For the second time in two rounds Reedham FC made a mockery of league positions to cause an upset in the Norfolk Sunday Junior Cup. In both games Reedham had to face a team top of their respective league who had previously won every game they had played this season.
Reedham started off facing a strong wind in their faces and playing uphill. It proved to be a decisive factor in the match as Blofield started off with an extremely high tempo to the game but faded in the final third. Blofield tried to get the ball down and were playing some nice football in the middle of the park, their number 10 proving to be a real handful, all game.
Reedham suffered an early setback. A ball was knocked into the space behind the defence and there appeared to be little danger as the forward was being shepherded away from goal by Craig Sharman. However with the angle getting tighter and tighter as the ball sped towards to goal line near the 18 yard box marker the Blofield forward slid along the floor to hit a low hard drive into the far corner of Dan Carter’s goal. Blofield U19s 1 – 0 Reedham FC
Room was tight in midfield as Blofield pressed the space. Reedham were finding it hard to get out of the own half at times and the backline were under constant pressure from the speedy Blofield forward line. Chris Edwards in particular had a torrid five minute spell, first getting done for pace when trying to see out a ball for a throw in, then gifting possession to the Blofield forward when the wet ball slipped out of his hands trying to throw it back to Dan Carter and then slicing a bobbling ball out for a throw in. Luckily the mistakes were not to prove costly but it set the tone as time and again Reedham players struggled to find and make simple passes all over the pitch.
Reedham’s best moments of the first half came via Michael Mason’s intricate footwork. In a crowded centre of the pitch he was able to make space for himself and find an outlet. One such moment provided Reedham with the equalising goal. Creating some space after avoiding two tackles, Mason curled a delightful ball around the centre back for Ricky Grimmer to run onto. Grimmer, faced with a keeper well off his line, curled the ball into the top corner of the net with an excellent finish. Blofield U19s 1 – 1 Reedham FC
Jordan Castle had to go off shortly after the goal, sustaining another hard knock. Barry Payne came on in place of him. In truth neither saw much of the ball as the wind was keeping most of the play through the centre and left of Reedham’s goal.
The game settled down after the equaliser with Blofield having a lot of possession without creating many clear cut chances. Reedham’s defence, although being stretched was coping in the face of the pressure, wind and pitch. Chris Sparrow was shutting down his winger and the centre backs were dominant in the air. Edwards was getting good support from Jake Lazell, although because of the wind this was the area the ball was being pinged to time and again and often Lazell and Edwards were left 2 against 3 as Blofield probed for a second goal.
Blofield then regained the lead ten minutes before half time. A free kick was delivered into Reedham’s box and Craig Sharman won the initial header clearing to the edge of the box. However, on the volley, the Blofield played controlled a shot into the roof of Dan Carter’s goal, leaving him little chance of making a save. Blofield U19s 2 – 1 Reedham FC
The half ended with Reedham gamely holding on, being 2-1 down not the end of the world with all the elements against them. However, disaster struck in the opening seconds of the second half. Fergus Ogg, a replacement for Chris Edwards, tried to guide the ball out for a throw in and the Blofield forward nicked the ball off him and sped into the area. Ogg, trying to make amends for his mistake only compounded the error by knocking the forward over inside the box. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, Ogg lucky to escape without a card. The Blofield number 10 confidently dispatched the penalty into the corner of the net, sending Dan Carter the wrong way from the spot. Blofield U19s 3 – 1 Reedham FC
Reedham weathered the Blofield supremacy at this point for a further five minutes before finally exerting some pressure of their own. The wind and pitch, now in their favour, helped them to get down the field and hem Blofield in. Turning and chasing the ball continuously is a tiring aspect of the game and Blofield’s initial high intensity pressing game was not quite so high tempo as the half wore on.
A change of formation, from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2, and personnel, the tirelessly working Dan Taylor making way in the middle of the pitch for the fresh legs of Kieran Hunt, gave Reedham more impetus. Craig Sharman was pushed up front with Ricky Grimmer dropping into the back line. Barry Payne made way for his nephew Jordan, his only telling contribution, leaving a boot in on the goalkeeper following up a Craig Sharman free kick when the keeper obviously had two hands on the ball!
Blofield were only offering sporadic pushes forwards, working half chances when getting to the byline or beyond the last midfielder. Dan Carter was sweeping up everything behind the backline who could release the pressure much easier with the wind to their backs.
Reedham were starting to create chances of their own. Jack Horwitz put a header just past the post and Michael Mason hit the side netting after powering into the box. Jordan Castle was having trouble getting past Blofield’s right back but by running at him constantly it freed up space for the midfield and kept Blofield pressed back in the own half. Sharman fired a warning shot over the bar and then Reedham got the foothold back in the game they deserved.
A high ball looped over the Blofield defence and as Sharman bore down on goal he was taken out just as he was about to shoot. The ref pointed to the spot although, much to the travelling support’s disbelief, the Blofield centre back escaped without punishment. He was clearly the last man and should have gone! Sharman stepped up and put the ball into the corner of the goal with pace and accuracy leaving the keeper no chance but to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Blofield 3 – 2 Reedham FC
Reedham were now well into the match as the Blofield legs were tiring. However, the consistent Jake Lazell was relieved to see a slip of concentration go unpunished as the winger sped past him and cut inside, unleashing a chip that cannoned off Carter’s bar and away to safety.
Reedham continued to press as the game moved into the last ten minutes of normal time. Then a sublime moment from Jack Horwitz was greeted with cheers from the sidelines. Kieran Hunt fed the ball into Horwitz who struck a half volley that sailed into the roof of the Blofield goal. Blofield U19s 3 – 3 Reedham FC
Blofield tried to rally but a shot from outside the box was all they could muster, Carter dealing with it effectively. At the other end a series of high balls was giving the Blofiled back line all sorts of trouble. Just as the match appeared to be going into extra time, Michael Mason fed in Kieran Hunt who drove past two defenders. With the goalkeeper showing too much of the right hand side of his net, Hunt slotted the ball into the empty space with the outside of his right boot. Reedham’s travelling support was in raptures on the sidelines, the comeback complete! Blofield U19s 3 – 4 Reedham FC
All that was left was to see out a final two minutes, which Reedham did comfortably, sealing their name in the hat for the next round. Despite a terribly unkind fixture list to start the season, there were more than enough signs that Reedham’s squad is maturing match by match into a decent outfit. There is still much to work on but Reedham must now make the most of a series of winnable games against teams in and around them in the league in in order to climb up the league table. Next up, Brooke Reserves who currently sit forth in the table.
