U11 Youth - Whitton Wanderers Youth Falcons U9s
The Youth played some of the best football we’ve seen this season. However, the result just didn’t reflect the first three quarters, so drawing 3-3 with Whitton Wanderers did feel a little like a defeat. Our Q1, Q2 and Q3 performances were outstanding today with passing moves from defence to attack opening up Whitton at will and even getting the praises of the opposition managers who were really impressed.
Q1 we started off on the front foot. Some great interplay putting Phoenix through on goal but the Heathfield Recreation Ground pitch got a last gasp bobble in to send his shot over the bar. We get spoilt on 3G pitches, so today was a proper grassroots affair. Our new goal kick routine worked a treat giving lots of options for the players to bring the ball out. Whitton asked a lot of questions in the quarter with their best player Rya on the left, actually playing as a second striker forcing our right wing to drop back when we didn’t have the ball. Again, we managed some fantastic passing moves involving player of the match Josiah on the left wing to play though them and we almost scored on the break again.
Q2 saw us step up a gear getting used to the ball at our feet, looking for passes and not losing the ball. Finley was having to contend with their best player on the right wing and in partnership with Eddie, who was in the running for player of the match, playing at right back controlled the right side. The goal of the match came from a passing move from Gabriel in defence, wide to Phoenix, who was playing on the left wing, to cut inside on his right and his cross into the box for Josiah to set up Jojo who expertly slotted the ball home.
Q3 saw some outstanding play from the Youth. Josiah with his debut at centre midfield passing the ball around their midfield. Phoenix played in Gabriel who’s low shot found the net to make it 2. Again Whitton hit us on the break and Issac in goal, who didn’t have that much to do for most of the match, pulled off a superb save when their striker was though 1v1 and certain to score. Their score did come when we tried to play our football out of defence under pressure when maybe putting it into Row Z for a throw could’ve given us chance to regroup. The goal didn’t effect us and we settled into playing some lovely football where Finley put through for Phoenix to power in our 3rd and take control of the match 1-3….or so we thought.
Our performance in Q4 has got to rest with me the manager. At 1-3 up I should’ve switched the lineup to play our defensive rock of Jojo and Eddie and shut the game up, but I left the original attacking formation and we got picked off. They played Rya as playmaker rather than wide and she bossed the midfield for them. We were still dangerous on the break, but fatigue played its part and we ended up losing the quarter 2-0 which would’ve seemed an impossibility after Q3.
Lots of greats to take away today. We could’ve been 3-0 up after Q1 with the chances we created; our goal kick routine has stopped us from losing goals from our own goal kicks and the football we are playing with the ball at our feet is a joy to watch. The results will come and I’m guessing at some point we are going to click for all four quarters and we’ll end up with an emphatic win.
