hadn’t given up and attacked into our area and shot. Joel was going to his left as it started to swerve back right. He slipped trying to grab it as a consequence, and it rolled out of his body into the net 2-4.

FULL-TIME : HENBURY 2 FRYS 4

Man of the Match – Chosen by Andy for excellent play and effort – Joel, Dan, Chilly & Tom

Afterthoughts…………………………………………………

What a great game. All of the players playing out of position played like they had been there all of their lives. Henbury still carried a constant threat going forward, but our defence were stronger and more alert to it and if truth be told, we could have had four more, but for some excellent work, especially by their ‘keeper. The whole team could have won the Man of the Match again, but these four really stood out in my mind. Well done!