Boys' U14B v Foremarke

Date:
Tuesday 29th September

Venue:
Away, 4.15 pm

Team:
Lee; Prutton, Shires (Harvey 45), Cotter, Harvey (Reynolds 26); Staley, Clarke, Buckley, Wilcock; Dykstra, Bell

Result:
Foremarke 8-1 Repton (Dykstra 40)


Match Report:

Suffice to say that in no way were Foremarke flattered by this score. There had been some complacency – perhaps even hubris – and lack of focus in training yesterday, and, with Aeschylean inexorability, we paid heavily for it today. The match started as Repton had believed it would continue throughout – the Foremarke woodwork was shaken twice in the opening minutes, and all the pressure came from Repton. Foremarke soon grew in confidence, and threatened the Repton goal several times in the first half; in truth, Byung Moo Lee, again, kept us in the game; shortly before the break, Foremarke scored what was probably just about a deserved opener. Repton had failed to impose themselves on the game, assuming that all would go their way, and had every chance at half-time to put things right, but failed to make the most of this opportunity. Within two minutes of the resumption, some quick Foremarke interplay was rewarded with their lead being extended, and a third soon followed after a collision between Jack Clarke and Owen Staley on the edge of the box. At that point heads dropped significantly, and Foremarke started to score with metronomic and deserved regularity. They showed more composure, had more desire and strength and skill on the ball, and played for one another as a team, with considerable vision, and these things tend to swing it in the modern game. Too often Lee was left exposed at the back, as there was no-one to clear up after he had saved yet another shot; our defence was stretched woefully out of shape. All that had gone right at Shrewsbury – togetherness, positional awareness, quick, incisive passing and doggedness, had been discarded. The U14Bs have always tried to play the ball on the ground, so it raised a wry smile that their goal – in no way can it be called a consolation – came from a long ball of which Wing Commander Charles Reep himself would have been proud, knocked on by Charlie Bell and blasted home by Barney Dykstra, on his return to the team. One can only hope that the same mistakes are not repeated; in essence, the team needs to gain der Wille zur Macht, and fast.