The clash between Lads Club U12 and Pheonix U12 took place at Hereford on 10 November 2024, kicking off at 11:01 am after a minutes silence as the teams showed thier respects on remembrance Sunday. The match ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw, with both teams showcasing their skills in a fiercely contested league encounter.
Lads Club U12 adopted a 2-5-1 formation, with Lucas Price starting in goal, flanked by central defenders Louis Howells and Archie Rigby. The midfield was packed with five players: Musa Touray on the right, Romeo Roberts on the left, and a trio of central midfielders comprising Finn Jones, Charlie Swain, and Flyn Watkins. Oscar Jones led the line as the lone striker, expected to spearhead the attack and convert chances into goals.
The substitutes for Lads Club U12 included Chase Bracegirdle and Bodhi Round, providing additional options for tactical changes as the match progressed.
The match began with an early defensive intervention from Louis Howells, who made an interception in the first minute, setting the tone for a competitive encounter. However, it was Pheonix who struck first, scoring in the fifth minute with a well-placed shot from a long through ball, leaving Lads Club trailing early on.
Oscar Jones nearly equalised shortly after, hitting the post in the eighth minute, a moment that could have shifted the momentum. Lucas Price, the Lads Club goalkeeper, was called into action in the thirteenth minute, making a crucial save to deny Pheonix a second goal. Unfortunately for Lads Club, Pheonix did find the net again just moments later, scoring another goal in the thirteenth minute following a well-executed team move and another cutting through ball.
In response to the mounting pressure, Lads Club made their first substitution in the fourteenth minute, bringing on Chase Bracegirdle for Romeo Roberts. Oscar Jones continued to be a threat, scoring in the seventeenth minute but was flagged offside in a controversial decision that was deemed incorrect by fans on the sideline. He quickly made amends, forcing the Pheonix goalkeeper into a good save shortly after.
As the first half progressed, Oscar Jones had several attempts, including another shot saved in the nineteenth minute and a near miss slamming a left footed strike against the far post again in the twenty-fourth minute. Despite Lads Club's efforts, they went into half-time trailing 2-0, needing a significant turnaround in the second half.
The second half saw immediate changes, with Bodhi Round replacing Flyn Watkins and Romeo Roberts returning to the pitch this time as keeper. Lads Club came out with renewed energy, and in the forty-sixth minute, Lucas Price scored a remarkable goal from a set piece, converting a corner delivered by Finn Jones with his right foot, bringing the score to 2-1. This moment had been building for some time and the fans erupted with joy and relief.
The momentum shifted further when Musa Touray returned to the pitch, but Lads Club struggled to find the equaliser despite several attempts. Oscar Jones continued to be a focal point in attack, but his efforts were thwarted by the Pheonix defence and a great show of goalkeeping who saved multiple shots.
As the match approached its conclusion, Lucas Price, who had already made an impact in the centre, scored again in the sixtieth minute, this time from a long free kick assisted by Archie Rigby, levelling the score at 2-2. The home crowd erupted once again as Lads Club celebrated their comeback.
In the dying moments of the match, Lucas Price had a chance to secure a hat-trick but shot wide in the sixty-first minute. The match ended in a thrilling draw, with both teams sharing the spoils after an intense and entertaining encounter. Lucas Price earned the accolade of Player of the Match due to his goalkeeping skills in the first half and timely runs on the set pieces to score two.
