Match Report – Game 5 – Saturday 16th October

vs. Silcox Villa: 2-3

Team: Ciarán; Josh, Stephen (capt.); Joe, Caleb, Adam; Jacob. Subs: Elliot, Matty, Seamus.

The boys started brightly against unbeaten Silcox Villa, with Joe getting a shot in from wide after only 55 seconds. Joe then went on set up Adam but his shot was wide. Adam was seeing a lot of the ball down the left and, with a neat through ball from Jacob, saw another chance blocked away by the keeper.

Silcox were picking the ball up in midfield, despite Caleb’s best efforts with his head and it took a last ditch tackle by Stephen, with three forwards behind him, to keep them out. Stephen was playing up to last week’s form but the whole defence went to sleep after 12 minutes as a left side corner was headed in with the Silcox player under no pressure.

The boys were creating space in front of goal however: the shot at the end of a fleet-footed dribble from Adam was blocked away soon after a looping lob from Caleb had just cleared the crossbar. Silcox were still a menace as they continued to pick up the ball in midfield but the boys were back on level terms in the 19^th minute, again from a corner, as the low ball from Adam was prodded home by Jacob.

The half continued to follow the same pattern, as Silcox Villa threatened from midfield but the boys continued to carve out the chances. A snapshot from Adam – although he was nearly tackled by a two year old girl running onto the pitch! – was saved and an error from the keeper nearly let in Jacob. Silcox Villa barely deserved their half time lead, then, as another left side corner this time was expertly headed back across the goal into the top corner.

With Matty and Seamus replacing Joe and Jacob at half time, the second half began like the first, with the boys pushing on looking for the equaliser. Another mazy run from Adam produced a half chance but Silcox were busy at the other end. Another corner was met with a bullet header but this timer Ciarán was able to push it onto the bar and take the rebound.

A defensive mix-up nearly let Silcox in but again Ciarán was there to make the save. Although Silcox went close soon after, the boys pulled the score back to 2-2 in the 7^th minute. A ball into the danger area from Matty, indecision from the keeper and there in a shot was Seamus, slipping it under the keeper for the equaliser.

As soon as they were on equal terms, however, the boys went to sleep and Silcox went straight back up the other end and restored their lead, as Ciarán could only push away a shot to the unmarked forward to tap in. With Elliot replacing Adam, they almost got back to level terms as quick as they had gone behind as a run from Seamus on the break saw him shoot narrowly wide. A long range shot from Adam, quickly back on to replace the injured Stephen, fizzed wide.

Into the last quarter of the match, Silcox Villa began to take a stranglehold on midfield as they continued to pick up the loose balls as the boys pushed on. Ciarán was to prove more than up for the task, however, as he pulled of a series of solid saves and handling safe enough to make a keeper down the M62 blush! Diving bravely at the feet of the forward to take the ball, a reflex save with an outstretched foot, a challenge enough to put the forward off – Silcox Villa were held at bay. Helped by some solid tackles by Matty and some bad misses, Silcox could not extend their lead.

It was not all one way traffic, however, as battling work from Elliot and Jacob, back on for Caleb, kept their defence busy and a lob from Seamus just cleared the bar. With Josh now raiding down the right, he linked up with Seamus to force a corner but Silcox broke out quickly and it took a double save from Ciarán to prevent the fourth goal.

With no game next Saturday, the boys must surely have run out of table-topping teams to play when they return. By then, a couple of solid training sessions should see them get a better balance between attack and defence and turn the current series of narrow defeats into the victories they deserve.

Man of the match: an almost unanimous vote (well, at least one parent has to vote for somebody else!) saw a bravura second half display from Ciarán rewarded with the medal this week.