U14 Whites - York City

I was absolutely gutted for the lads after this result. Losing 10-0 to a team as strong as York City was tough, but the scoreline didn’t reflect how well we played, especially in the first half. We knew going into the game that it would be a difficult challenge against one of the best teams in the region, but the boys gave everything, and they deserved much more than what the result showed.

We conceded the first goal in the first minute, from a situation where their 6'2" striker, a yard offside. Yes, it was frustrating, but the lads didn’t let their heads drop. After that early setback, we settled down, screened the pass into their striker better, and started breaking up York’s play. I informed the players at the end of Q1 that we weren't successful in pressing high due to their quality on the ball , so we set up to play on the counter-attack, and the lads executed the game plan really well, staying organised and absorbing the pressure.

By half-time, we were only 2-0 down and still very much in the game. We’d done well to frustrate York, and the lads showed real character. However, things quickly went against us in the third quarter. Five minutes in, the referee awarded a free-kick to York that should have gone our way, and they scored from it. The next goal, 2 mins later, their player was offside before scoring. Shortly after, a mis-kick on a pass across the box led to another goal, and before we knew it, the score had jumped to 5-0 in what felt like no time at all. It was a real blow, especially after we’d worked so hard to stay in the match.

Yes, the referee’s decisions didn’t help us, and it affected the game and even York’s coach admitted that the scoreline should have been half what it was. York were simply too good on the day, but despite the result, I was proud of the boys' attitude throughout. 

This is a game we were likely to lose but that first half performance was a real credit to the team and it's ultimately a part of the learning process, and they’ll grow from this experience. 

Key Takeaways:

• - In the first half, we held our own and went into the break 2-0 down, still in the game, but the third quarter saw the match slip away after some poor refereeing decisions.
• - We played a counter-attacking game rather than pressing high, and the lads did well to break up York’s play and stay organised defensively.
• - Two offside goals and a missed free-kick call hurt us, and a few key mistakes led to a harsh scoreline.
• - Despite the tough result, the players showed good resilience and attitude, and they’ll take important lessons from this game.

I was disappointed for the lads, but also proud of their effort and character. It was a hard day, but I’m confident that this experience will help them improve, and we’ll come back stronger in the next game.