In a commanding display of football, Lads Club Juniors U12 faced off against Lads Club Bulldogs U12 at the Hereford Lads Club on 6th October 2024. The match, which kicked off at 10:30 am, ended with a resounding scoreline of 7-0 in favour of Lads Club U12, showcasing their dominance throughout the game.
Lads Club Juniors U12 set up in a 2-5-1 formation, with Lucas Price in goal. The defensive line consisted of two central defenders, Archie Rigby and Louis Howells, tasked with maintaining a solid backline. The midfield was packed with five players: Mali Lewis on the right, the return of Bodhi Round on the left, and a trio of central midfielders—Chase Bracegirdle, Charlie Swain, and Thomi Scoular—who were expected to control the game and support the lone striker, Oscar Jones, in attack.
The substitutes for Lads Club U12 included Romeo Roberts, Finn Jones, Musa Touray, Flyn Watkins, and Charlie Arnold, providing depth and tactical options for the manager throughout the match.
The Lads Club Juniors set the pace early on with two shots saved from Oscar Jones and Charlie Swainer firing over the crossbar from the edge of the box. The scoring first came with Thomi Scoular tapping in a goal in the 3rd minute, assisted by Oscar Jones with a long pass from the left side. Scoular quickly doubled his tally just six minutes later, netting another goal in the 9th minute following a well-coordinated team move.
In the 11th minute, Lads Club U12 were forced to make an early substitution as Mali Lewis left the pitch due to injury, making way for Romeo Roberts. The changes did not disrupt their momentum; in fact, just a minute later, Oscar Jones scored a header in the 12th minute, thanks to a flick from Roberts, extending the lead to 3-0.
Thomi Scoular continued to shine, scoring his third goal of the match in the 16th minute, converting a cross from Chase Bracegirdle with another tap-in from close range. The relentless pressure from Lads Club U12 saw further substitutions in the 19th and 20th minutes, with Finn Jones and Musa Touray coming on for Oscar Jones and Thomi Scoular, respectively. Flyn Watkins also entered the fray, replacing Chase Bracegirdle.
In the 22nd minute Flyn Watkins and Finn Jones played some great football down the left wing but Finn narrowly missed the target from a well placed pass from Flyn, Charlie Swain then got in on the act, scoring a well-executed team goal, assisted by Flyn Watkins with a short pass. Swain then added to his tally again in the 29th minute, finding the net with his left foot from inside the box, bringing the score to 6-0 before half-time.
As the second half commenced, Lads Club U12 made several tactical substitutions, including Charlie Arnold coming on for Musa Touray and Thomi Scoular returning to the pitch in place of Flyn Watkins. The team continued to press, Lucas was called into action heading a through ball away from his goal area, then Oscar Jones was brought down on the edge of the box in the 40th minute as he made a run through the defence. Thomi Scoular stepped up to take it, but fired it over the crossbar Oscar swapped places with Finn on the subs bench in a tactical move. Mousa Touray fancied his chances from outside the box but the ball lifted over the crossbar. Chase Bracegirdle then scored the seventh goal in the 51st minute, converting with his right foot.
Further changes were made in the 51st minute, with Oscar Jones re-entering the match, replacing Thomi Scoular. Bodhi Round then came back on for Charlie Arnold in the 54th minute, as Lads Club U12 maintained their dominance.
The match concluded with a final score of 7-0, marking an impressive performance by Lads Club U12, with Louis Howells earning the accolade of Player of the Match for his solid defensive display. The victory not only showcased their attacking prowess but also highlighted their ability to control the game from start to finish.
