Forest Row began their new season in superb fashion with a massive 5-2 victory over Forest Row Juniors U17s. This was Jason Fitzptircks first game incharge of a proffesional football team having once been a coach for a hockey side but having never set foot in a football boot he said before the game. 'Overall it was a brilliant performance and i have nothing to say due to we played so well' Fitzpatrick then went on to say how proud he was of his players and is now starting to dream big ahead of the new season.
Forest Row started the game very well with neat passing and started makng threatening runs towards goal. Christian Hewitt and George Pleon didnt take much time to show how much of a threat they are going to be uptop this season with the devastating speed and vision. But after much domernance during the the first five minutes Forest Row U18s fell a goal behind after great play from the U17s midfield to break away on a counter and to pick out the skippper in the left hand side of 12 yeard box, who despite the difficult angle found a way to lob goalkeeper at the time Liam Wright. It was looking to be a difficult task ahead for the U18s and you could see the instant dissapointment on each of their faces.
But the U18s managed to pick themselves up very quickly due to the help of manager Jason Fitzpatrick and captain Tom Hawkins who gave endless encouragement throught the game and the U18s started to look vry dangerous again and it wasnt until the 11th minute when Fergus Twigg played a great through ball to Ollie Martin who had started well but struggled to get himself into the game and Martin turned two defenders to get himself to the touchline on the left hand side, where he delivered a low cross towards strike partner George Pleon but Pleon couldn't quite get the ball in time and his touch just took it wide of the right hand post.
But the U18s didnt let that disturp them and they again continued to apply pressure which was then rewarded with a goal from left back Frank Morgan-Rowe, who took the ball down 25 yards out on the left hand side and saw a run from foward Martin inside the six yard box and he played a long lofted ball into the box where Martin managed to just put the goalkeeper off it with a slight push that wasnt spotted by the close referee or linesman and it just lobbed over the keeper and nestled ito the top right hand corner, 1-1.
5 minuted later it got better for the U18s when a ball was played into Martin and he managed to draw a foul from one of the defenders just outside the box on the right hand side. Right midfielder Christian Hewitt stepped up to take it and before the kick was taking it seemed that Pleon had a quick word to Hewitt about the position of the wall and the goalkeeper and then Christian played a trick shot diagonally along the ground to the left hand post and it placed into the side net for the U18s second, 2-1 and both teams were baffled how the game had suddendly changed.
The game was chnaged to three, 30 minute thirds instead of playing two halfs of 45, and after the first thrid changed were made to the squad, where Luke Hollidge and Callum Spalding were brought on. These changes made no difference to the moral of the team and Hollidge and Spalding instantly linked up with their teammates making good runs and keeping possession nicely and it wasnt until 10 minutes into the second third that the U18s found the net again, with new boys Luke Hollidge winning the ball in a tight area srugging off players to keep possessionn and finding Tom Hawkins who then played a delicious pass out wide to the right to Callum Spalding who beat his marker and then played the ball back to Hawkins just inside the 12 yeard box and then scrambled to ball to George Pleon who made no mistake with a second touch volley through a line of players and found the corner of the net, 3-1 to the U18s.
8 minutes later and the U18s scored a hard goal to beat this season when they found themselves under a bit of pressure with a corner to the U17s which was played in at some speed to the penelty spot but was cleared well by Conor Thronley-Gibson who was making a great partnership with right back Jonny Dench who was filling in as a centre back in the absense of Nick Nichols. and as the ball was cleared Tom Hawkins picked the ball up and fired a terrific straight pass from just outside his own box to just inside his oppenents half where Christian Hewitt was on his toes and begun to make a blistering run towards goal after he just controlled it and took it down on the bounce he saw the approuching keeper and brilliantly lopped to ball over him to bounce its way into the net, 4-1 to the U18s.
The U17s managed to claw a goal back though 20 minutes later when a corner was dilevered in and goalkeeper Dan Wright made a slight error when cooming to collect the ball when he went to punch the ball clear but misjudged the spin on the ball and he missed his cue and the ball parried into his goal, 4-2. But with 10 minutes to go, Martin was played in down the right hand side and after he held he ball up he managed to pick out Pleon just inside the box and he finished nicely to wrap up the game, 5-2 it finished to the U18s.
The official man of the match went to Tom Hawkins for a great assist, for continually creating chances and fantastic leadership throughout the game and desire to drag his teams performance over the line.
