Boys' U14B v Wolverhampton GS

Date:
Tuesday 3rd November


Venue:
Away, depart 12.15 pm


Team:

Lee; Cohen, Shires, Cartlidge, Ginsberg; Staley, Cotter, Teal, Buckley; Bell, Taft  
subs (rolling): Reynolds, Li, Dykstra, Clarke 


Result:
L 2-1 


Match Report:

This was, perhaps, our first proverbially bipartite game of the season, and certainly our best performance since the draw at Shrewsbury on September 26^th.

Repton seemed taken by surprise at the pace of the game in the opening stages and, in truth, a lack of focus, drive and awareness led to two goals being conceded in the first ten minutes. Repton did not trouble the opposition’s half of the pitch with any great frequency in the first thirty minutes, and had Byung Moo Lee to thank for keeping them in the game, with another brace of superb reflex saves, made at full stretch. Perhaps most worryingly, we simply did not seem to want it as much as Wolverhampton, and were not supporting each other, either positionally or vocally.

After half-time, however, there was a noticeable improvement in Repton’s play: immediately we increased our levels of aggression, vision and teamwork, and Wolverhampton, tangibly taken aback, could not live with this. Repton pressed hard for most of the half, though rarely found the final ball to set up a gilt-edged chance. The best work was on the left wing, with some delightful and intelligent interplay between, variously, Simon Reynolds, the excellent Jason Taft, seen for the first time in B XI colours, Owen Staley and Will Buckley; their perfectly delayed and incisive passing deserved more than the one penalty, for a trip on Buckley, with which they were rewarded.

There were, unquestionably, many positives to take from this match: the back four consistently demonstrate commitment, judgement and strength, and Lee’s blossoming as a ‘keeper continues apace, and the second half saw some intelligent, selfless football. It is to be hoped that rewards derived from the urgency brought to the game by the team, who clearly wanted to play for one another, and were very disappointed not to have gained more from the match, can be channelled into the discipline and will to win that will be necessary against Lady Manners next Tuesday.