On 28 September 2024, Baffins Milton Rovers Lions faced AFC Portchester Youth U14 Royals in a league home match held at the Baffins Milton Rovers Youth U13 Lions ground. The match concluded with a disappointing 1-4 defeat for the Lions, who struggled to keep pace with their opponents throughout the contest.
The Lions opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation, a setup designed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for fluid attacking transitions. Layton Powell took his position in goal, with a back four comprising Charlie Fletcher on the right, Harry Cheal on the left, and Fletcher Metherell and Rio Jeans-Eguxoraku in central defence. Trysten George played as a lone central midfielder, supporting both the defence and attacking play. The attacking midfield quartet featured Callum Redshaw on the right, Lenny Duffin on the left, with Frankie Cregan and Logan Port occupying central roles, while Presley Stewart led the line as the striker. The substitutes for the match were Sonny Watts and Freddie Thornton.
The game began with an early attempt from Lenny Duffin in the second minute, but his effort was saved, signalling Baffins’ intent. However, it was Logan Port who came close shortly after, with attempts in the fourth and sixth minutes that both went wide. Unfortunately for the Lions, the first breakthrough came in the eighth minute when a defensive mistake allowed AFC Portchester to score, finding the net with a right-footed shot. Just two minutes later, another error at the back saw the Royals double their lead, again from close range, as they capitalised on the Lions' defensive frailties.
The relentless pressure from AFC Portchester continued, and within a minute, they struck again, extending their lead to three goals in the eleventh minute, scoring yet another close-range effort. Layton Powell was called into action in the fourteenth minute, making a point-blank reaction save, showcasing his reflexes amid a barrage of attacks.
In a tactical move, the Lions made their first substitution in the seventeenth minute, bringing on Sonny Watts for Lenny Duffin. Despite the changes, the Royals netted their fourth goal in the twentieth minute with a stunning long-range strike from outside the box, further demoralising the home side. The Lions tried to respond, with Logan Port attempting to find the net in the twenty-third minute, but his shot went wide. Layton Powell’s goalkeeping skills were tested again in the twenty-seventh minute, where he managed to parry a powerful shot, proving to be a lone bright spot in an otherwise challenging first half.
Logan Port’s persistence finally paid off in the thirty-second minute, as he scored a long-range strike following a short pass from Presley Stewart, providing a glimmer of hope for the Lions. Callum Redshaw attempted to build on this momentum with a shot in the thirty-fourth minute, but it was saved, highlighting the struggles of the Lions to convert their chances.
As the first half drew to a close, the referee signalled for half-time at the thirty-fifth minute. The Lions made another tactical switch shortly after the break, with Lenny Duffin returning to the pitch in place of Callum Redshaw just a minute into the second half.
Logan Port continued to look for opportunities in the second half, but his efforts in the forty-sixth and fifty-third minutes were both saved, showing the Lions' ongoing struggle to find the back of the net consistently. The match took a turn for the worse in the fifty-fourth minute when Port received a red card for serious foul play, leaving the Lions with ten men and further hampering their ability to mount a comeback.
Layton Powell remained resolute in goal, making another point-blank reaction save in the fifty-seventh minute, but the Lions were unable to capitalise on their chances. Charlie Fletcher’s attempt in the sixty-third minute went wide, and a final substitution in the sixty-fourth minute saw Trysten George replace Freddie Thornton as the Lions sought to adjust their tactics.
Despite their efforts, the Lions could not close the gap, and the match ended with a scoreline of 1-4, leaving the team to reflect on a challenging performance against a more clinical AFC Portchester side.
