Despite half expecting it to be called off on the last minute we were thrilled to finally get a game of football under our belts! We've had some great training sessions lately and we couldn't wait to get the team back onto the pitch to see how they faired.
We had almost a full squad and everyone settled into our new pre-match warm up quickly and comfortably to help them get ready for the match to begin. Once the game started it was soon clear that the sessions on the astro turf have definitely helped our fitness and our passing game looked much improved. Simply we were fitter, quicker and passed the ball around better than our opposition for the duration of the match.
We have played Warrington Yellows twice already this season, beating them both in the league and a pre-season friendly and to be fair to them they had given us a decent game on both occasions so this was an ideal match to come back to, knowing that whilst we were capable of winning, they weren't going to be a pushover.
Right from the kick off we took the game to Warrington and everyone dug in and worked hard on the soft pitch. We maintained our shape well for most of the match although there were a few instances were the players had to be reminded about their positions but this is a minor criticism given the way everyone played. Everyone worked well together and looked to pass the ball around to their team mates in order to create the running space that we've been telling them about.
Ethan did what he did best and nicked the ball at every opportunity with nimble feet and fed the strikers with excellent through balls. Ironically though it was he who netted our first goal when he casually slotted the ball into the corner of the net after he'd moved the ball about to create himself some space to shoot!
Travis had probably one of his best performances for the team in this match and despite only scoring one goal it was a good one and he put in a lot of work to help out his team mates, tracking back to tackle and feeding the ball through to give others the chance to have a pop at goal. He clearly listened to what we said before the match started and put this into practice on the pitch. Well done!
Joe came on for Trav near the end of the first half and suddenly terrorised the opposition with his pace and by chasing the ball down, managing to bag himself two goals in the process, The first being a minute after he came on which was a superb solo effort and his second right at the start of the second half when he pounced on a loose ball inside the opposition box. His great display during the game resulted in receiving the parent’s player of the match award.
Alex had a really good game and did a great job of holding the ball up on a number of occasions, tackling very well and remaining totally composed for the whole time he was on the pitch. He was unlucky to not get a goal himself on a couple of occasions and remained strong and focused all the time.
Katie also had a great game and did everything right. Just about the only thing she didn't do was score although she was very unlucky not to put the ball in the net when it hit the keeper smack in the chest midway through the second half. She worked really well with her team mates and helped to keep pressure on for the whole game.
Jacob was strong on the pitch and gave us another avenue to exploit with his long throws. He worked hard on holding the ball up in training and this showed at one point when he was able to keep a Warrington striker away from the ball to allow it out for a goal kick and allowing Jako to breathe. He made some great runs and had a couple of decent attempts on goal, also being unlucky not to have one find it's way into the net.
Tom was like a little dynamo in midfield and worked really hard to keep the ball away from the opposition. He put a lot of great passes through to the strikers and also fed them with some cracking corner taking, tackling hard whenever he was near the ball and really making a nuisance of himself against the opposition who found him very hard to handle.
Ben was like an energizer bunny for the whole time he was on the pitch and helped out his team mates from end to end. He chased every single ball that came anywhere near him and really kept the pressure on being unlucky not to score on a number of occasions but also by getting himself on the end of a great pass from Katie and belting the ball into the net. His great performance earned him the coaches’ player of the match which was very well deserved.
Dominic returned from illness and was as solid as ever in defence. His pure strength showed on a number of occasions and he belted the ball back up the field one good number of occasions to stop Warrington progressing forward. He got the better of the opposition in every one on one challenge and kept their striker in his pocket for the game! He made one particularly good run up the field, turning past three or four Warrington players before sending the ball through to his team mates.
Marc was consistently good during this match and tackled really well, showing a clean pair of heels to the opposition on numerous occasions. He positioned himself very well and worked hard with the other defenders to make sure that our back line was covered as much as possible, whilst also moving up the field on a few occasions to feed the ball through.
Thomas had his best game so far for the team with a really good performance in defence. He happily agreed to help out in Daniel's absence and did almost everything right. His positioning during the game was spot on and some of his clearances were first class. He showed some great footwork and made some great passes and whilst there are still a couple of things to work on, it became clear that this may be his best position for us. He was very close to getting the coaches man of the match award in this game!
Jako in goal was as brilliant as ever! His command of his area must be one of if not the best in the league and although he didn't have a lot to do in this game, what he did do, he did very well! His ability gives us the confidence that if a defender does make a mistake, then the opposition still don't have an easy job of getting the ball past him!
Overall, at some point every player deserved the man of the match award during this game as there wasn't a lot that we did wrong. Granted there were some things we picked up that we need to work on in training but we were very pleased with the way the team performed and presented themselves. The 'boring' simple passing that we do in training is very important and we believe that the results of this showed up clearly during the game.
It was great to finally get a win away from home and to do it in style. It's also fantastic to see that we have strength in depth and that goals are not just being scored by the strikers - 5 different players scored in this match which just shows how well we are working together as a team. Let's keep up the good work everyone.
I was going to keep this match report short and sweet but felt that every player deserved a mention for this game and thank everyone for their hard work. I would also like to thank the parents for their continued support, particularly whilst we've not been able to play games during the wet weather, and putting their faith in us. Thanks also to Warrington for giving us a decent game and trying hard to the end of the match.
