On 16 November 2024, Lads Club Juniors U11 faced off against Minster Lions U11 in a league away match at Earl Mortimer College, kicking off at 10:30 am. The match concluded with a resounding victory for Lads Club Juniors, who secured a 6-3 win over their opponents in an exhilarating display of youth football.
Lads Club Juniors adopted a 2-5-1 formation, which allowed them to dominate the midfield while maintaining a solid defensive line. Lucas Price stood guard in goal, with Archie Rigby and Louis Howells forming a central defensive partnership. The midfield was packed with five players: Musa Touray on the right, Charlie Arnold on the left, and Thomi Scoular, Theo Lewis, and Flyn Watkins occupying central roles. Oscar Jones led the line as the lone striker, expected to capitalise on any chances created by the midfielders. The substitutes for the match included Chase Bracegirdle, Finn Jones, and Romeo Roberts.
The match began with an early defensive intervention from Musa Touray, who made an interception in the fourth minute, showcasing his alertness. Just two minutes later, Lucas Price was called into action, producing a full-stretch save to his left to deny a shot from the Minster Lions. However, the visitors took the lead in the seventh minute when they scored from inside the box with a left-footed strike. They doubled their advantage shortly after, in the eighth minute, with a header from a corner that left the Lads Club defence reeling.
Responding quickly, Lads Club Juniors found their footing in the ninth minute when Thomi Scoular scored with a well placed right-footed shot, assisted by Theo Lewis's long pass. The momentum shifted further in Lads Club's favour as Oscar Jones netted the equaliser in the sixteenth minute, finishing off a well-worked team move with a left-footed shot into the far corner, assisted by Charlie Arnold's well ruined through ball.
The match saw its first substitutions in the eighteenth minute, with Chase Bracegirdle replacing Musa Touray and Finn Jones coming on for Flyn Watkins. Oscar Jones continued to threaten the Minster Lions' goal, but his attempts in the nineteenth and twentieth minutes went wide of the mark. Finn Jones then make his entrance into the game in the twenty-sixth minute, scoring with a lob that caught the goalkeeper off his line, putting Lads Club Juniors ahead for the first time.
Theo Lewis nearly added to the tally, hitting the crossbar in the twenty-eighth minute from a long range strike, but the score remained 3-2. Lucas Price showcased his goalkeeping skills again just before half-time, making a catch to ensure his side went into the break with a lead.
The second half commenced with Lucas Price making a point-blank reaction save shortly after the restart, demonstrating his importance to the team. However, the Minster Lions pulled one back in the thirty-sixth minute with a high long-range strike that found the back of the net, narrowing the score to 3-3.
Lads Club Juniors responded with resilience, and Lucas Price continued to shine, making another catch in the forty-first minute. Louis Howells intercepted a through ball to thwart the Minster Lions attack. Archie Rigby was also instrumental in defence, making multiple interceptions in the forty-fifth minute to prevent a potential goal-scoring opportunity for the Lions. Finn Jones gave away a free kick that was questionable, but the Minster Lions couldn't capitalise on the opportunity.
The match saw further substitutions, with Flyn Watkins returning to the pitch in the fifty-first minute, replacing Finn Jones. Musa Touray also re-entered the game, taking the place of Charlie Arnold in the fifty-second minute. Chase Bracegirdle then made way for Romeo Roberts in the fifty-third minute.
As the match approached its conclusion, Thomi Scoular made a key pass in the fifty-fifth minute, although no one was able to get on the end of it. Archie Rigby had a chance in the fifty-ninth minute from a free kick, but his effort was saved. Oscar Jones then sealed his hat-trick in the sixtieth minute with a close-range right-footed finish, extending Lads Club's lead to 4-3.
In a dramatic finish, Oscar Jones scored again in the sixty-third minute, tapping in from on the goal line after Thomi Scoulars shot didn't quite make it through the long grass, bringing the final score to 6-3 in favour of Lads Club Juniors U11. The match was a testament to the team's attacking prowess and resilience, setting a high standard for their future fixtures. Oscar Jones and Theo Lewis shared the player of the match award both showing great effort throughout the game ??.
