Today we welcomed division 6 Bournville for our highly anticipated quarter final match, after 5 weeks without a game.
The Reds started lively, quickly realising that we had the pace to get in behind Bournville, with some excellent attacking breaks from Fin and Jack. It wouldn’t be long until we found ourselves in front, with Fin racing down the right and crossing low, where Harry flicked and Omar was on hand to smash into the roof of the net, great start, 1-0.
The Reds continued the pressure, and a couple of long range efforts from Jack were handled comfortably by their keeper.
Then came a pivotal moment, when a mixup on the right side deep into our half allowed Bournville to scramble a ball across the box, where it seemed to evade everyone and was out of reach for Harrison, then the Bournville player smashed home from 7 yards out against the run of play.
Nothing particularly clear-cut then, just constant pressure from the Reds and we pretty much had all the play, but Bournville had a commendable workrate to keep us out. Rushy did go close when he looped a hopeful cross towards the back post and it bounced off the crossbar.
Half time 1-1.
The second half continues much like the first, with the attacking pressure coming from Hampton but a little rusty in the final third, with either the ball dropping in the box with nobody there or the strikes not being hit clean enough. Harry did catch a sweet one on the half volley which looked to have lobbed the keeper, but this agonisingly bounced off the bar again. Jacks workrate and speed was a real threat, but he seemed to be forced down the left a lot and was isolated, so it was difficult to get anything clear cut from his good work. He did manage to fizz one across goal which went just wide… certainly had the keeper panicked for a moment. Then came final moments saw Hampton throwing the kitchen sink at Bournville but our opponents put bodies on the line to keep us out. The last chance came to Jack, who drove the length of the pitch, getting the ball across for Fin who saw his first effort blocked and then Bournville scrambled away.
Penalties.
I love penalties when it’s professional football, but when it’s kids I hate it. Someone has to miss, someone has to lose, and usually one kid thinks it’s all their fault. Wrong.
I could see the fear in the eyes of a lot of lads, worrying about stepping up and missing a pen and letting the team down. Unfortunately, that mentality wasn’t quite right, stepping up meant helping the team out, whether it went in or not. Bravery was needed.
To the 6 lads that stepped up, you should be proud of yourselves for having the courage to do so, it’s not lost on me and your teammates should be thankful of this.
Harrison, you can consider yourself unlucky, being the only keeper to save one, yet being denied that glory by a ref who didn’t really understand kids football in my opinion, more interested in what he sees on match of the day than grassroots football.
Defeat in sudden death penalties was a tough one for the lads, having played their hearts out, but they will grow from this experience I’m sure.
I’m honestly not sure how it got to pens, but it’s a funny old game is football.
Apologies to the lads who didn’t get as many minutes as they would have liked today, honestly that’s on me. It was so tight I was clueless on how to change it around and keep us pushing forward.
Today’s standout performers were Jack, Rayyan and Harry in the middle of the park, I thought their workrate was exceptional. However MOTM went to Fin, who was a constant thorn in the Bournvillle side and had a superb game.
Unlucky lads, but it’s gone now, onto next week we go!
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